New Fighting Rule

[tigertye]

Never in my life did I think this great game would go so soft.

Fair dinkum, I remember going to the footy when I was a skinny little 5 year old at Leichardt and a blue would break out on the field and the hill would go wild, blokes throwing air swings re-enacting the action, spilling their beers over their mates and soon to be pissed off girlfriends. IT'S A PART OF OUR GAME.

Now I've sat back and listened to the "player safety" and "right and wrong" argument since this all broke out and I appreciate some points, however, it's rubbish. As long as this game is around fists are gunna fly in the heat of the moment.

I think we've taken it way too far sending players to the bin in the NRL and in Origin. I hope they will abolish the rule in these arenas.

In saying that I hope they keep the "10 in the bin for punching rule" in the 20's and NSW Cup. Young men have an immature temperament and sometimes need a sit down, or disciplinary action taken to learn their lesson. Hopefully by the time these kids make NRL they've learnt these lessons and will hold back and consider their actions.

I hear a lot of people bringing up parents not letting their kids play because the fighting puts them off. Well your kids should stick to soccer. It's a tough game, simple.

I would love to see the NRL severely punish any player who runs in and throws one. Similar to hockey. They could pull their own players away or something like that, but not get involved.

I must stress, I don't condone fighting or believe it's always the right way to sort something out. I simply just understand it happens out on the field in the moment. It's a tough game, played by tough men and if two guys wanna get up and throw em. I say let 'em rip.

Rant Over.

_Posted using RoarFEED 2013_

 

[liltiger]

I agree totally were on our way to raising a whole generation of pansies. soon it'll be like soccer, they already fall over to milk penalties in the defensive line, honestly if Les Boyd was running around today he'd get these pretty boy's with their tough man tatoo's and smash em. The game's gone backward's if parent's dont want their kid's to play fine just dont whinge when the kid's grow up sissies. I can't believe we have a game of 100 plus kilo blokes running around in cotton wool, bring back the biff. In origin game three every man on the pitch should belt into each other, let's see the ref's send off both team's.

 

[TJL]

The next thing we'll be wearing skirts playing aerial ping pong.

 

[rollingstone]

Well, I'll never agree that the game needs to be violent to be a spectacle. You see, getting punched in the head is dangerous to the recipient, as is coming to a sudden, unexpected stop when a player is blind sided by a shoulder charge.

We could ask ourselves whether these things are spectacular, and I have to admit that they are. We SHOULD ask ourselves whether these things are harmful to the players' long term health and the medical evidence is "yes".

Now the the question becomes whether we, as fans, have the right to demand that tactics which are dangerous to players' long term health, be allowed just for our entertainment. The answer is that nobody has that right.

People may say that parents who don't want their kids to play a sport which is seen to be violent should have them play a different sport. The trouble is that more and more parents are doing just that. A game of soccer at Campbelltown last summer drew a crowd of over 17,000\. When was the last time we drew a crowd of that size?

The authorities running Rugby League have it right and the game is just as spectacular by concentrating on skill rather than violence. What was your reaction when Ellery Hanley was taken out by Terry Lamb in a Grand Final? Think about this, because the course that other posters in this thread are actually advocating will ensure the demise of the game - through litigation by damaged players and subsequently by lack of participation.

The time for these attitudes has passed, and I say (as you say to parents), if you don't like it watch something else.

 

[VanillaThunder]

Well, I'll never agree that the game needs to be violent to be a spectacle. You see, getting punched in the head is dangerous to the recipient, as is coming to a sudden, unexpected stop when a player is blind sided by a shoulder charge.

We could ask ourselves whether these things are spectacular, and I have to admit that they are. We SHOULD ask ourselves whether these things are harmful to the players' long term health and the medical evidence is "yes".

Now the the question becomes whether we, as fans, have the right to demand that tactics which are dangerous to players' long term health, be allowed just for our entertainment. The answer is that nobody has that right.

People may say that parents who don't want their kids to play a sport which is seen to be violent should have them play a different sport. The trouble is that more and more parents are doing just that. A game of soccer at Campbelltown last summer drew a crowd of over 17,000\. When was the last time we drew a crowd of that size?

The authorities running Rugby League have it right and the game is just as spectacular by concentrating on skill rather than violence. What was your reaction when Ellery Hanley was taken out by Terry Lamb in a Grand Final? Think about this, because the course that other posters in this thread are actually advocating will ensure the demise of the game - through litigation by damaged players and subsequently by lack of participation.

The time for these attitudes has passed, and I say (as you say to parents), if you don't like it watch something else.

x2\. As good as it is to watch, it's stunting the growth of the sport. Fights will continue to happen, players just need to be aware that now, just like in the real world, there will be consequences. There's enough knuckleheads out there that think it's okay to punch a bloke when he's not looking, it's not what we need from role models in what we want to become the premier sporting code.

_Posted using RoarFEED 2013_

 

[Goose]

One of my pet hates is hearing people make statements like we are softening the game or put them all in skirts.

The modern player is plenty tough, just like the old school players.

We don't need punch ups or shoulder charges for the game to be hard.

Impact is measurable, the contact in the modern game is greater than it ever has been, makes sense the players are bigger, faster, stronger due to full time training. Blokes still play hurt and battle on, Nathan Friend played a full game with a broken jaw not long ago and made 40+ tackles, that is far tougher than having a knuckle and is every bit as inspiring as anything from any era.

Ive got no issue with them taking fighting out of the game, I think it will appeal to a wider audience and bring in a different type of sponsor to the game.

I played the open age footy as fights were eased out of the game, when they I started they were regular, when I finished they were rare, I was involved in footy fights, but was no tough guy by any means, so Im not some bleeding heart that doesnt get the fabric of the game and all that stuff, I just think it is time to move away from the Reg Reagan stuff and celebrate Greg Inglis and Ben Barba exploits, that is the real beauty of Rugby league!

 

[WestsSupporter]

I think one thing which annoys people is how reactionary NRL are. I mean, one hit, Greg Inglis' on Dean Young, practically got the rule banned. And one punch up got fighting banned.

 

[innsaneink]

I dont know what was wrong with penalizing shoulder charges that contact the head, that go wrong…just like we do with tackles that go wrong.

Josh Dugans 2 weeks for his tackle on Moylan is a freekin joke.

...and for all the parents up in arms over violence in NRL....I wish the NRL would broadcast some footage of the u/6's mini footy...I bet those bleeding hearts whinging about it have never seen 4 & 5 y olds playing the game...I think many equate NRL violence to mini footy....its chalk n cheese

 

[tigertilidie]

I hate this. I mean the shoulder charge has been in the game for 100 years and it made rugby league what is it today. Also getting 10 in the bin for a punch thats a joke i mean. Why decide to ban it now when people having been throwing them since rugby league started. I don't think i have ever watched an Origin match when there hasn't been a punch up. I understand that we need to keep our players safe and its not appealing to parents wanting their kids to play League, but that is just part of the game. Its rough. If it keeps going down this path in about 30 years they won't be able to use their shoulders. Looked at Bryce gibbs' twitter a few weeks ago and this is a general thing that players do not agree with these new rules

bryce kenneth gibbs ‏@bryceegibbs 16 Jun
" BREAKING " nrl just banned The football!

It has to much leather and could cause a fight! #soft #oldschoolnrl