Demonborger
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http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/nrl-premiership/stuart-raper-explains-the-reason-why-were-heading-for-an-nrl-season-full-of-record-shutouts/story-fn2mcuj6-1226618638075#.UWfzjDuvrp9
Season 2013 has already produced the highest percentage of teams to be kept scoreless in the history of rugby league and, according to former Cronulla coach and referees boss Stuart Raper, the only way to buck the trend is to reduce the interchange.
According to Fox Sports Stats, one in five 40-minute halves of NRL played this season has had a team kept scoreless.
It’s an amazing stat and has 2013 poised to break a record for the most shut-outs of all time.
Raper believes the reason for the growing trend is largely due to NRL club’s heavy defensive focus and predictability in attack.
"The game is becoming so defence-orientated; my concern is the interchange is still too high," Raper told foxsports.com.au.
"I think we’ve got too many fresh players on the field and it’s not my thoughts only, a lot of people have said this.
"These fitter sides are defending well and because they are fit they are utilising their interchange better than other teams.
"I don’t know if there is much else you could pick as to why sides are being kept to nil."
Raper believes there is a growing trend of predictable and generic attacking plays by NRL teams which is reducing the amount of offloads made and ultimately contributing to teams’ inability to score points.
"All sides are attacking the same way," he said.
"Everybody knows the deep double block out wide shifting so the fringe defence is working a lot better. Sides have scored the year before and last year with that play aren’t doing it anymore because some sides are defending it better than others.
"This year we don’t have as much second phase football and again that comes down to the interchange. Sides are controlling that ruck a lot better so we’re going to get that predictability play.
"It’s great to see someone like Sonny Bill Williams play, but two weeks back I don’t think he played the ball because he was offloading and I think the interchange plays a big part in that."
So what is the solution to buck this trend?
Raper says during his time in control of the NRL referees, alongside Bill Harrigan until being sacked at the end of last year, he continually suggested they reduce the number of interchanges allowed to be made.
Raper confirmed that the idea has been discussed within the NRL by the rules committee but it is yet to receive the support of the majority.
"I hate tinkering with rules in the game. I think we have great rules but the thing is as our game has become a modern game, players have got a lot fitter, bigger, stronger, faster than they were 10 years ago and even five ago," he said.
"Sports science is going through the roof in the way these sides are prepared. We’re still maintaining a 10 interchange, we changed it about five or six years ago from 12 and they haven’t budged on it since. The game gets a little quicker and harder each year and we still have fresh players on.
"You look at any team’s pack of forwards and nearly the majority of the team would only have to rotate one or two.
"Hookers are playing 80 minutes, back rowers are playing 80, all you really need on your rotation is front rowers and you don’t need 10 interchanges for injuries and front rowers and until we bring that interchange back I can’t see any major changes to our game."
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What do we all think of this? Is the game becoming too defensive orientated? Does defense focus give the referee a greater influence on the result? If there are fewer tries and teams rely upon piggyback penalties to score…
Is the game becoming boring?
Season 2013 has already produced the highest percentage of teams to be kept scoreless in the history of rugby league and, according to former Cronulla coach and referees boss Stuart Raper, the only way to buck the trend is to reduce the interchange.
According to Fox Sports Stats, one in five 40-minute halves of NRL played this season has had a team kept scoreless.
It’s an amazing stat and has 2013 poised to break a record for the most shut-outs of all time.
Raper believes the reason for the growing trend is largely due to NRL club’s heavy defensive focus and predictability in attack.
"The game is becoming so defence-orientated; my concern is the interchange is still too high," Raper told foxsports.com.au.
"I think we’ve got too many fresh players on the field and it’s not my thoughts only, a lot of people have said this.
"These fitter sides are defending well and because they are fit they are utilising their interchange better than other teams.
"I don’t know if there is much else you could pick as to why sides are being kept to nil."
Raper believes there is a growing trend of predictable and generic attacking plays by NRL teams which is reducing the amount of offloads made and ultimately contributing to teams’ inability to score points.
"All sides are attacking the same way," he said.
"Everybody knows the deep double block out wide shifting so the fringe defence is working a lot better. Sides have scored the year before and last year with that play aren’t doing it anymore because some sides are defending it better than others.
"This year we don’t have as much second phase football and again that comes down to the interchange. Sides are controlling that ruck a lot better so we’re going to get that predictability play.
"It’s great to see someone like Sonny Bill Williams play, but two weeks back I don’t think he played the ball because he was offloading and I think the interchange plays a big part in that."
So what is the solution to buck this trend?
Raper says during his time in control of the NRL referees, alongside Bill Harrigan until being sacked at the end of last year, he continually suggested they reduce the number of interchanges allowed to be made.
Raper confirmed that the idea has been discussed within the NRL by the rules committee but it is yet to receive the support of the majority.
"I hate tinkering with rules in the game. I think we have great rules but the thing is as our game has become a modern game, players have got a lot fitter, bigger, stronger, faster than they were 10 years ago and even five ago," he said.
"Sports science is going through the roof in the way these sides are prepared. We’re still maintaining a 10 interchange, we changed it about five or six years ago from 12 and they haven’t budged on it since. The game gets a little quicker and harder each year and we still have fresh players on.
"You look at any team’s pack of forwards and nearly the majority of the team would only have to rotate one or two.
"Hookers are playing 80 minutes, back rowers are playing 80, all you really need on your rotation is front rowers and you don’t need 10 interchanges for injuries and front rowers and until we bring that interchange back I can’t see any major changes to our game."
\
\
\
What do we all think of this? Is the game becoming too defensive orientated? Does defense focus give the referee a greater influence on the result? If there are fewer tries and teams rely upon piggyback penalties to score…
Is the game becoming boring?
