NRL refs to crackdown on eager defenders

[Geo]

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**NRL refs to crackdown on eager defenders**
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 » 04:45pm
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NRL referees will crack down on defensive lines which move up too soon in the 2010 season.
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NRL referees boss Robert Finch says they will also closely monitor kick chasers who break the advantage line before the ball is kicked.
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This focus on players who go 'downtown' early on long kicks, is designed to protect fullbacks and wingers.
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Finch outlined the crackdowns after meeting with NRL coaches in Sydney on Wednesday.
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A proposal from Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens to feed scrums from the open side instead of the blind side will be experimented with in upcoming trial matches.
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Despite several big controversies last season over obstruction and grounding the ball decisions, referees boss Robert Finch said all NRL coaches supported the league's interpretation of these issues.
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Finch said increased technology meant obstruction and grounding of the ball rulings could not always be black and white, but that NRL coaches were unanimously behind the referees' interpretations.
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'Really it is just support for the current interpretations especially in the key areas of grounding the ball for tries and obstructions,' said Finch.
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'The consensus was that they were very happy with the current interpretations.'

Suit the Wests Tigers game..both in attack and defence…IMO

Maybe Farah will be able to draw a penalty or two this year..unlike the fifty or so he didn't get last year...Hope Archer is paying attention

Hmm ........I notice the Aussie coach has been mentioned in a few different articles on Rule changes and interpretations for 2010.........could be nothing.......

 

[alien]

There is nothing wrong with coaches throwing their ideas out there.

 

[T-D-C]

Moving the Defensive line back on the scrums can only help the big bag of tricks we have with our scrum play. Hope to see some of these new ideas in some of the trial matches.

 

[TIGER]

I think they should go back to the old rule that you have to be behind the kicker and if your not only the kicker can run you onside. The way the rule is now is crap because the team that has kicked sends their chasers down field who were all in front of the kicker and they never give the receiver their ten. And even if they do they are still advantaged because they had a head start on the kick.
I just think it takes away an opportunity for teams to play a more attacking brand of football when fullbacks and wingers receive the ball and have to surrender straight away because opposition d is in their face. I'd like to see this part of the game opened up so we can see some of the quick guys in our clubs use there skills and speed and maybe try and create something on tackle zero. The Benji try in 05 is ringing in my head as i write this. I think it will suit our style of play and make the game more exciting. What u think?

 

[alien]

I don't see how they can change that. If they are miles infront of the kicker and the kick gets charged down then they could be in alot of trouble. It's the risk they take. If they give the receiver 10 meters then what's wrong with that? They still have to be careful because if they aren't in a line the fullback could get through.

 

[Juro]

Had to laugh at the telegraph yesterday talking about defenders being offside from the kick if they go downtown. What picture did they have? Farah kicking, probably from dummy half. Yeah, I'm sure lots of tigers would have been offside from that kick…