This game revealed a few rules, and they’re policing, which need to be addressed. These are a few musings…

1. When JRey pushed Wighton into touch and we were penalised. Once the momentum of the tackle started he was always going into touch so calling held a microsecond before and then awarding a penalty is ridiculous. At worst, he should have walked him back to play the ball - same as if someone steps off the mark. Players should be rewarded for dominant tackles not penalised.

2. The dropped ball for which we were penalised. I realise we could have challenged, but why doesn’t the video ref jump in to get it right? I thought this was the biggest call of the game because it led directly to points. The video refs will join in for something like a line drop-out so why not other glaring issues?

3. A tackle reset doesn’t appear to require an advantage to be taken. Knock on when running from dummy half and you turn it over even though the other team has transgressed. The tackle restart is meant to be the equivalent of a penalty and should require the team awarded to get some advantage.

4. The MCK pass ‘off the ground’. Why could that not be challenged? I can understand not being able to challenge rulings which can’t be judged by video ref, but this certainly could. I’m wondering if the ref just made that up on the run.

5. From last week’s game, defending players should be able to catch the ball inside of ten metres from a kick off. I think the entire purpose of the ten metre rule is to stop a team tapping the ball as a kick off.

Yeah no. 4 is strange that it’s unchallengeable

@voice_of_reason said in Rules and refereeing:

This game revealed a few rules, and they’re policing, which need to be addressed. These are a few musings…

1. When JRey pushed Wighton into touch and we were penalised. Once the momentum of the tackle started he was always going into touch so calling held a microsecond before and then awarding a penalty is ridiculous. At worst, he should have walked him back to play the ball - same as if someone steps off the mark. Players should be rewarded for dominant tackles not penalised.

2. The dropped ball for which we were penalised. I realise we could have challenged, but why doesn’t the video ref jump in to get it right? I thought this was the biggest call of the game because it led directly to points. The video refs will join in for something like a line drop-out so why not other glaring issues?

3. A tackle reset doesn’t appear to be require an advantage to be taken. Knock on when running from dummy half and you turn it over even though the other team has transgressed. The tackle restart is meant to be the equivalent of a penalty and should require the team awarded to get some advantage.

4. The MCK pass ‘off the ground’. Why could that not be challenged? I can understand not being able to challenge rulings which can’t be judged by video ref, but this certainly could. I’m wondering if the ref just made that up on the run.

5. From last week’s game, defending players should be able to catch the ball inside of ten metres from a kick off. I think the entire purpose of the ten metre rule is to stop a team tapping the ball as a kick off.

If six again is called on tackle 1 or 2 it should be a penalty.

If the attacking team are trying to MILK a six again in the Ref’s eyes it should be deemed a change over it would stop MILKING immediately

That ref is lucky he’s not my neighbour…

@hobbo1 said in Rules and refereeing:

That ref is lucky he’s not my neighbour…

Don’t worry about that humped dirt patch in your backyard when you wake up OK …nothing to see here

I think there should be stats on extra tackles. The number of penalties and restarts are misleading if one team receives most of theirs on tackle one (ie one extra tackle) and the other receives theirs on tackle four (ie four extra tackles). It would help make referee game management more transparent.

I’m still not sold on these new rules …it’s like the 9’s format imo

I don’t know any other sport to bastardise the rules so much as rugby league

I like the new rules but reckon there is a bit of making it up on the run by the refs …you see things you think should be six again and it’s not called then other times you think what the hell was that for especially early in the tackle count gets a 6 again you see same thing happen on tackle 4 eg marker in the ruck and it’s let go…

The worrying thing is a ref and his interpretations are influencing games more than they should…It made it hard for us tonight…we let ourselves down

It felt like though the Raiders were being officiated different to us…

@Geo said in Rules and refereeing:

It felt like though the Raiders were being officiated different to us…

Not much has changed in that respect.

There was just so many calls tonight that had me scratching my head

Lead runner on Wighton’s try hit Reynolds inside shoulder

Tigers penalized for the player driven into touch

Was a stripped ball call but didn’t hear the refs called held

Was a knock down by a Raiders player that was called a knock on (pretty sure it was when Grant got flogged from behind when we were 5 out from the line and not one runner wanting to scream at the line

Raiders player standing in front of player taking tap (RHS ) when Packer sent to the bin

MCK pass

Grant gets belted high minutes before Packer belts Wighton

@Geo said in Rules and refereeing:

I like the new rules but reckon there is a bit of making it up on the run by the refs …you see things you think should be six again and it’s not called then other times you think what the hell was that for especially early in the tackle count gets a 6 again you see same thing happen on tackle 4 eg marker in the ruck and it’s let go…

The worrying thing is a ref and his interpretations are influencing games more than they should…It made it hard for us tonight…we let ourselves down

It felt like though the Raiders were being officiated different to us…

Everything changes yet everything is the same

26 refs per game next season

@Geo said in Rules and refereeing:

I like the new rules but reckon there is a bit of making it up on the run by the refs …you see things you think should be six again and it’s not called then other times you think what the hell was that for especially early in the tackle count gets a 6 again you see same thing happen on tackle 4 eg marker in the ruck and it’s let go…

The worrying thing is a ref and his interpretations are influencing games more than they should…It made it hard for us tonight…we let ourselves down

It felt like though the Raiders were being officiated different to us…

The Tapani dropped ball was the turning point .

Refs when in doubt go with the favourites. Tigers got zero reward for basically dominating the first half, but after oranges the Raiders were rewarded for everything we were not in the first half. I am sorry one ref or two refs, new rules or old rules, the bloke with the whistle more often than not determines who wins.

The guy tonight had absolutely zero feel for the game, but of course we were underdogs so why should we expect to win

@hobbo1 said in Rules and refereeing:

I’m still not sold on these new rules …it’s like the 9’s format imo

I don’t know any other sport to bastardise the rules so much as rugby league

100% agreement from me. To get a TV product up and running, Vlandys and others have screwed the reputation of the game by implementing seriously questionable policies. One ref is a disaster in terms of fairness, impartiality and consistency within and between games. To think people bet on this sport now? Why bother? Results will be determined by the “interpretation” of the rules that suit the mood and ego of the officiating ref. Their power and influence on outcomes is massive now.

One thing I did notice were the amount of times the raiders moved up in defence way too early. You can’t race off the line in defence before the ball has finished being played to the dummy half to distribute. It seems to happen in alot of games atm and i often wonder how the defence can be up so quick with some teams and not others. Touch judges need to start policing this as the ref has so many other things to watch. There could have been many off sides called and It can really kill attacking momentum.