What are the Laws/Rules that are being played to?

[GIGS20]

Yeah Burgs, I think I would need there to be a yellow for the deliberate professional foul stopping a try regardless of when it occurs.......but for the guy that's caught offside by a hair, onm the line at the seventh phase, stopping a try, that's not a professional foul, he probably would have done the same thing on the 50!

[MI5_Dog]

The only problem I see with the 'tackler must release the player' enforcement is that the refs have to be equally vigilant that the tackled player release the ball and not decide just to get up and start running again.

[Lee Grant]

Yes Dog - but the first thing that has to happen is that the tackled player has to be released - and incidentally not used to help the tackler get to his feet.

When that happens most of the time - it will never be perfect - then we should worry about the tackled player releasing.

Right now players are pinged more for not releasing the ball than players pinged for not releasing the tackled player (so he can physically release the ball). Both events happen a lot, both laws are on the books, yet, noticeably, one is invoked more than the other.

Let's see the tackler being pinged more; let's hear defence oriented coaches howl. Let's get our game back - or a least, take a step in that direction.

[Ecky]

Consistency on Yellow Card offences is a big one with me, it shouldn’t matter if it is 5m out 2 points down with a minute to go, a 20 point margin just after half time or the first minute of the match, a Yellow Card should be a Yellow Card. If you have a few players getting Penalties while the match is rolling along and then suddenly out pops a Yellow to a first time offender, often a player who is just on the field, because suddenly the Ref feels it is impacting the scoreline then there is no wonder that players get frustrated.

I understand your point Burgs, but if there's a player intentionally offending in "the red zone" (try scoring opportunity) then that's cynical play and that's a yellow card on my pitch. Every time; first minute or injury time.

Depends, as always, on the situation at the time. Ferinstance, continually killing the ball under try line pressure. As long as there's been a clear team warning, the next offender MUST be carded. The big problem I see with yellow/red cards, in both Rugby codes, is their use for dealing with foul play without confirmation from the TMO. The on field refs get those wrong far too often.

Yeah, but the TMO cannot rule on foul play. Except if it occurs in-goal there may be a way of ruling on it, but (probably) only if it affected the scoring of a try.

Also, bear in mind that any penalty try must be followed by a yellow card.

[brokendown gunfighter]

looking at the Hurricannes V Dorkland ist half,The Ref is RED hot on the tackler releasing the player.Penalties in the first half dozen tackles
In one tackle the tackler let go immediatly & the tackled player got straight to his feet & continued play,without placing the ball on the ground.got away with it too.
No wonder the players are getting frustrated
expect a penalty fest this evening

[travelling_gerry]

15 penalty/fk to half time.

[shasta]

Yeah, but the TMO cannot rule on foul play. Except if it occurs in-goal there may be a way of ruling on it, but (probably) only if it affected the scoring of a try.

Yep. But I really think a little broadening of the ref's ability to refer SOME things needs to be reviewed. Particularly where players are wrongly carded for foul play. There's so much riding on professional matches nowdays that any assistance the ref can be given should be available to him.

[Lee Grant]

First game under the new law regime.

The Kiwi commentators couldn't help saying "new interpretation" but at least somebody mentioned it wasn't really, it was a new application of the law as it was. "Application" is the better word.

Dickinson did pretty well with it too (a B mark), but not relevant to the crackdown he missed a few knock ons and awarded a free kick to Weepu when he dropped the pill. But that is neither here nor there. Maybe he should have awarded a yellow card earlier than when Toeava got one, but it was a good first step.

What I didn't realise is that the refs are cracking down on the defensive and attacking pillars loitering in front of last feet. That activity formed an important part of Kees Meuws' CV; so he must be shaking his head.

It was good also to see the offside law after kicks enforced. Let's hope this prevails. Sometimes last year I thought I was watching rugby league.

That's just one game - let's not get too excited that rugby may break out in the Super14. Let's see it in the 2nd month. If the law as it is written is still being observed by the referees, I'll warrant that there won't be so many penalties in the tackle/ruck area.

Why? The players will be following the lead of the referees because their coaches will instruct them to do so.

The best predictions are true when you make them.