Should we bring back contested scrums in rugby league?

L'irlandais

, Promises to Referee in France
Joined
May 11, 2010
Messages
4,724
Post Likes
325
Article from the Guardian
It’s technically legal but fighting for possession is all but dead. A revival would make the game more random and exciting


So would contested scrums be a good thing for RL? :holysheep:
 

Camquin

Rugby Expert
Joined
Mar 8, 2011
Messages
1,653
Post Likes
310
Why not introduce competition for the ball after the tackle as well
Perhaps have a competition for the all after a throw in, maybe introduce a couple of extra forwards.
I think if you did that, you might have a game. :)

Camquin
 

Ian_Cook


Referees in New Zealand
Staff member
Joined
Jul 12, 2005
Messages
13,680
Post Likes
1,760
Current Referee grade:
Level 2
Article from the Guardian
It’s technically legal but fighting for possession is all but dead. A revival would make the game more random and exciting


So would contested scrums be a good thing for RL? :holysheep:

Firstly, pushing in the scrums IS still legal, and occasionally, it does happen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=PczZmYdQWqY#t=208

Secondly, it could be dangerous if it were to become the done thing all of a sudden because RL props have been "bred" away from the requirements for front row play. Put it this way. Would you be happy to take a couple of randomly chosen RL props/hookers and drop them straight into the front row of an RU scrum at a similar age and playing level?
 

leaguerefaus


Referees in Australia
Joined
Jul 27, 2013
Messages
1,009
Post Likes
248
Current Referee grade:
Level 2
Many of the changes which RL has made in the past few years have been about speeding it up, so it would be a backwards step to go back to contested scrums which are often required to be repacked.

I love scrums in union but it's not something I would like to see in league again.
 

Ricardowensleydale

Player or Coach
Joined
Oct 16, 2011
Messages
413
Post Likes
20
Current Referee grade:
Select Grade
Surely we should work on getting contested scrums back in RU first.
 

4eyesbetter


Referees in England
Joined
Oct 31, 2010
Messages
1,320
Post Likes
86
I do wonder at the mindset of someone who watches the current state of union scrums and then goes "you know what? we really need this in our game!" It smells of someone who agreed to write the column and then the deadline sneaked up on him and he was scratching around for something to fill the space. Which is a shame, because they have had some interesting ideas in there.
 

Pegleg

Rugby Expert
Joined
Sep 3, 2014
Messages
3,330
Post Likes
536
Current Referee grade:
Level 3
Surely we should work on getting contested scrums back in RU first.

Excellent comment.

I'll leave the League boys to decide what they want in their game. I wish people would stop comparing the two games. The two games are, at best, distant relatives NOT clones. Let's leave it that way.
 

Ciaran Trainor


Referees in England
Joined
Jun 23, 2005
Messages
2,844
Post Likes
361
Location
Walney Island
Current Referee grade:
Level 7
I've seen a few scrums won against the head and feed in league over recent seasons. You can only get away with it a couple of times a game with a coordinated shove but most teams never try it which I think is crazy when there is a real chance of surprising the opposition and winning back possession.
 

dave_clark


Referees in England
Joined
May 2, 2007
Messages
4,647
Post Likes
104
Current Referee grade:
Level 15 - 11
is there not a significant safety risk in a one-off league scrum all of a sudden being competitive? if the opposition are expecting a passive scrum, surely it's highly likely to collapse...
 

leaguerefaus


Referees in Australia
Joined
Jul 27, 2013
Messages
1,009
Post Likes
248
Current Referee grade:
Level 2
is there not a significant safety risk in a one-off league scrum all of a sudden being competitive? if the opposition are expecting a passive scrum, surely it's highly likely to collapse...
I've never had a scrum collapse when a team's decided to push. Keep in mind that in RL we are no where near as close to the ground when we scrummage, thus a lot less likely to not be able to support ourselves.
 

dave_clark


Referees in England
Joined
May 2, 2007
Messages
4,647
Post Likes
104
Current Referee grade:
Level 15 - 11
fair enough, makes sense i guess.
 

TigerCraig


Referees in Australia
Joined
May 19, 2008
Messages
1,464
Post Likes
236
Bring back stripping the ball and striking for the ball in the play the ball first. League is the only football sport where there is no contest for possession.

I was a pretty ordinary league player in my day, but one thing I could do was rake the ball back from the play the ball.
 
Top