New Law Changes

Don't fight them - they will win. Ask Joe Strummer!

Despite the RFL's persistence in erroneously referring to the laws of our game as 'rules', they have today confirmed that the changes trialled during recent pre-season friendlies in Yorkshire will be implemented during the 2013 Championships and Super League seasons.

The biggest shift in mindset will be required to conjugate the new interpretation of the advantage rule in which a team gaining possession from a forward pass or knock on will only be deemed to have taken their advantage if they keep possession until the next tackle is complete - as opposed to having carried the ball to the gain-line.

If possession is lost before the tackle is completed, the referee will go back to the point of the original infringement and award a scrum against the team that infringed first. The referee will also rule that the team in possession has not had an advantage if they are tackled close to their own goal-line. 'Close' is not defined, which seems a bit daft.

RFL Director of Standards and Licensing Blake 'Velly' Solly (who's done such a great job on the latter according to sources at Odsal and Salford) said: “Rugby League is proud of its position as a fast paced and entertaining sport and we have implemented these changes to help ensure that we blah-de-blah-de-blah..."

He then goes on to refer to the laws as 'rules' - which only serves to confirm that he knows fuck all about Rugby League.

The law changes in full are as follows:

Ball in touch or touch in-goal or dead in-goal (Section 9)

A player is deemed to be in touch if any part of his body touches the touchline or anything outside of the playing field. Similarly, a player is deemed to be touch in-goal or dead in-goal if any part of his body touches the touch in-goal or dead-ball line or anything outside the field of play in those areas. If a player who is in touch, touch in-goal or dead in-goal touches a moving ball then the team who kicked the ball or knocked on are responsible for the ball going out of play. However, if the ball is stationary in the field of play and is then touched by a player who is in touch, touch in-goal or dead in-goal then that player is responsible for the ball going dead.

Scrum on 20m line
Other than as outlined above, the game is restarted after the ball has gone into touch by forming a scrum 20 metres infield opposite the point of entry into touch but not nearer than ten (10) meters to the goal-line.
In all aspects of general play, a player who does not deliberately play at the ball (e.g. ricochet or rebound) will not be disadvantaged by a consequent restart of play when the ball has gone dead or into touch.

Penalties – where taken
A penalty kick resulting from an offence at the kick off shall be taken from the centre of the halfway line. Any penalty kick arising from the restarting of play from an optional kick on the 20m line shall be taken where the offence takes place. Any penalty kick arising from any other 20-metre restart shall be taken from the centre of the 20m line. A penalty kick resulting from any offence at the drop out from between the posts shall be taken from the centre of the line drawn parallel to and 10 metres from the goal line.

Changes to Interpretations

Late challenge on the kicker
A late challenge on the kicker will no longer result in an automatic sin bin for the player who tackled late. The referee will still have the option to penalise, sin bin or dismiss the player if he sees it as appropriate.

Calling held if a player is dragged
The referee will call held if a player is being dragged when there is more than one tackler involved. The referee will call held once he sees one of the tacklers (where there is more than one tackler involved in the tackle) take up a position where he is holding up the player and moving backwards towards the touchline or his own in goal area. If the player continues to drag after “held” has been called he will be penalised.

Referee signal for team caution
The referee no longer needs to inform the captain verbally that his team has been placed on a caution. In order to keep the game moving, the referee will inform the team and spectators that a team has been placed on caution for a period of time by pointing at that team and circling his other arm in front of him.

Quick 20-metre restart
A team can take advantage of a quick 20m restart if the player collecting the ball after it has gone or been made dead in the in goal area runs back to the centre of the 20m line while retaining possession of the ball and takes the restart himself. In addition, all players from the team taking the 20m restart must be back inside the 20-metre area, the referee must be back on the 20m line and the restart must be taken at the centre of the 20m line. A mark will be placed on the centre of the 20m line as an indication to the players.

Advantage
If a team gains possession from a forward pass or knock on then they will only be deemed to have taken their advantage if they keep possession until the next tackle is complete. If possession is lost before the tackle is complete then the referee will go back to the point of the original infringement and award a scrum against the team that infringed first. The referee will rule that the team in possession has not had an advantage if they are tackled close to their own goal line. Foul play by the team attempting to take the advantage will be penalised at the point where the foul play occurs.

Markers not square when the ball is played
Where there is a quick play the ball and a marker(s) does not have time to get in position, he can be played onside by getting into the position he should have been in at marker. Once he has got to that position he can make a tackle. The referee should penalise players who get into a marker position but choose to leave early before the ball has been played.

Snow worries for Hornets

New look Hornets off to a flyer

Hornets 66 - Rochdale & District XIII 0

Early trial games are more about what you learn than the result, but there's no ignoring this convincing performance from Ian Talbot's squad. 

But don't be misled that this was a mere Sunday afternoon stroll in the snow. With much of the new Hornets intake given valuable game-time, the Town team provided some stubborn resistance, led by Rochdale's own perennial rugby warrior Chris Hough.

Whilst the cream of the district's amateurs competed well on a macro level, it was in the detail where Hornets' class and craft proved too great a hurdle to surmount. With frequent substitutions and positional changes, it was often difficult to keep tabs on the ever-changing cast of new faces, but it was the core of familiar players who took Hornets around the park with confidence and go-forward aplenty.

Wayne English turned in a performance of grit and poise - catching the eye of the St helens contingent in the crowd near me; John Cookson was explosive with and without the ball and Paul Crook oozed quality, collecting a personal tally of 30 points with two tries and eleven conversions from eleven attempts. Oh, and he chucked in a trademark 40-20 for good measure. Keep an eye on Danny Davies too - he looks sharper, stronger and more switched-on than last season.

Former Swinton Hooker Alex McClurg also laid down a marker for a starting shirt, with an industrious performance.

In fact it was McClurg who opened the scoring, burrowing in after a couple of minutes. And with a new look front-row - completed by ex Saints, Batley and Widnes prop Gareth Frodsham - in full flow, Hornets played much of the first half camped in the Town Team's half.

Tries followed at regular intervals from Frodsham, Crook and ex-Swinton and York winger Dave Sutton

Hornets went in at the break 36-nil to the good after a slimline Michael Ratu opened his Hornets account.

With changes, like the snow, coming thick and fast the second half was more of a disjointed affair, but tries from Ste Roper, Gaz Langley, Frodsham, Davies and McClurg kept the sizeable crowd entertained - and encouraged that we might expect good things this season.

Rochdale Hornets Squad

Wayne English

Gaz Langley

Tony Stewart

Owen Livesey

Dave Sutton

Paul Crooke

Steve Roper

Garreth Frodsham

Alex Mclurg

John Cookson

Dayne Donoghue

Alex Trumper

Jordan Casey

John Walker

Jordan Sandford

Martin Waring

Danny Davies

Jack Knowles

Mike Ratu

Lewis Sheridan

Will Chadwick

Fraser Jones-Lake

Ryan Brown

Andy Ainscough

Joe Bate