RugbyWA Judiciary Hands Out First Suspension for 2009

[travelling_gerry]

in my later playing days I used a mouthgard(before they were compulsory) in an endeavour to muffle my out bursts.Unfortunately for me, many refs could apparently lipread

He didn't think you were calling him royalty when you said to him " Your Count?"




..

[The Ethicist]

It was surprising there were any players on the field at all then after Matt Goddards performance today in the Canes/Bulls match. An absolute disgrace and a national embarrassment to rugby in Australia

Referees are lightweights that couldn't play. Blowing the pea out of their whistle and ordering men around gives them a hardon.

Referees should be seen and not heard. Too many megalomaniacs with a whistle that kill the game with their over enthusiasm to enforce the grey areas of the game with pedantic conciseness and frustrating frequency.

Let the game roll you muppets and you won't get abused as much

[slomo]

matty goddard mmmmmmmmmmmm. certainly not the best going around right now!..

[Ecky]

It was surprising there were any players on the field at all then after Matt Goddards performance today in the Canes/Bulls match. An absolute disgrace and a national embarrassment to rugby in Australia

Referees are lightweights that couldn't play. Blowing the pea out of their whistle and ordering men around gives them a hardon.

Referees should be seen and not heard. Too many megalomaniacs with a whistle that kill the game with their over enthusiasm to enforce the grey areas of the game with pedantic conciseness and frustrating frequency.

Let the game roll you muppets and you won't get abused as much

Well there's a sweeping generalisation or two if I ever saw them!

I can only speak for myself:

- I was 78kg at my playing weight (yes that's light these days, but wasn't in the 80's), even when I played 1st grade for Uni. Seems I could play.
- I have never blown the pea out of any of my whistles, but I imagine I wouldn't get a hard on; on the conrtary, I'd probably faint. I don't get hard ordering men (or any players) around either.
- Agreed; the best games (of any sport) to watch are those where the official is hardly noticed.
- If the "grey areas of the game" got enforced they would cease to be grey areas, wouldn't they? Think about it.....
- If the players wanted to let the game roll they'd comply with what their individual ref seems to be pedantic about, thus stopping him from attempting pea-ejection.

[shasta]

Ecky, any comment on Goddard's "Wait, wait you can't go twice" in regards to not being allowed two take a second quick free kick and catch the oppo out for not retiring? The tendancy for referees in both Rugbys to stop quick taking of frees/penalties is one of my pet hates. Sometimes they justify this by saying they need to speak to the offending player or the captain. They could easily do this after the advantage has been taken. Are there any guidelines on this stuff?

[fulvio sammut]

Contrary to what appears to be a commonly held view in some quarters, I wish to state, and for it to be publicly known, that, despite some similarity in literary style and age induced belligerence, I am not the contributor to this blog who rejoices in the pseudonym "The Ethicist".

Although I have been known to share and express his views.

[The Ethicist]

Despite being well hung, I am not Fulvios mule

[fulvio sammut]

I'm glad we got that sorted out ...

[Ecky]

Ecky, any comment on Goddard's "Wait, wait you can't go twice" in regards to not being allowed two take a second quick free kick and catch the oppo out for not retiring? The tendancy for referees in both Rugbys to stop quick taking of frees/penalties is one of my pet hates. Sometimes they justify this by saying they need to speak to the offending player or the captain. They could easily do this after the advantage has been taken. Are there any guidelines on this stuff?

Firstly, I haven't seen any games this weekend yet, nor did I see any other than the match last weekend.

As a general rule though, I would allow any first FK/PK quick tap (provided it was on, behind, or very close to the mark) but, if I advanced the mark for the opposition not being back 10, I will not let another quick tap happen. Having said that, I tell both teams this during my pre-match talk, so they already know before we take the field. I think the ref should tell the players how this part of the game will be managed.

[Happy]

Despite being well hung, I am not Fulvios mule

you are someones though...

[Burgs]

It is an interesting area of the sport, any sport really, because if a Ref allowed the match "to flow" as especially called for by the NZ commentators over the years, the Coach and supporters of the losing teams would be all over him like a rash for the slightly forward pass that lead to a try, the slight fumble that wasn't called as a knock on etc etc.

The job of the Ref is to enforce the Laws, as he interperates them (which is only logical) and the job of the players is to play to that interperation.
Generally when you watch more exhibition type matches, ie traditional Barbarians etc, you never used to really notice the Ref as the players weren't pushing their luck as the match wasn't so much (back then) about winning.

While in most matches you watch there are bits they get wrong, or we think they got wrong, and we are fortunate to have Ecky on board to talk us through some of them, overall I believe they do a pretty good job.
In a world where the Ref is expected to be 100% correct every match there would be no knock ons, forward passes or offsides because the players would also be perfect.
You'd have to have a hide like a Rhino to be a Ref I'd reckon and there is no way in hell I'd want to be one. Used to get enough shit running touch for the 1st XV...from your mates and parents!

That said, I do think Godard is a power hungry angry little man with heavy footsteps who almost seems to thrive on being the centre of the show.

[The Ethicist]

Generally I'd agree Burgs. I think there is plenty of scope for breakdown penalties to be cautions on the run. If you're a pedantic, punctilious , egostistical knob indoctrinated by a similar body of pedagogues with an overinflated opinion of ones self worth and importance, then you are likely to exhale into the whistle at every opportunity. The ruck is a grey area of the game. You could easily find a penalty at every ruck if you tried or were hoping to (Goddard). If the offence did not impede the movement of the ball to the back of the ruck, why stop the game?

Nonu was carded yesterday. He tackled a player and ripped it out as they went to ground. He fell on the Bulls side of the ruck and immediately placed it for the Bulls to play on. It was dubious that he even committed an offence and he thought better of it and placed it for the Bulls. His carding was a bemusement to everybody watching and playing the game.

The Bulls lost their six because he ripped the ball in a tackle and as he fell he rolled and placed it for his team. He was carded (wrongly). He later received a red for a tackle that upended Conrad Myth. That offence did not seem intentional and if he hadn't wrongly been binned he wouldn't have been sent from the field.

Goddard is poor

Goddard seems hellbent on leaving his personal imprint on the game

Goddard is the tip of the iceberg

In the words of The Beatles "let it be"

[blueandblack]

stumbled across this this morning...

amused particularly by this bit:

"But congratulations must go to Goddard for ensuring that this showcase game was able to achieve its potential.

Rugby attackers often struggle to find space due to slow ruck ball and too many defenders in the line. Last night’s yellow cards solved both problems and the better team won. "

[The Ethicist]

I have no problem with yellow cards for cynical penalties. I do have a problem with yellow cards for things that weren't even offences

[Burgs]

It does inadvertantly raise an interesting point BNB, as that was the effect on this match, while actually in play it was quite enjoyable.

For some time I have been wondering about any chance of success at the elite level for the ELV's to make the code "more atractive" (ie flowing).
About the only one that genuinely has that ability is the increased off side line to give players more time.

The point being, the code is being played by professional athletes with far greater strength, fitness and speed than ever before but still on the same sized field.
Fewer players are needed in each breakdown (strength), players are able to keep up the pace for far longer without the "holes" opening up (fitness) and players can cover a far greater area of the park on their own (speed).

There is hardly room these days to run a loop around type move, unless you are starting on the touch line, before you are onto the other touch line.
Since the code turned professional the change in the size of the athletes has been like comparing an Under 15 match to an Under 21 match.

All sports evolve, but unless there is an increase in the size of the pitch or a decrease in the number of players, Union is destined to evolve to lower scores and more kicks on goals, simply because it is becoming less possible (not impossible obviously) to get through the try line.
I would suggest this will inevitably lead to the increasing popularity of Sevens.

"True Rugby supporters", which I certainly consider myself to be one, can appreciate a 7-5 slog in the porridge that rarely saw the Backs as a great spectical, but you don't want porridge every time you watch, every now and then you need a bit of fruit loops or rice bubbles (45-40 etc) to spice it up.

It is also interesting to note, over the course of a lifetime watching Rugby, how often it is that a team with a player in the bin actually scores a try while they are a man down.