The State of the Union

[shasta]

The cure for this, and it's nothing new, is the one the roundball mob use. Let the touchies look after it. The ref has his hands more than full just trying to police the breakdown. The players who cheat watch the ref all the time. Soon as he looks at them they bluff at taking a step back. Soon as he looks away again they creep. Perhaps 1m behind the last feet is enough just to make a clear gap.

[Woolfe]

I agree, touch judges or call in the TV if there is doubt. I know this would slow the game down but if culprits were given a yellow without warnings for these infringements that may not occur so often.

Quick ball = free slowing rugby which is what i want anyway (and a FORCE win on Friday of course )

[MysticBalls]

RL has a 10m rule where the ref stands(away from the tackle). Teams do 'creep' but after a warning to either an individual or the captain, a penalty will be awarded, and very often its right in front of the posts.

To this end, the field is marked out crossways in 10m grids. Its very easy to judge by either touchies or ref. The grids were brought in when refs differed in their interpretation of 10 metres and crowds blew up about it. 'Back the ten' often being sounded.

Just offering this as a way that RU could introduce a 5 metre gap between the ruck and defending team.