www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qqInDLwvtc

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qqInDLwvtc

Put simply, The worst issue of it is

Catcher makes a mess of catch, gets a fingertip to it offside player (ten metres away from catcher) picks up ball and scores a try ruling, Try to attacking side.

Catcher makes mess of catch completely misses it offside player (ten metres away from catcher) picks up ball and scores a try, penalty to defending team

There is a huge disconnect there.

Just out of interest, does anyone if the 10m needed for an offside attacking player bearing down on a defensive player have to be in front of the defensive player?

i.e. could an attacking player run 10m past the defensive player? Just out of interest.

IIRC - and it's a while since I've had to look it up, an offside defender cannot encroach within ten metres of the catcher.

So providing he stays outside an imaginary circle with a ten metre radius and the catcher at the centre, he can be at the side, in front or behind.

If he runs behind of course, that makes it harder for the kicker to subsequently put him onside, and takes him out of the game in terms of making a tackle if the ball is caught.

That's the point 10 metres of the catcher, not the place where the catcher should have been if he'd touched the ball.
he'd also need to arc his run right if he was to go 10 metres past the catcher.

"Within ten metres of an opponent waiting to receive the ball" is the wording according to the laws on the RFL website.

Also "any offside player who remains within ten metres of an opponent who is set to catch a kick upfield shall be deemed to be interfering with the catcher".