How about we don't allow players to change their grip on an attacker once the player is grounded or held is called , if anybody then touches them afterwards ( you know like Danny Buderus did every tackle he was ever involved in ) a penalty is given , and while we're at it , make forward passes illegal , that'd help don't you think ?

Ha your so clever with your sarcasm aren't you, this is the problem with social media and forums like this, you suggest something for open fair discussion and someone trolls it, why not reply with a sensible comment or input.

An entirely sensible input , just that you don't like it

Perhaps the ball needs to be passed backwards - that might help cut out the marginal forward pass

Until we start to produced really skilled players in key attacking positions then this turgid style will continue - it doesn't matter how fast/slow the ruck if you haven't got the skills to create and capitalise attacking opportunities then you will continue to bore everyone to death

I suggest if anyone has time watch the Penrith game from today - in that you see a team that plays what is in front of them and has the skill set to deliver when the opportunity arrives. Some truly superb attacking moves which displays great skill, great execution and great athletic ability. Hardaker is in for nasty shock when he gets to Humberside.

While I agree with the general sentiment, the lack of creativity is something the Aussies also seem to be struggling with because as good as Penrith lead by Moylan and the excellent Cleary where, the doggies were turgid and have been for the last month. Forwards making metres all day (Klemmer had over 200 I think) but little strike and end product produced by their pivots, granted Morris was on one leg for most of it.

I think as a game we are seeing less skill or flamboyance or whatever you want to call it, and it's not all due to better defences.

The Doggies are stuck in a time warp - they haven't changed the style of play in years - huge over-reliance on the 'mean machine' and they have a pair of halves that are simply not fit for purpose - put Thurston or Milford on the end of that forward pack and you would see a huge difference. Hassler like McDermott has reached the end of the line - he is a dinosaur and his teams play like they are stuck in the stone age.

The game in Australia is in transition - some of the attacking play this year has been extraordinary. The emergence of teams like the Raiders, Sharks Broncos and Panthers who play a more expansive style is the future and it no surprise the likes of South Sydney are nowhere to be seen. The lead boots they wear to help the wrestle only stops them falling over when they are grasping thin air when the more agile sides just run past them.

Melbourne are the only rigid format team still left in the comp. they have the best coach and the best technical players who play to a system that accommodates everybody - they

On the Panthers they played without half backs today - one pass apart Cleary did nothing in open play and Cartwright plays as a back row forward. Moylem and Mansour ran the show both were superb

I would agree there has been a real split, that is as much down to coaching as it is personnel. Canberra have been my favourite team to watch this year, that edge with Whitehead, Leilua and Rona, as well as Austin reminds me of Mags, Ali, Senior, Bar back in the day. I also think teams on the upswing have halves that create rather than stick to structure. The young guns at Wests and even the Titans. Even the Storm who like you say are still highly structured have one or two mad flair players in Munster and Vunivalu.

Hopefully like you say we are seeing a bit of a change and is our way SL will follow sometime soon and leave this horrible wrestling style long behind.

I honestly think that is part of it. We generally seem to be about 4 or 5 years behind the NRL in SL and if you think back to the teams that came over for the WCC 5 or 6 years ago there wasn't much free flowing rugby from them, it was very much wrestle/controlling the play the ball oriented.

So whilst there are other issues in SL I think we'll see a reaction and a change in style. I'd hoped that may have started last season with the way Leeds played the game but unfortunately not.

Everyone is trying to get a quick PTB, but instead of earning it with good attacking play, a big forward hitting a great line and dominating contact, or from a clever offload, we have guys grubbing around on their knees shuffling off the mark to take the markers out of play.
One radical approach would be to make attacking more difficult. Slow down the PTB by mainly players stand up to play it (allow them to drop the ball into the foot as it actually says in the rules and we used to do), and return to the 5 metres for the defensive line. Then penalise brutally any defenders who mess about after a break or half break by the attacking side.
5 drives and a kick won't work under those circumstances and sides will actuall have to play rugby.

I like the idea of forcing the players to actually play the ball but the 5 metre defensive line will never work in the modern game. The defenders will be on top of the first receiver before they even get the ball so the only way to reliably gain metres would be five drives and a kick.

I hate to point this out but in Union the defence doesn't have to retire at all. Back feet of the ruck. Just play with more depth, offload more and be creative.

I don't watch Union so I'm not really in a position to comment. It would be interesting to see how it worked in a couple of pre-season games (didn't we try some experimental rules in the Boxing Day game against Wakefield a few years ago?) but the only result I could see would be for the all forward positions to be filled with quick second rowers with the defensive strategy to send a couple to blitz the first receiver and have the others jam into the attacking line to cut off any options.

But there are unlimited phases in union. How many phases do you see where the ball goes backwards or just stops on the gain line? Thats why a union team rarely attack from deep in their own territory, they just kick the ball away.

Not correct. Teams attack often when they have numbers from deep, even on their line. The main reason why teams kick from near their line is because the tackle is a contest, and you can lose the contest or give away a kick able penalty. It's almost as likely to give away a penalty trying to keep possession as it is when trying to win it, so you want to play the game away from your posts.

I disagree. I dont think they do attack from deep 'often' certainly not in a league sense of the word and it would certainly be rare for a union side to go length of the field in less than 6 phases.