Looked to me like a forearm.

Then he pushed the hand out.

I also hope when they review Addys tackle on Sammut late on which was put on report they notice Kirmond (i think it was) hitting Addy in the head while he was on the floor

Hopefully Addy won’t be suspended for his attempted crusher tackle on Sammut.

You can't score a try with the arm under the ball, if the ball itself doesn't touch the ground. The ball must always touch the ground.

Consider a player sliding over the line on his back. He manages to free the ball-carrying arm and turns that arm sideways, the forearm firmly strikes the ground, but the ball is above the arm and not on the ground. Clearly, a try is not given. Thus, it is not enough that the ball-carrying arm touched the ground (that is relevant to the completion of a tackle).

If the ball is loose, then as long as the ball itself is on the ground, you can exert a downward pressure with any part of your front upper body ie arms OR torso, and that will be a try. Oddly enough, though, not your head. Although I believe the back of an arm or hand would count. But doing a headstand on the ball wouldn't count. Shame, as it would look pretty cool.

We have had phases in the game where a player plainly loses control of the ball but has been deemed to have retained a fingernail in contact with it and thus a try has sometimes been awarded. I never thought that was a try, because the rules seem to me to pre-suppose that what you need to do is a controlled action. But they aren't crystal. There was much debate for a while, and some very contentious (and contradictory) decisions but then in Aus they started chalking these dropped ball tries off, and it's all gone quiet since then.

The ball has to touch the ground. If it doesn't then it isn't a try. If it does, we then have to consider whether it was the Bulls, if yes, then every conceivable way it still might be disallowed must be examined.

There is only one way you might be awarded a try without the ball actually touching the ground, and that is to "score" it against the Bulls, but that is so trite, they didn't think it necessary to include it in the written rules. But everybody knows.

I think a headstand on the ball with both hands on the ball at the same time should be a 6 pointer as long as you stay vertical for at least 5 seconds.

I thought this when I watched it. IIRC he's pushed him off with his ball carrying arm, and not done it with his hand, because he's obviously using that to keep hold of the ball. If that's the case, surely he's done it with his arm. At what point is that not leading with the forearm and therefore a penalty?

That's just from memory, I'd have to watch it again to be sure.

It couldnt of been his hand as it was the ball carrying arm,

Regardless of forearm or elbow it was still aimed at his head and therefore in my eyes a penalty

Watched on Sky last night, the head on angle Cummings talked about was clear, the ball, albeit briefly was on the ground before Kirmond got under it. There was an interesting contrast with the Lauatiti no try, as they happened, Purtell's lloked a no try and Lauatiti's a try, but in my view the replays were conclusive that both decisions as awarded were correct. The Sammut one was clearly short, never looked a try live or on any replay. No BOD decisions on any as the footage was clear on all three calls.

A 28 page about ....a rugby league match.


Things must be looking up

I thought the same per my other post. However, having watched it back, he fends him off and then swaps the ball to his right hand to put it down. I thought he'd hit him with ball carrying arm.

It's a game of rugby for gods sake go watch football if you don't want to see aggression and there was no contact made.

There appeared to be some malice with Addy on (ex team mate aswell as smallest player on the field) Sammut but he luckily didn't continue with his illegal tackle on him probably as he saw Kirmond approaching!

Scrotum also was lucky he didn't get a 2 game ban for his shoulder charge on Anderson which made contact with his head and could have been very dangerous but Anderson carried on and made another 2/3 metres driving the ball after the collision if he'd gone down who knows what the referee would have done? (As he was poor IMHO missing the legal Smith ball strip penalising then Bulls score from next play)..serious injury or initial perceived serious injury seems to have to result before tougher action is taken. "We understand that the shoulder charge is popular with many people in rugby league but we also have a duty to manage the welfare and safety of players involved in the game at all levels," said RFL laws committee secretary Blake Solly when it was outlawed on 20/2/13....

Look at Collis on Gaskell not even penalised during the game as it looked text book.... If Gaskell came back on and played a further 20 mins or so there wouldn't have been a ban for Collis I'm sure but because he's out for several weeks the tackle has been looked at closer on sky video footage and a 2 game ban given.

Boo bloody hoo. Couldn't give a rat's ar5se about Collis's ban at the moment.

I have if you read it it's your forum members that haven't old lad... Good luck in the relegation battle!