I saw the new advantage rule in play today.

Scorpions knock on about 10 metres out. Wigan kids gather and rather than run just hoof a big angled kick to the winger.

Scorpions managed to get back and regather but the ref calls it back and it's a Wigan head and feed at the scrum where the original knock on took place. I think many a dozing winger/full back will be caught out by this as if the attacking winger (Wigan in this case) wins the race to the ball then it is a try most of the time but it is risk free as if the defence gathers they get possession back in the form of put in at the scrum anyway.

I'm not in a place to say whether it is a change for the better but it got people thinking that's for sure.

Having thought about it further I think it will see many sides simply view the advantage rule as a chance to punt through trying to expose space behind the team that have just knocked on no matter where they are on the field.

It is a free play as opposed to advantage though and I think it figures that some measure of what advantage is should be introduced. Once the player crosses the gain line being the most common sense approach.

Another idea would be to stop messing about with a game that wasn't broken from the off.

The advantage rule could encourage the chip over as if they fail to regather nothing is lost and they are back to scrum with feed.
Whereas in recent reasons it has been deemed to risky as completing sets and gaining ground have been the priority.

Looking at how teams are approaching it perhaps not!

In our first game against Dewsbury it was obvious the referee (Thomason) had not received this memo as he applied neither the advantage or dragging rules against either team