You might be interested to read Jon Wilkin's latest column on The Times Rugby League Blog and his thoughts on the game slowing down and misgivings over the new play-offs system. timesonline.typepad.com/rugby_le ... eague.html www.timesonline.co.uk/try

You might be interested to read Jon Wilkin's latest column on The Times Rugby League Blog and his thoughts on the game slowing down and misgivings over the new play-offs system. timesonline.typepad.com/rugby_le ... eague.html www.timesonline.co.uk/try

I agree with him on the play offs, but it seems everytime I read one of his articles he's whinging. He should consider spending less time whinging in his articles, and less time on the sun bed, and concentrate on getting some of his form back.

And he was slapped by Senior, not punched. He should ask BJ Mather what its like to be punched by Senior.

What is ironic is that Saints were the master of slowing the PTB down to keep Keiran in the game.

I agree on the subject of the play offs but not about the PTB.

Slower PTBs will eventually lead to players with more skills who are capable of breaking down set defences. At the moment we've bred players who seem only capable of breaking the line if the line isn't ready.

If Wilkin wants to improve he'd do well to work on his ball skills.

as on the other thread, i disagree,

Halfbacks are bred from 10 years old, they arent made when they get to SL, by that time the damage is already done

if we want to breed half backs who are used to playing against set defences (not ones that can easily break them down, we should give up on that dream, it has always been difficult for even the lockyers, marshalls, Johns to break down set defences) then we do it at youth level, by the time they hit SL they should be left to sink or swim on their own,

slowing down the ptb will lead to slower half backs playing a different kind of game, not any better, what i will lead to is a slower more forward orientated game, with fewer risks taken, as fewer of them will result in tries, lower scoring games that are on points closer, with more time spent on the floor, and bigger fatter forwards in the feka/moi-moi mould as their undoubted faillings in defence and stamina are protected

Keith knocked no sense into him then

At least Keith had the manners to face Wilkin rather than come at him from behind ala the Mathers incident.

If the game is played the same way from jumior level up then players will have to develop their skills. We should see kids coming through who are more skilful.

When the game was played with the 5 metre rule and before that 3 or 2 metres between the sides players did develop the skills to break defences.

when? Saints play for the past 15 years has relied on a quick play the ball for KC and more lately Roby to make quick yards running from dummy half.

Ignore him, it's one of the most stupid things I have read on here. I should know, I posted a lot of them. KC's career was based for a long time on being able to scoot after a quick play the ball and add 20-30 easy metres, when Saints were at their peak you'd have Roby following that with another half break and another 20 metres from the next play.

Suggesting Saints have ever deliberately slowed a game down is ridiculous, when the RFL slowing the game down has cost us more than any other team as it was what our success was based upon.

As ever Wilkin is right on this issue. What he's saying is not "We're being slowed down so it's unfair on us" which you lot are childishly taking it to but more that the winner of the collision doesn't ever benefit from it now. Previously if you won the collision and went down on the front foot and were in a position to get back up quickly your team benefited from either a quick play the ball or a penalty. Now even a weak, desperate tackle is rewarded with a 6-7 second gap while the defender messes about, turning the player and lying on until they are told to move. They then slowly work their way off one by one meaning some tackles can take 10 seconds to complete. The RFL, as ever, have got it wrong on this issue and IMO are taking all the skill out of the game. Solid 5 drives and a kick, play the percentage teams are doing extroidinarily well this season. They did it as a response to our humiliation in the World Cup, but all the NRL have done is stayed one step ahead and made their game quicker with 2 referees and a cleaner play the ball.

What the RFL needs to realise is that the reason we lose internationally is not the way we play the game in Super league, the rules or interpretations, it's simply the players. Look at your 'average' Super League back, imagine a runt like Ian Hardman. Look at your 'average' NRL back and they are a big hulking specimen with a swimmers physique, twice as tall and faster. In Aus the young athletes see League as an option, over here in 99% of the country they wouldn't even consider it. The lads that play RL in this country are more often than not people with it in their family so our Inglis' and Falou's and Hayne's aren't playing the sport to start with, so it matters little that we're trying to copy the NRL's standing on having slow, turgid league based on a painfully slow play the ball.

Super League was always more exciting because it was more open, teams were penalised for holding down unfairly and teams winning the collision were able to make big moves down the field and set up attacking positions more often. It was fast paced, end to end, exciting.

Now it's plodding, slow and all about completing sets and your kicking game and applying pressure. The sport has suffered.

its simply ridiculous to compare the speed at the ptb at youth level to SL level

we arent going to ever see the game at youth level played in the same way as SL, we can give up on that dream straight away



did they? if so why did we ever bother to move it to 10 metres?

Not really. Every team tries to slow the game down when defending. The better teams are better at it. It's being better at it that makes them the better teams.

The article says from 2004 to now, not from 1996 to now. KC has slowed down as he's got older but he's still a skillful player and a line breaker as Bullseye describes. The reason he has managed to play in this position so long is simply because it's not as quick now.

And the difference is that Saints have been quicker to adapt to, not manipulate, the rules.

Still I win your most idiotic post award so today has been worth it!

I think all youth and amateur rugby under the age of 16 should be played with a 5 metre rule.

Wrong. He was slapped and punched by Senior.