I don't think they miss the Maul in Rugby Union, and their rucks are more like a play the ball nowadays.

I thought the lack of scrums (which are uncontested anyway) gave our game a fluency, I think your right to wonder if League will look to keep ahead of Union by scrapping scrums.

In the end if we succeed Union will only follow. Scrums in union are tedious and predictable, and damaging physically..

Take this "trend" all the way and I wonder if it will result in the end of two differing Rugby games and lead to one.

Wiganv.Bath in an actual competitive fixture in the same league set up in a few years?? I wouldn't say no...

Scrums are outlawed for the remainder of 2020.

One assumes it will be reviewed again for 2021.

As an old dinosaur who misses the competitive scrums & competing for possession in the tackle, you would expect me to be critical? But no I have found it quiet entertaining both super league & NRL. My only small gripe is that the referees are quiet good giving six again but still not as keen to enforce the rules against the side playing the ball incorectly! Also I now see lots of voluntary tackles not penalised just called surrender giving no chance to drive the tackled player back into the in goal.
We now have to accept that the day of the big enforcer prop forward is numbered & that the required levels of aerobic fitness for this game is making the gap between super league & the rest of the game almost insurmountable. But all in all I think it is a positive step forward.

I am really enjoying the effect the rule changes have had.

Getting rid of scrums for me gets rid of the 2 minutes stoppages with players ambling over to a scrum. It also makes the rule book simpler as you dont have to be concerned about scrum offences. The game also looks more natural without scrums. They are basically an anachronism from the 19th century that is dangerous.

6 again also is good as it kills the mauling about that slows games grounds. This reduces the ability for teams to use spoiling tactics that deter from the spectacle. My only concern is during the first week i noticed that one of the teams seemed to deliberately give away a soft high shot immediately after conceeding a six again. That results in a foul play penalty that stops play. Simple way to stop this is just to sin bin players for high shots.

Going forward the changes should result in players becoming lighter and therefore faster. It is helping creative agile players to show their skills while punishing the big fat minute men who come on for 10 minutes and then are wrecked. They are not RL players in my book.

I agree with this. The game is faster paced but we are even more likely to see one-sided games.

Personally, I'm not advocating a return to winter rugby BUT in some ways I preferred the closer competition in winter rugby. Tight games with scorelines like 18-10, 19-12 every week, and 40 points was unusual. I remember seeing Warrington beaten 40-8 at Wheldon Road in about '92 and that scoreline seemed like a real tonking in those days - it was quite unusual.

I didn't think so after Leeds.v.Fartown but the Saints game yesterday has to set some alarm bells ringing.........

With the game now being quicker than ever, what kind of toll will the pace and increased burden of additional tackles take on the players, especially when clubs are playing twice a week.
I think that they said before the Cas game that there were over 100 additional tackles in each of the first 2 games played last weekend.

Although it's great to see less wrestling, due to the fear of "6 to go", all players need to catch their breath at some point.

There are more tackles but the tackles in general are less physical in the sense less cannonballs and third man in attacking the legs all of which should reduce injuries.

It would do the game a lot of good if injuries were reduced. More people likely to take it up whether the kids or adults, more players able to enjoy a career playing the sport not half their time injured.

Whether the new rules will reduce head tackles I'd like to hear some opinion on because that would also be massive for the game.

Ah spotted that, after I'd asked the question, Brilliant idea

I agree with you.
However, when teams are playing twice a week, you would expect fatigue to increase, which is likely to increase the number of injuries.
Coaches with a large fully fit squad will be able to mitigate the risk wit squad rotation but, there has to be an effect on numbers of injuries.

Playing twice as many games, plus the increased number of tackles per game, you would expect, will lead to more injuries.

We are of course in unusual times and needs must but, there will be a cost.

There could be a plus, as clubs are more likely to use more of their fringe players, which, longer term, as they pick up more SL experience will be good for those players and the sport - hopefully.

At first I wasn’t keen but they have definitely benefited us more than anyone as our team are fitter than any other team by a country mile

What's the difference between a country mile and an ordinary mile?

getting stuck behinds cows, sheep or tractors?

The changes have speeded the game up, I seriously doubt it is anything to do with fitness, it is how well teams have adapted, but it's only one game back, anyone judging the fitness of a team after one game is a bot silly, nobody won anything other than competition points.

getting stuck behinds cows, sheep or tractors?

The changes have speeded the game up, I seriously doubt it is anything to do with fitness, it is how well teams have adapted, but it's only one game back, anyone judging the fitness of a team after one game is a bit silly, nobody won anything other than competition points.