I'm with you Alfie.....Kosh and Welsy ought to work for the RFL as all they are doing is making a simple game complicated.......A forward pass is a forward pass no matter how you try and dress t up differently and an obstruction is an obstruction (run behind the player with ball in Hand) crossing as I've always known it as......what disturbs me about the game now is why the laws of the game although they haven't changed, when an incident arises instead of calling it as it is, more time is spent explaining a reason as to why the decision wasn't given!
Example....Warringtons try last Monday...Hodgeson passed the ball 2 yds before the 10 yard line and it was caught 2 yds after the line???????
As I said earlier, I'm with Alife, such a blatant bad decision would not of happened in our day as regular ally as it does in today's game...
Sometimes I despair at how this game I love, is slowly being ruined!!

Clearly a forward pass isnt a forward pass then because, as we explained, the ball can be caught in front of the passing player and still be legal

Remember that Leroy Cudjoe wonder pass against St Helens last year? The "out the back door" pass to Michael Lawrence? It went forward in relation to the pitch. Is that a forward pass then? Because he couldn't have passed it any further backwards.


Running behind a player with ball in hand isn't obstruction on it's own. Running behind a player with ball in hand is only obstruction if a defender has made an attempt to get to the player with ball in hand. Otherwise who is being obstructed? It's not difficult. Someone HAS to make an effort to get to the player. Not try and tackle a dummy runner. Not stand still. They HAVE to be obstructed from trying to defend.


But how fast was he running? And how fast was the wind blowing? Sometimes I despair at how this game I love, is slowly being ruined!!'"

Although not talked about more by the media, rather they are clearly ignored when it suits. The latest batch of 'tries of the month' being a prime example. Drooling over Stefan Ratchford's try and not one person made any mention of the ball to Myler going a yard forward in the build up.

As someone on Radio Blunderside said, if Leeds do 10 forward passes in a game, they get caught for 2, they get away with 8!! not a bad average if they score from them. So why would they stop..

No matter how much you might like to, you can't ignore simple physics. Luckily enough the RFL realised this a long time ago and so the forward pass law incorporates how the real world works and not some idealised fantasy world where momentum doesn't exist.


If you're running forward faster than you throw the ball backwards, then it's always going to land in front of where you threw it - even if you threw it directly backwards over your head. Hell - you could run backwards and throw it directly away from you towards your own try line and it would [istill[/i land ahead of where you threw it. It really is very simple. In none of these instances would it be a forward pass under the law as it has stood for decades.

The RFL really need to educate some of the fans if they want the same old stupid questions to stop being answered.

"Why isn't a forward pass in relation to the pitch?" should be a feature on Boots N All or the Super League Show, as long as it's not answered by Stevo! A few little examples and explanations and it may do a job in stopping the same thing being asked for all of eternity!

Its about time the forward or so called flat pass was binned, we then might get the skillful players and moves such as the run around, at this moment in time rugby is a series of set plays, thats why rangi would be a brilliant signing. How many flat passes did knocker, topliss or sterling throw bet you could count them on one hand.

Unless the player is stood still or running sideways

Kosh/Wellsey...Answer 1 question....The pass from Hodgeson to Monaghan...Forward or not????

Can't recall it so I'd have to look again.

BTW, neither of us are arguing against the point that genuine forward passes are let go far too often nowadays. They're dead easy to spot by looking at the position of the hands when the ball is released. But making a complaint based on a faulty definition of what constitutes a forward pass doesn't really add to the discussion.

Highlights of the game here rlhttp://www.superleague.co.uk/sltv/SLHighlights#rl the pass is 2:15 in.

It was backwards. Hodgson is running forward at some pace. He slows down after he's passed it, and is still in front of where Monoghan catches it. If you look how he passes it as well, the direction looks to be pointing backwards.

It's the exact reason why this rule is in place. It would be practically impossible to pass on the run if in relation to the pitch.