The tries where much more exciting when a player had to be skilful enough not to touch the flag while scoring these spectacular tries
Which you say every time this topic comes up. But if you look at all these diving tries into the corner by wingers, I would argue (and I watch a lot more games than you! ) that in the vast majority of cases, the try would have been awarded anyway under the old rules: in other words, the player has grounded the ball before he comes into contact with the corner-flag.
I think the idea of the 20/40 and 40/20 is primarily making the defensive wingers drop a little deeper in case of early tackle count kicks thus creating slightly more space out wide, so it's really just trying to make slightly more of a spectacle
Wigan_forever1985 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 20, 2022 8:13 am
We complain a lot about crap rules in rugby league but how good was the idea to make the corner flag not in touch
The tries we see now on the corner as a result are spectacular
It's true but paradoxically illogical it seems to me. The demarcation lines for the play area is marked by out of play markings ie. dead ball line and touchlines so to speak. A player ,say running down the wing ,inadvertently or otherwise steps on the demarcating line ie.touches it is thereby out of play. A corner flag placed on the intersection of a deadball line and touchlines is logically and necessarily out of play hence the paradoxically illogicality of the good rule change you refer to. To remove the paradox and restore logic,it would be better to follow soccer' rule and declare the "demarcation markings" in play
You have to touch the ground though on those. I guess we've just declared the flag a marker to aid the line judges to determine where the ball crossed the line, but for player contact its as if they were in the air anywhere else on the touchline. To me it's still consistent, but it depends how you interpret the flag's function.
I like the 40/20, it adds another possibility and makes the game a little more exciting. I always thought the 20/40 was a bit weirder though. They are both sufficiently rare that it doesn't make much of a difference really. I'm a bit surprised that there isn't a kicker that regularly goes for the 40/20 on early tackles TBH, it seems pretty achievable often.
I agree pretty much. 40/20s aren't easy to achieve, and the few that do get the balance right for me; they get the credit for a skilful kick. 20/40s are another story. They do seem very under-utilised; teams are often in the position where one is possible, but they hardly ever attempt it. I assume coaches feel it's a low percentage play. But I think it's a poor rule anyway, and should be scrapped.
) that in the vast majority of cases, the try would have been awarded anyway under the old rules: in other words, the player has grounded the ball before he comes into contact with the corner-flag.
