Why the Aussie's destroy the English....

[MrDave]

...is summed up by the reaction of the RFL and some coaches to the 'wrestling' tactics employed by Wigan and Huddersfield.

This a technique clearly developed in Australia and brought over by Australian coaches to England but rather than embrace this new development in the sport the RFL and the Super League brand it as 'cheating'.

How is English rugby meant to catch up to the Australia's when the RFL choose to try and punish those who try to expand the game.

English rugby league will only become an international force when we take what the Australians do and work with it to develop the sport further and perhaps one day the Aussies will be copying the English.

[over the hill]

remember, mr dave . it`s ok as long as wigan don`t do it

[gpartin]

Have I missed something? What have the RFL said?

[MrDave]

Have I missed something? What have the RFL said?

Nothing directly but referee's have been penalising Wigan at the play the ball for the slightest thing which, to me anyway, gives the impression they don't want 'wrestling' in the tackle part of British rugby league.

[gpartin]

I don't agree especially. I didn't see yesterdays game but have sen the vast majority of games this season and most of the penalties we have conceded have been for second efforts rather than wrestling technique. Bailey and Joel Tomkins have given a few away and Bails in particular has been lucky not to be penalised more, same could also be said for Mossop. I think some people are reading it in the same way as some of the coaches who think that good wrestling and holding down are the same thing. When we played Hull for example and Agar was moaning they were clearly just holding down to slow the play the ball down hence they were penalised for it. We would have conceded more penalties this year if we took this approach and/or if Lockers wasn't there so many times pulling our players off the ground.

[ian b]

I don't agree especially. I didn't see yesterdays game but have sen the vast majority of games this season and most of the penalties we have conceded have been for second efforts rather than wrestling technique. Bailey and Joel Tomkins have given a few away and Bails in particular has been lucky not to be penalised more, same could also be said for Mossop. I think some people are reading it in the same way as some of the coaches who think that good wrestling and holding down are the same thing. When we played Hull for example and Agar was moaning they were clearly just holding down to slow the play the ball down hence they were penalised for it. We would have conceded more penalties this year if we took this approach and/or if Lockers wasn't there so many times pulling our players off the ground.

i think Bailey is a nightmare for lying on but his defence is very good so it is a dilema.But i think putting 3 or 4 players in to a tackle is real defence if that makes sense.Kear and Agar just cant get their teams to do it obviously and they are jealous

[GeoffN]

...But i think putting 3 or 4 players in to a tackle is real defence if that makes sense.Kear and Agar just cant get their teams to do it obviously and they are jealous

A lot of it is down to our increased fitness, IMO. Other teams are getting 3 tacklers in, just as we do, but they're not getting back into the line quickly enough after the tackle, leaving holes in the line for us to exploit. One thing I've noticed is that we very often have one of our quicker players as one of the three, and he's the one who peels off first.