I enjoyed my Sunday afternoon sitting in the stands watching our team hang on against the Bulldogs. While we can find many things to criticise about our performance, I was happy with the win. I also came away with strong thoughts about one of this season’s big rule changes.
I have faith in this Parra team. I especially have faith in its leaders, both on and off the field, to work hard over the next eight weeks to rectify our errors and have the Eels fit and firing come the finals.
Mitch Moses will return to a dominant kicking game
One week is a long time in footy, let alone eight weeks. Many of the areas we fell frustrating short with against the Bulldogs, such as composure, ball control and a well executed and thought out kicking game were areas of excellence back in Round 5 when we beat the Panthers.
Our team needs to block out the noise of all the so called experts, they need to remain focussed and accountable to their role in our team and each other. In the end it doesn’t really matter what I or any supporter or commentator thinks. The only ones that can get the team up and firing again are the players and coaches. They will and I predict they will make many so called experts eat their words. After all, our team has lost just two games this year and sit equal second.
I have heard commentators such as Mr Gould say for years that once you get half way through a competition the ladder is a good indication and does not lie. Although he and others may wish to dismiss Parra’s ability to win the competition, I don’t and we shouldn’t. The Eels have proven they can play from in front and behind. They have weaknesses, but all teams do.
Brad Arthur
There is a long way to go before we even reach the finals. To suggest that a team coming equal second has no chance, even though they have beaten the ladder leaders, is laughable. Not surprisingly, that is indicative of the lack of respect and acknowledgement shown to the Eels and Brad Arthur by our biased and agenda driven media. To take such a stance pushes the bounds of credibility.
To want our team to play at its peak throughout the entire season is wishful thinking and dangerous. No team or player can aim to be at peak performance all season. We left Sunday’s game with two points, no injuries and plenty of areas the coaches and leaders in our team can bring attention to and focus on over the next eight weeks. Not a bad day I would say.
Watching the games over the weekend, and from the stands on Sunday, I was finally converted to the “get rid of the six again call” party.
Mr Vlandy’s keeps telling us that League is in the entertainment business. I think that league is more than simply entertainment – for many it is a way of life. However, if you accept that, in part, league competes for the entertainment dollar of people and businesses, then you also have to acknowledge what people expect when they are entertained.
If I went to a concert and the advertised band changed half way through, I would ask for my money back. If I went to watch a film and half way through the sound turned off or an obstruction to my viewing was placed in front of me, I would ask for my money back.
In the entertainment business the customer has a right to get a refund if they do not get what they paid for.
Well as a fan, I ask for the refund as this six again rule and the way it is being applied is not entertaining and is certainly not doing what it was intended to do. It was meant to take the wrestle out of the game and reward good play. Instead it is being used by referees to punish dominant defence and encourage play acting. In what way is that entertaining for anyone?
Two plays over the weekend summed up the flaws with the way the six again call is being adjudicated.
The first was in the Sharks and Broncos game when Wade Graham stood up on the fifth tackle and instead of playing the ball he openly waved his arms and verbally protested for a six again. The referee duly responded and gave him six again.
This is not a criticism of Wade Graham as he is one of my favourite non-Eels players, but this is not okay. The lunatics are being allowed to run the asylum. I guess we can look forward to Jake Friend and Cameron Smith making many such protests come the finals time, and while it will fall on deaf ears most times, you can almost guarantee they will get an important six again at some stage from such protests.
The second example was Lachlan Lewis play-acting in our game when he received a penalty despite clearly placing the ball on the ground before playing it. Such a performance was encouraged by Mr Sutton and his actions in the first half.
For the first 30 minutes our forwards were absolutely dominant both in attack and defence, yet somehow the Bulldogs received 5 six again calls to our 0 in the first half. The referee did not reward good defence, but rather he encouraged surrender tackles so the Bulldogs could get quick play the balls. He had no feel for the game and essentially his application and interpretation of the rule rewarded the less dominant and deserving forward pack and kept the Bulldogs in the game.
I know the six again rule and its application is going to be a big factor come the finals.
One of two things will happen; it will either be put away and forgotten about or teams will manipulate it and defensive dominance will be punished. Either way supporters don’t know whether their team will benefit or be hindered by the rule come the finals. No team can be certain of its application. It is an absolute lottery and any rule that cannot and is not being applied with logic and cannot be understood by us, the paying customers, does not produce a product that can be classed as good entertainment.
To emphasise my point about this rule, the most entertaining part of the second half at the game on Sunday was listening to the words coming from the stands with Parra supporters mocking the referee and daring him to wave his hand again.
The fans at the ground saw for themselves how game-determining this rule can be, and when fans start to mock it, the next step to follow after that is for them to switch off.
There’s no entertainment to be found watching footy officiated like that, especially when the man in the middle waves his arm and rewards less dominant attack and defence.
Shelley
good article couldn’t agree more
Completely agree with this wholeheartedly. 6 agains are a complete lottery at all times
Completely agree with everything in this article, yet again Shelley you have mirrored my thoughts. I’d like some kind of clarification on the application of the six again because frankly I’m baffled. The tackles that I think should be 6 again aren’t given and tackles that I think are great tackles receive a six again . Is there some kind of time limit?? On Sunday Moses made a copy book around the legs tackle one on one, he received no reward for his effort, I deem that a dominant tackle not six blokes piling on top. Rant over.
The rule came in to stop the wrestle yet they still let the Storm wrestle and penalise other traditional tackles. It is crazy
I like the 6 again rule but as usual with the NRL the way the refs enforce it is the issue. They don’t have a feel for the game and when a defensive team starts to enforce dominance the refs give a 6 again.
The issue is that because the game doesn’t stop for a 6 again call there is no time to analyse the decision. Therefore a team can be awarded a succession of 6 agains and nobody really knows what they were for or if they were legitimate.
With a penalty by the time the team kicks for touch the tv networks have replayed the infringement a couple of times and everyone can see if it was a dud call or not. This doesn’t happen with the 6 again rule.
I liked the rule as well but the way it is being applied as the rounds go on is crazy. We stay longer in the tackle in the second half yet he pretty much stopped waving his arm.
Well said Shelley 👏👏
I was only saying the exact same thing to my son last night.
I am an avid Parra supporter for over 50 years and a full season ticket and leagues club member.
And I am so disheartened by how the game is run now that I don’t know if I can handle watching the game at all next year!
Every time I think I know the rules, they are either changed or left up to interpretation or the discretion of the ref! The rules are NEVER consistent! Not even in the one game!!!
The six again is totally one sided in most games and us fans can clearly see which side is going to win determined by the refs in almost every game!!
Sunday’s game against the bulldogs was disgraceful and a horrible game to watch!! Not because of the mistakes that Parra made but because of everything the Bulldogs did and got away with!! There were countless ruck infringements made by the Bulldogs that were ignored!!
Parra definitely deserved to win that game and we absolutely beat the refs!!
As for the Media well we already know who they want in the grand final and it definitely Parra!!
BA needs to band our boys from social and mainstream media and only allow the compulsory media interviews from now on!!
Phil Gould has an agenda to get into our boys heads so his precious Panthers don’t get knocked out by PARRA!!
As usual spot on observations
Nit picking gone crazy Shelley. I watch games too pedantically my wife reckons. I watch that way because Rugby League has far more to it than it’s critics reckon.
With the 6 again, half the time I don’t see any infringement (either team), then I see obvious ones go unchecked.
Fergo dominated the defence, went through the line and had a desparate legs tackler on him, he went to stand but the tackler didn’t release, he went down again, no acting….play on.
Nathan Brown wrapped up the man and ball, he was the sole tackler, he earlier saw a Dogs forward (Sauaso Sue i think) be held forever then allowed to pass 5 mtrs from our line. Brown made sure the ball wasn’t promoted, waited for the release call then let go, he did it like a check list and held on no longer than 50 other tackles…6 again.
The refs just don’t have a feel for this rule.
I think you all know I don’t like Mr Gould but he is right about the referees being over coached.it is no surprise the less experienced and let’s say not as able referees give almost double the amount of 6 again calls. They have no feel for the game and obviously have a ti sheet they have been coached to remember and have blinkers on when applying it. I shudder to think what will happen when we get Mr Perenara as the referee.
Was also there. 6-again was all the talk during the game. My prediction during the first half that Parra would get one token 6-again right on half-time proved to be spot on. Parra forced a line drop out but of course no time as 40 mins was up. Parra’s very last set of the match with a Bulldog flopping on Nathan Brown after a tackle by another Bulldog was completed – no 6-again. It’s a repeat set every day in every game. No matter the stage of the game. Was always an obvious penalty. The mind boggles. Oh yes, Parra also got one token set in the 2nd half.
I don’t think the problem is with the rule, it’s just they way it is used. If the refs are inconsistent with this rule, they will be inconsistent with other rules as well. I like the fact that the game generally has sped up with the 6 again rule. Certainly Parra have been their own worst enemies in many games lately by not having the discipline to avoid giving away another set of six. Yes the refs need to be a little more lenient with dominant tackles and punish play-acting, but that is a matter for the NRL and referees to get right. In the mean time we need to be spot on with our discipline. If it’s not six again, it will be penalties we give away, and from previous years we know that generally leads to tries against us.
I am with you on this Longfin; the rule is not being enforced the way it was meant to in my view and we have the issue of no replays for this when it occurs. I for one have stopped watching many games now and only watch my team or tape it.
V’Landys is a smart man but he has shown that running the game is not as easy as some thought it would be. But nonetheless he seems to be bringing in his mate Gus soon….that will fix it all…
You are kidding , how many non play the balls are you counting ,its roll thru time again, the ref cant keep up with offside let alone police the ruck , everyones going early and they are starting from offside position allready , one ref is just a money saving game destroying joke ,watch closer for every restart dogs got i counted similar we should have . The rule started out fast for first few weeks but its been slowly brought back to realtime by the relentless unpoliced offside defence by ALL teams !!!
Spot on- the rule as it was intended to be used was spot on- but the fact that the Storm still wrestle without being canned shows that it has been high jacked.
Also , so we won by the barest minimum , dogs played really well and capably helped , when a coach starts concentrating on scoreboard points over competition points your in trouble , went there for 2points came home with them !!!!!
Shelley, it is really hard to disagree with your synopsis of the 6 again rule, it started out as a really good initiative, but it has lost its luster, purely through interpretation by the individual referees. I will say this though, I think we have benefitted greatly from the rule, and perhaps may not be sitting in second place without it! Blue and Gold forever!