Mugwump wrote:
Here's an interesting question - does anyone know precisely how many (and what) rule changes have been made by the RFL/SL (say, in the last fifty years) directly because of actions taken by the players and the club in general?
So, for instance, changing the rules on drop goals because of Murphy.
Harrison's headed try etc.
What was the drop goal rule change?
I think the introduction of a penalty for offside was introduced as a result of Murphy's tactics. In the 1966 cup final we played Wigan, who were without their injured hooker, Colin Clarke. We had recently signed the exerienced player Clarke had ousted at Wigan, Bill Sayer, which meant that we had a good 9, and they had no backup. At the time the punishment for offside was a scrum with head and feed to the opposition, which in the days of contested scrums was no guarantee of possession. Realising that Wigan were without a recognised hooker and Saints had a very experienced and wily one in Sayer, Murph continually strayed offside when Wigan had the ball, knowing that Saints would probably win back possession from the ensuing scrum. We won 21-2, and IIRC the rules were changed in the off season so that an offside infringement would result in a penalty rather than a scrum.