: Tue Mar 24, 2009 7:56 pm  

If you read Kevin Ashcrofts book "Last of the Dinosaurs" you get an insight as to how brutal real scrums were like back in the 1970s. Whereas, I would welcome a return to forwards looking like forwards and backs looking like backs, I'm not sure that I could support a return of the scrumaging from that era.

: Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:38 am  

Dico wrote:

I never realised how tactical lineouts were until I played Union.
One thing I think league lacks is a range of different skills, not that i'd advocate putting lineouts in league.
Almost every forward these days is called a 'ball playing' forward.
In union centres are centres, props are props and second rowers or Number 8s wouldn't be found out in the centres.

STAY AWAY FROM THE DARK SIDE


Prop Forwards in yawnion are fat gits and wouldn't last 5 mins in RL Paliarseseinya could be a Yawnion prop he can't last 5 mins

: Wed Mar 25, 2009 8:20 am  

It is a bit embarrassing and pointless to watch the scrums they way they currently are. Not sure what the solution is though.

Get rid altogether?

: Wed Mar 25, 2009 8:31 am  

how about the forwards all oppose each other in parallel lines and for that play only, i.e. proceeding a knock on or ball in touch, tackles off the ball are allowed and forward passes are ok too, plus any number of interchanges to be allowed just before the play and immediately after

: Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:09 am  

I thought the purpose of a scrum was to re-start the game after an error (forward pass, knock-on, etc) had been made. It would only seem fair that the side making the error has to "pay" by being dis-advantaged at the scrum.

So RL scrums are quick and the side that didn't make the error generally get the ball. Seems like that ticks all the necessary boxes.

Alternatively I was watching the Guiness Premiership (English RU top-flight) the other week on SKY and in frustration I timed a scrum from offence occurring to game re-starting. After 4 minutes of collasping scrums, the ref going from open to blind-side and back to see what was happening, touching and engaging the ball came out only for the loose-forward (no. to knock-on at the base of the scrum and the ref call for another scrum: I swapped channels to Eurosport as the Nordic cross-country skiing looked far more entertaining.

: Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:58 am  

Thats an outstanding post Herb, and so true

: Wed Mar 25, 2009 10:28 am  

Dawson wrote:

It is a bit embarrassing and pointless to watch the scrums they way they currently are. Not sure what the solution is though.

Get rid altogether?

Except for when a team put on a superb set-move and score a great try. Remember Yeaman scoring off a kick through for Hull against us? Or, for a fantastic example - Andrew Johns debut egainst Leeds, ball comes out of the scrum and is quickly shipped wide to Fa'afili who dives in in the corner. I doubt many Wire fans will forget that moment in a hurry and can't have been any who found that scrum "embarrassing and pointless to watch"

: Wed Mar 25, 2009 1:19 pm  

SEB wrote:

Except for when a team put on a superb set-move and score a great try. Remember Yeaman scoring off a kick through for Hull against us? Or, for a fantastic example - Andrew Johns debut egainst Leeds, ball comes out of the scrum and is quickly shipped wide to Fa'afili who dives in in the corner. I doubt many Wire fans will forget that moment in a hurry and can't have been any who found that scrum "embarrassing and pointless to watch"

All of That could still happen in a contested scrum ! The FACT is all RL scrums are embarrassing and pointless they should be as much a part of RL as passing the ball backwards and scoring a try ,but at the moment scrums are a waste of time and something needs to be done imo .

: Wed Mar 25, 2009 1:30 pm  

wire 74 wrote:

All of That could still happen in a contested scrum !

After the scrum has been re-set several times and assuming it hasn't ended in a penalty.

wire 74 wrote:

The FACT is all RL scrums are embarrassing and pointless they should be as much a part of RL as passing the ball backwards and scoring a try ,but at the moment scrums are a waste of time and something needs to be done imo .

No, that is your opinion, NOT a fact. I've already proved that not all scrums are pointless, giving you examples of how they can directly lead to fantastic RL.

: Wed Mar 25, 2009 1:39 pm  

Nothing wrong with them.