Paul Kent: Ignore the incessant need to reinvent rugby league rules, golden point, or the bye

Attempts to find a way to reward the NRL’s losers takes us back to the schoolyard where every kid gets a ribbon. That mentality, not the rules, is what needs to change, writes PAUL KENT.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 02: Matt Burton of the Bulldogs celebrates with Jacob Preston of the Bulldogs after kicking the winning field goal in extra time during the round five NRL match between Canterbury Bulldogs and North Queensland Cowboys at Accor Stadium on April 02, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

With the timing of a busted clock, every season around six or seven games in, when form has settled and teams begin to find their rhythm, the professors take out their pencils and begin to reinvent the game.

Maybe boredom drives it.

Last week they clogged up morning radio with complaints that the two points given for a bye put an unfair bias into the NRL ladder.

Teams who got the bye early, it went, were sitting somewhat ahead of their proper position, which disadvantaged those teams yet to get the bye.

So some theorist proposed maybe they should get no points, not realising it would create the same argument but in reverse, with the bias then favouring the teams yet to get the bye.

The Bulldogs’ Matt Burton celebrates his field goal that delivered Canterbury a golden-point victory over the Cowboys in round 5. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Then another genius came up with the idea that maybe they could split the difference and the bye teams get one point, like that would help.

Nobody thought to say that every team gets three byes this season so, when the final round is played, all 17 teams would have been treated exactly equally and the top eight will be the top eight, in correct order, no matter what system was used.

GOLDEN-POINT OUTRAGE

This week’s puzzle is to somehow find a way to reward Newcastle for their brave efforts against Penrith last Saturday when they took the premiers into golden point and fell at the first set.

Again, pencils were drawn, set squares at the ready.

All sorts of ways are being proposed now to somehow reward the Knights, oblivious to the one true beauty of professional sport.

For every winner there has to be a loser.

Attempts to somehow find a way to reward Newcastle challenges what most find captivating about elite sport. It takes us back to the schoolyard mentality where every kid gets a ribbon nowadays.

It is a weakness in society.

Nathan Cleary kicks winning field goal against Newcastle. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty

KNIGHTS NOT GOOD ENOUGH

For much of the game Newcastle halfback Jackson Hastings was in Nathan Cleary’s grill, doing all he could to keep Cleary from settling into rhythm.

He fell away right near the very end and Cleary, the game’s best player, made the most of it and kicked the 77th-minute field goal that sent the game into extra time.

The Knights took a shot at field goal at 15-all with 1min 12sec left on the clock.

Hastings missed.

Cleary took a shot with 16 seconds left.

He missed.

Leading into golden point, Penrith won the toss and received the ball. They marched downfield and, 46 seconds into extra-time, Cleary kicked the field goal to win it, 16-15.

Soon after, the professors were at it again, sliding their set squares around the page and coming up with ideas like maybe the losing team should still get a point for the draw.

This idea is old enough to vote and is borrowed from American ice hockey, where the NHL does the same. That would make it a three-point game though, which would be an unfair advantage once the competition ladder settles.

Then Pythagoras scratched his chin and proposed an idea where teams get four points a win, nothing a loss, but get three points for a golden-point win and one point for a golden-point loss.

Penrith celebrate their come-from-behind win. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

This idea has been around for some time but is currently getting another send around.

But don’t forget, you would then have to throw in whatever points, or lack of points, for the bye.

It would work, but could anybody stand the head noise?

If most NRL fans can’t understand, there is no real bias between awarding two points for a bye, or not, or that a point for a loss would result in a three-point game, what hope do we have?

SPORT NEEDS A LOSER

Lost in it all, though, as the argument stirs about the unfairness of it all, is what it is all about.

At its essence, the uncertainty of sport is what captivates us.

The greatest victories can only come with a gallant defeat. It is how victories are measured.

If there are going to be winners, there needs to be losers. Jack Gibson might have said it.

As brave as the Knights were and as much as some keep trying to find a way to reward their effort last Saturday, they fell at the last hurdle.

Parramatta halfback Mitchell Moses did the same to the Panthers in round 4, kicking an extra-time field goal to seal victory. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty

They were on for almost all the game but lost concentration when it mattered. Penrith, champion team they are, were off but made it happen when they needed it.

Newcastle lost the toss and kicked off and Penrith immediately began rolling forward.

Newcastle’s line speed was slow the entire set.

Penrith played tackle two on the 30m line, by tackle three they were past the 40m line.

Next tackle they passed halfway and by the time Cleary was lining up the field goal, on the last, Dylan Edwards was playing the ball just 35m out.

The tough part for the Knights was they never got the chance in golden point, Cleary’s field goal ending it before they got the ball.

But they had a chance to defend their way to a win and fell short.

And sometimes that is what sport is about.