NRL fans robbed after shocking blight on the game exposed Brookvale Oval
GREATS of the game and current stars agree fans are being robbed blind thanks to a shocking blight on the game which was exposed at Brookvale Oval last Sunday.
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RUGBY league greats and current stars have united to issue a plea — the amount of on-field stoppages is suffocating the game.
A Daily Telegraph investigation showed the ball was in play for just 49 minutes and 48 seconds during Sunday’s match between Manly and Sydney Roosters at Brookvale Oval.
That meant a staggering 30 minutes and 12 seconds of wasted time when the clock was running but the ball wasn’t in play. That equates to 37.5 per cent of the match.
Shockingly, the longest passage of play at Brookvale was just three minutes and 24 seconds — just over three sets before another stoppage.
Fans paying good money to attend matches are being ripped off and the fatigue factor is slowly being swept out of the game.
Stoppages are coming from scrums, goal line drop outs, sin bins, penalties, injuries, walking to scrums, walking to tap restarts from penalties and time between a try being scored and the referee blowing time-off.
There were 17 minutes and 36 seconds of time stopped by referees at Brookvale. The game started at 4.10pm and didn’t finish until after 6pm.
To be fair, there was 14 tries scored in the game but stats show time with the ball in play has become less and less every season.
“You want to see football – not stoppages. That is one of the frustrations we get with the game – there are too many stoppages, for everything,” said former NSW coach and captain, Laurie Daley.
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“The game has always been based on that fatigue factor. But with all the stoppages these days, teams are able to hang in there and players are working their way through that fatigue.
“There are ways we need to look at it and I know the NRL is looking into it. And it’s something they will need to look at.”
Told the longest passage of play was only three minutes and 24 seconds, Daley said: “That’s terrible. There just seems to be a lot of stoppages.
“Players have a lot of more opportunities these days to have a rest.”
Another former great, Steve ‘Blocker’ Roach, also believes there are too many stoppages in rugby league.
“All this stop-start, blokes walking to the sin bin. If you’re down injured, just play-on. They are in good medical hands, why are they stopping the game when they’re 30 metres away?,” Roach asked.
“If they’re not in the road, play on. It’s annoying. It’s too much.
“I wouldn’t say it (fatigue) has gone out of the game but there is a lot of stop-start. Get the ball in play and get on with it.
“The perfect example of time wasting was when there were three or four minutes to go in the Melbourne–Warriors game and they were having a shot at goal and Cameron Smith spoke to the referee for 45 seconds.
“They held a meeting. Melbourne was allowed to get away with it. Play on.
“That is also why we have to bring the interchange down because some coaches don’t even use their full replacements.”
The NRL is aware of the stop-start patterns that has enveloped rugby league.
Manly stars Jake and Tom Trbojevic agree the game needs to flow more during games.
“There does seem to be a few too many stoppages,” Jake said. “Sometimes you don’t get too tired.
“Some things could be less. But if there’s a penalty and they’ve got to blow, then they’ve got to blow it.”
Tom added: “I think there are (excessive stoppages). I like the game flowing. That’s when you can play your best footy, when the game is going.”
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Originally published as NRL fans robbed after shocking blight on the game exposed Brookvale Oval
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