Overwhelming support from NRL coaches to dump golden point

RIVAL NRL coaches are united in their desire to scrap golden point, with only one of the 16 NRL mentors backing the current format.

Broncos

WAYNE Bennett waited until the raw pain subsided before he picked up the phone last November.

Two months had passed since a drop-goal eliminated his former club, St George Illawarra, in a golden-point thriller at Suncorp Stadium.

Time might have eased his temper, but Bennett remained staunchly at odds with the logic of the outcome.

So he phoned NRL headquarters and told them so.

"That was one of the most disappointing moments of my whole career, losing that game (13-12) to Brisbane in golden point," Bennett said last night.

"After I swallowed the bitter pill, I rang the NRL and said, 'You've got to change that rule'.

"It's not fair to decide such an important game like that. It was a tremendous 80 minutes of football and then it was suddenly decided in 30 seconds by a field goal.

"I could never get my head around it. The game and the fans deserve better. I accept there has to be a result, but not by a field goal.

"If it was a try, I'd leave it alone. You've got to play some footy to get a try."

Bennett declined to reveal who he spoke with, but added: "It must have fallen on deaf ears."

But for how much longer can the ALRC continue to ignore Bennett and now just about every one of his peers?

A Daily Telegraph poll of all 16 coaches yesterday returned just one vote in favour of the current format.

It came from South Sydney's Michael Maguire. He is yet to taste defeat in golden point after two successes this season extended the Rabbitohs' uncanny streak to five straight since 2009.

"To be honest, I've shared some of the best moments with the boys after golden-point games," Maguire said.

"I haven't been on the other end of it, but I'm actually for it.

"At times there is a bit of negativity about the footy.

"But the big thing for me as a coach, I have to work out ways how we can make sure we go past that and make sure we can play in those situations.

"It adds excitement to the game."

He was a lone voice.

Ten coaches including Bennett now want extra time of any variety scrapped next year and the traditional draw returned.

Furthermore, The Daily Telegraph's online fan poll attracted 7000 responses and 75 per cent of respondents also demanded a change.

No one can deny the base thrill of sudden-death football, but the majority from all walks of rugby league life now contend it's not worth the compromise to the game's fabric.

The Daily Telegraph yesterday revealed no tries have been scored in 19 golden-point periods since the 2010 finals series.

There have also been just four penalties blown in those 110 accumulated minutes.

They are statistical facts that support the two chief arguments behind calls for change: negative football and inconsistent refereeing.

"It's like anything in rugby league," Bennett said. "Coaches have gotten used to the rule and they've now got systems in place to maximise it.

"The best approach is to try and minimise mistakes and get field position. And the referees are under so much pressure not to blow a penalty, it just becomes a drop-goal-a-thon. I don't blame the refs, either. Golden point puts them in an incredibly tough position."

Despite the growing discontent, NRL operations boss Nathan McGuirk remained staunch in his support of the concept in yesterday's Daily Telegraph.

Former boss David Gallop was similarly defensive of the McIntyre System, which also came under fire for an equally sustained period.

THE FOUR OPTIONS

1. Keep the status quo
Michael Maguire is the lone supporter of golden point in its current format. Most now believe the pressure on referees and players to react conservatively is a turn-off. TV ratings do spike when extra time starts.

2. Tweak to golden try
There have been no tries in 19 golden point passages since the 2010 finals. David Furner believes this would be a solution to encourage more attacking football, while still delivering a result.

3. Apply a drop-off rule
Steve Price is a fan and Wayne Bennett would even prefer it to the current system.
Commonly used in touch football, teams lose a player at defined intervals to open more space and scoring opportunities.

4. Revert to a  traditional draw
Comfortably the favoured option among coaches, with more than half happy to settle matches as
they were for 95 years.

Coaches who haven’t supported golden point

Craig Bellamy (Storm): I’d behappy to go back to a draw situation if the scores are level at the end of regular time, but that’s not my decision to make.
Des Hasler (Bulldogs): It needs revision.
Shane Flanagan (Sharks): Let’s go back to 80 minutes. You will still have draws in some games, but under normal rules hopefully.
Anthony Griffi n (Broncos): Draw. No golden point.
Geoff Toovey (Sea Eagles): Players play enough footy, and if they get to 80 minutes and it’s a draw, they’ve done a pretty good job. At the moment it comes down to luck or whoever has the best field-goal kicker.
Brian McClennan (Warriors): I don’t like it. I think there’s nothing wrong with the draw at full-time. In fact it’s good for the competition ladder.
Tim Sheens (Tigers): I’ve always been against it and I haven’t changed my mind.
Steve Price (Dragons): I am a fan of the golden point. However, I would like to see a player drop off per team during the extra time period. By making it 12 versus 12, it would encourage more attacking football.
David Furner (Raiders): I like golden point, but only if it’s golden try.
John Cartwright (Titans): I’ve never been a fan of it, the referees are under enough pressure and you only add to that with another 10 minutes.
Neil Henry (Cowboys): No comment.
Brian Smith (Roosters): It’s time to take a good, hard look at it.
Wayne Bennett (Knights): The game is played under three different sets of rules – NRL, State of Origin and golden point.
Ivan Cleary (Panthers): The referees are absolutely not going to do anything in golden point, which means it’s not a game any more.
Steve Kearney (Eels): I can’t see why teams can’t take a point each. It’s a free-forall once it becomes golden point and it becomes too costly.