VAR as it is currently being used isn't fit for purpose ... but it's not the technology itself, it's how it's being applied, and also some of the incredibly daft rules we have in the game ... not necessarily the base rules, but certainly the nuances and, in the case of 'hand ball' the constantly changing interpretation... Rugby Union (don't watch Rugby League) use the TMO incredibly successfully - they've now moved to actually broadcasting the conversations between the ref and the TMO so that the whole stadium as well as the TV audience (if relevant) know what's being discussed... the main point is that the ref affirms his 'on field decision' but may ask the TMO to check for potential infringements that he'd liked checked - the other case is where the TMO sees something that the ref has not and so alerts him ... 'wrong decisions' are very rare indeed ... Now on to the problematic footie rules - the major problem is offsides, and there have been some ridiculous decisions based on toenails, big noses or even Bruno Fernandes' rodent tail ...and then the farcical drawing of lines ... rules just need to be changed to 'clear daylight' between the players 'trunk' (nowt else) otherwise, benefit to the attacker if there is none ... Handball is still problematic but I'd go with hand to ball rather than ball to hand and start from there ... While at it - cut out ALL holding in the penalty area, of any kind - it really shouldn't be allowed and is automatically a free kick anywhere else on the pitch ... Have the ref brief both teams on it before the game and give a foul (and penalty) before the set piece is taken if necessary - won't take long to cure it and for the rules to be reflected in how teams then train ... Here endeth the soapbox
One thing I noticed about the championship last season was how little complaining there was about decisions. People just got on with the game. Weird init. Almost as if that worked fine for well over a century.
Didn’t get halfway through that but rugby fans don’t really care as it’s such a painfully slow game and they barely give a **** about the result anyway. Again not much of a comparison to be made and there are still various subjective calls.
Obviously. Played it for years and I’ve been to enough live top level games to know how dreadful a live spectacle it is.
I have an answer, bin the ****e so we can get our game back. Tbf mate there's no point us discussing it as we've done this dance so many times before and neither of us are going to change our mind.
It doesn't have the same goal celebration scenario and is a stop start game anyway. Checking the TMO is just part of the game as it'll come at the end of a phase or in a breakdown in play. It's not really the same as football. They do do it better though.
Well I always played footie - right into my 40s - and only got into Rugby through the missus tbf as she's Welsh but it does mean that I've been yo many an International, particularly during Wales Grand Slams in 2005 and 2008 - but if you think this year's six nations is 'slow' and 'dreadful' as a spectacle, then you'll forgive me for dismissing your views out of hand ...
The game was already flawed - the bigger teams were getting even more of 'the benefit' when there was no possibility of accountability ... I welcomed VAR as a concept because it appeared it would address the balance on that front in eradicating human error and any bias, conscious or unconscious - it hasn't - it's been a complete failure - but blaming the technology itself is both over simplistic and actually wrong ...
Accept everything you are saying ... but I don't see VAR being withdrawn - so the only real option is to make it work as best it can (and as per the original intention) ...
There's loads they could do to improve it which I've discussed at length before. Time limits, not same officials running it etc. but ultimately it'll still be ****e as far as I'm concerned as it's taken the emotion out of the game. Ultimately I don't care if it gets things 'right' or 'wrong' (which is a flawed concept anyway as basically every decision is down to opinion). I'd rather be able to celebrate goals.
Good thing that’s not what I said. You managed to go half your life not caring about the sport despite being from a rugby city. It’s a day out and an ok tv sport for the three minutes of passing in between scrums and penalties. Everybody be silent, he’s about to kick.
Didn't say I didn't care - been to many a Tigers game including cup finals - but can't say I was into it, because footie always took precedence - also played at school (on the wing) if the footie team didn't have a game ... Did you watch any of this year's Six Nations? ... guess not, given your lazy and rather predictable observations ...
