Just watching a league game and can’t help but asking the question. What’s the point of the uncontested scrum. It’s ridiculous.

Having started to appreciate the complexity of union rules League seems rather dull.

Gets the forwards out of the way so the backs can do their thing

Northern softies, basically. Can’t take it.

A quick way of re starting the game rather than messing about for 5mins with resets etc. Just get on with the game.

I don’t watch league but have to admit that in union the scrum is becoming a joke. So much time wasted with continual resets, and the ball is never put in straight anyway. It’s starting to really spoil the game.

Would league not be better if rather than 6 tackles you instead had to force a turnover like union to win the ball. I tend to agree about the union scrum reset issue.

one of the important aspects of the scrum for the benefit of the spectators, even in league, as TJ mentions, is to tie up a shedload of fatlads out the way for a while. Makes a bit of space for the dancers to do their thing before getting folded in half by a rampant flanker.

Coming from you, Stoner, with either 4 or 5 on your back….

6 tackles you instead had to force a turnover like union to win the ball.

God no. They’d just stick it up their skin-tight jumpers and you end up with a v v defensive ball carry style.

Much better that they are encouraged to play for territory with adventure, in the knowledge that good defence will give them another shot with 6 in a while.

no numbers on my shirt. It’s all black (or yellow or pink).
save for the cards in my pocket.

What’s the point of the uncontested scrum

Well, sports, right. They have laws. That’s one in rugby league – it’s not uncontested, officially.
http://www.rugby-league.com/the_rfl/rules/laws_of_the_game/the_scrum

To compare to a different sport is pretty pointless if you ask me.

It is contested in theory, just most teams don’t bother pushing.

The scrums used to be properly contested 30 years ago but they were such a mess that it made the game dull to watch as they took ages.

The other problem is that teams would spend all the time practising scrums in training if they were important, rather than other skills. This would make the rest of the game duller as they quality would be worse. A bit like how northern hemisphere rugby union teams play, really.

A bit like how northern hemisphere rugby union teams play, really.

zingburn

Also, rugby league’s rules have evolved dramatically over the last 100 years. I think there were unlimited tackles until the 1960s, then 4 tackles until the 80s, and 6 tackles after that. Having unlimited tackles meant that teams weren’t forced to actually do anything with the ball, just keeping possession instead. A bit like how no one ever scores a try in Union.

Agree. A little bit of contesting wouldn’t go amiss. Glad they seem to have sorted the count after the tackle now and we don’t have to watch every tackled player flop around like a dying fish trying to buy a penalty.