International RL Blog

After watching the Wigan v Castleford  Challenge Cup game on Saturday most people would have been talking about the farce the obstruction rule has become rather than a very exciting match. Castleford were great and thankfully the poor decisions didn't affect the result. Surely spectators and viewers want to watch players play rather than referees adjudicate and action needs to be taken soon because the current interpretation of the obstruction rule is yet another over complicated system which cannot possibly work. As our hero Stan said to his mate Oli, "The fish will catch themselves, the people who buy the fish won't have to pay and all the profits will go to the fish" Perfectly put and I personally would abolish the video referee altogether but this won't happen. We should at least say that the referee decides on obstruction as with a foward pass. Just as Castleford were great, Leigh (playing Leeds on Thursday) were absolutely magnificent. Unfortunately,...

In real life, I have sat through numerous work based meetings and wearily listened to inexperienced colleagues describe over complicated systems that could not possibly work. I often found my mind wandering to the scene in the Laurel and Hardy film where Stan describes how they will improve their latest money making scheme by buying a boat I had similar thoughts when I first heard the outcome of the RFLs restructuring scheme involving the 12 x 2 and 3 x 8 option.....etc. It seemed massively over complicated but we're stuck with it now so we'll have to make do and hope for the best.  (Let's not even think about the current interpretation of obstruction) Before it's even had the chance to be implemented we're faced with a ludicrous situation as a direct result. Little old Keighley Cougers (... yes, Keighley Cougers) feel the need to play a weakened team in a televised Challenge Cup quarter final against (little old) Widnes. This was probably the biggest and mo...