Thought this piece was going to praise union for a second.... but it's a good piece on utilising the short kick off. We should do it more given the 70% success rate. Especially given our keenness for a charge down, which must be running at 2% success rate since monas left. http://m.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/ipswich-coach-shane-walker-explains-why-a-rugby-union-tactic-can-be-successful-in-the-nrl/story-fn2mcuj6-1227585011553

Thought this piece was going to praise union for a second.... but it's a good piece on utilising the short kick off. We should do it more given the 70% success rate. Especially given our keenness for a charge down, which must be running at 2% success rate since monas left. http://m.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/ipswich-coach-shane-walker-explains-why-a-rugby-union-tactic-can-be-successful-in-the-nrl/story-fn2mcuj6-1227585011553

You see ,i can see more point in a short kick off in RL where it is easier to retain the ball for 6 tackles ,but in RU it seems a waste of time with the number times possession is turned over. I think they would be better with a high ,long kick off with players rushing the full back so he can't get a superb kick to touch in. Mind you, that would be thinking outside the box !

Rather short kick off than a charge down any day

Very interesting read. It would certainly change the flow of a game if every team tried it. I suspect after a while teams would work out better how to defend against it - probably push your wingers up and get them to just jump for the ball and aim to bat it backwards. ATM it would be the kicking team's wingers up against forwards for the most part. Having said that, even a 50% chance of getting the ball back would make it worthwhile.

Suppose you need to consider that 30% of the time the opposition will start their set within 10m of the halfway line, compared to going long and them starting 20m from their goal line.

Yeah but like he said in the piece they would kick off about 13 mtrs because it's got to go ten anyway. then if the opposition got the ball they more than often knocked it back so it's often re- gathered closer to their own 30 mtr line . So the kicking team are only costing them selves 10 mtrs more than normal in reality.

And when I played the game the drill we practised most was the kick off drill after fielding a deep kick off.. So again it throws that little bit of cruise control rugby out the window. ..

Good tactic

It has been done before when a team goes behind late in the game be it along the ground or as you say high to try and knock it back, not a clue on the stats for that.

If it was to become a regular tactic it I could see a league version of a mobile type line-out developing around the forty metre line, as you point out we will see centres and wings jumping with blocking becoming part of it, it would be an add-on to hoisting of the ball to the corner.

Union have the short kick off to set their ruck whereas League like to see the ball run back unless the full back knocks on, but the game is played on possession and territory percentages, which will it be.