UllFC wrote:You don't expect a classic in cold, windy and wet conditions...but you've got to wonder where this sport is heading as a spectacle. Doesn't help that we've had two games in poor conditions in a row but across the league the game has become increasingly negative in recent years.
Players milking injuries to slow the game down, wriggling on the floor to win penalties and then taking the 2 because teams are scared of going for the 6 and losing possession, teams taking an age to form the scrum to again slow the game down. Referee's giving inconsistent calls, video ref decisions taking ages...add it all together and the game is slowly becoming everything we used to mock Union for.
We shot ourselves in the foot a lot tonight and didn't deserve the win, but yet again we lured in a lot of floating fans on cheap tickets and didn't put on a good 'show' Sitting for what seemed like hours in a cold, near silent stadium watching negative tactics isn't going to encourage fans to watch the game.
Not just HullFC's issue, I think its a issue for the entire sport at the moment, and proabably needs more rule changes to penalise 'timewasting' and to reward attacking play.
I think its crept in over the last decade or so, McGuire at Hudds was very into controlling the wrestle and this has led to more and cheap PTB penalties. The latest set of holding the ball in the scrum and throwing the ball into a player has taken it to a new level. More and more teams are going down the route of taking the 2 now as well, we'll be singing swing low soon.
Unless you have a vested interest in a game, ie its your team or you have a favourite most games are pretty dull and lacking in any great skill