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Fools Gold?

Super League Golden Point

There were two draws across Super League and the NRL at the weekend but only three teams ended up with something to show for it.

Widnes came back from 14-0 down to claim a creditable draw in Perpignan to share the points with Catalans, contrast this to the NRL where the Cowboys and the Raiders finished level at 16 all after 80 minutes, only for a Gavin Cooper try in golden point extra time to win it for North Queensland.

Very harsh on the Raiders who put up a fantastic rearguard effort to keep out the Cowboys for long periods, surely a point was the least they deserved for their efforts?

The same for Widnes, they put in so much effort to get back in the game in awful conditions, it would have been criminal for a point to be snatched away from them in extra time.

Now what the NRL choose to do is a matter for them, but I have heard calls for Super League to implement golden point extra time for games that are level after 80 minutes, in fact a poll we ran on our twitter page was slightly in favour of it. I really hope we leave it as it is!

There doesn’t always have to be a winner and a loser, if you finish level after 80 tough minutes of Rugby then surely you deserve to take something away, not to have it taken from you in sometimes farcical circumstances, or a questionable offside call.

Yes, Widnes could have snatched it themselves in extra time, but I bet they would rather have settled for what they had on 80 minutes against a Catalans side who are very strong at home.

After a comeback like that it would have felt like a victory anyway.

It’s always baffled me why the NRL play overtime, it would sort out the need for a maths degree to sort out the many teams that finish level on points. As I say though, what they do is a matter for them.

I personally would even like to see Challenge Cup replays come back, however, I do accept the fixture list is crammed enough without adding in extra games, so we have to concede that golden point is the only way to settle a knockout cup game.

Let’s leave it be in Super League, if a game is level on 80 minutes then both sides deserve to come away with something.

Mind you, getting relegated on a golden point is probably the cruellest of all, surely there could have been time to schedule a Friday replay between Salford and Hull KR after the Million Pound Game, possibly at Headingley or the Leigh Sports Village?

At the end of the day the point gained by Widnes on Saturday could be the difference between the Super and Middle 8s, whereas the point lost by the Raiders could be the difference between fourth and fifth, or even eighth and ninth.

I would love to hear your opinions on this! Either comment on here or use our Twitter or Facebook feeds.

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