The Six Again rule has been making headlines recently especially Phil Clarke accused Champions St Helens of “effectively cheating” by using the rule to slow Huddersfield Giants down on Thursday night.
Today at Headingley we have seen another draw back of the rule.
Catalans Dragons gave away a six again near the Rhinos tryline. It is important to note that a Six Again is an instance of foul play and previously considered a penalty.
Thus, it is something to be punished. However, this favoured the Dragons here.
They were able to set their line up and get ready to try and force a goal line drop out.
That’s exactly what they tried to do with Rhyse Martin hit hard and swarmed by defence.
He tried to smuggle the ball away and it was picked up by the Dragons, though there was a suspicion of a knock on though ruled backwards, and the Dragons scored.
This isn’t to have a go at the Dragons, they showed great defence and urgency and Martin should not have tried to offload the ball.
Furthermore, almost every team has given away a six again in that kind of situation.
Nor is it to discredit the referees who in the letter of the law nailed the decision.
It is to point out that a team has effectively been rewarded for foul play which doesn’t make sense.
In the days of the past such an instance would have been a penalty and Leeds would have gone down field.
