Rugby League: Flip's a flop to decide winners

The NRL's golden point system to eliminate drawn games offers the prospect of contrived endings to matches this year: victory or defeat on the toss of a coin.

If a game is tied at the end of 80 minutes the referee will call both captains for the toss.

The captain who wins the toss will choose the direction his team will play for the first period of extra time - and his team will receive the kick-off.

So all that side will have to do is hit it up for five tackles to get within range of the posts - no fancy stuff - then set for the drop-goal.

It's a fair bet all coaches right now are trying to identify the players to kick for the golden point.

They will also be revamping their set-piece plans with strategies for extra time.

There is no reason for the golden point decision and it's a fair bet that it will be dropped after this season.

Few people will benefit from the longer games other than television and radio broadcasters (who may attract more advertising dollars), and gambling agencies and bookmakers (who will be able to offer more betting options).

One group of people who will not benefit are the players: fatigued players are at greater risk of injury.

And what about the referees? They will be under extreme pressure, considering that they have the ability to decide a game on a penalty for minor infringement.

There were few draws in league anyway, so it's hard to see why a change was necessary.

Last season there were 10 draws from 182 games in round-robin play - and none in finals. That's been about the average for a decade.

There were only six draws in 1995 when there were 20 teams.

You could argue there were more "beatable" sides and therefore fewer chances of tied scores that season. But in 1996 there were 14 draws from 215 games between 20 teams.

In 1997 there were four draws between 10 Super League teams playing 90 games, and 14 draws between 12 ARL sides playing 132 games.

There were 14 draws between 16 teams playing 176 games in 1994; four draws between 16 teams playing 176 matches in 1993, and 12 draws between 16 sides playing 176 games in 1992.

The NRL has argued that it has introduced the changes for the fans. Well, as a fan, I would rather have a draw than a result from one play based on the luck of a toss of a coin.

Remember Wellington, round eight, 2001? The Bulldogs led 14-2 at halftime and 24-8 with 75 minutes gone. The Warriors produced three sparkling tries through their three-quarters Clinton Toopi, Francis Meli and Henry Fa'afili in the space of four minutes.

Stacey Jones might have won it but, after landing conversions from the sideline, he blew the last-gasp kick from in front.

There was no better result than the draw. And no fan was left disappointed.

The golden point proposal also split the 15 NRL coaches: five voted for it, five against and five - including the Warriors' Daniel Anderson - offered no opinion.

"If you go to Newcastle and come away with one point you're happy," Anderson said.

"Other times you might be equal and you know that given two more minutes you'd get them."

He didn't think the change would affect the final minutes of ordinary time, with teams perhaps playing with abandon to avoid extra time at all costs - or going into a holding pattern to force extra time against tiring opponents.

"Things couldn't go much more mad in the last five minutes than they already are."

But players were "invariably way offside" as the opposition set for a drop-goal in the last minutes when scores were tied.

"That may well be the case for the whole of the extra period," Anderson said. "Refs might be reluctant to use their whistle to decide the game."

They'll certainly come under huge spectator pressure regarding the keeping of the 10 metres.



And when the extra time ends, will broadcasters cut the post-match interviews or the first minutes of the next game?

I can think of only one purpose in forcing a result: to overcome the ridiculous situation the NRL created this time last year in awarding two points for a bye when a draw earned only one.

Even more ridiculous: if extra time is ended by one team scoring a try, they will not be given the opportunity to convert it.