It should only be obstruction if the ball carrier runs through the "hole" created by the dummy runner, he didn't, so try every time on that score.



However, you cannot take a player out without the ball regardless of the situation, so penalty defence for that offence, not obstruction, was the correct call.

IIRC the laws of the game state that the attacking player must always give right of way to the defender - it's his responsibility to get out of the way and time his run to ensure that he doesn't prevent the defender from being involved in the play.



It's something that Wigan do very, very well and doesn't always get picked up. No video ref at that game and it would have been given as a try all day long.

Spot on Fieldheadrhino, the player dropped his shoulder into JJB therefore illegally taken out, Penalty defence. I personaly think its stupid but then it is either a rule or not and where do you draw the line?

Problem is if you walk that line, you may as well forget about dummy runs or decoy splits etc, as mostly when these occur contact is made by the defender and the none ball carrying runner. What game are we going to be left with.



Whether JJB was taken out, having 2 minutes on the floor, getting a hand-job, it's all moot, as he had would have had zero involvement in the scoring/stopping of that try. And I know he can shift, but his middle-name is not Bolt.

Really?



How often do you see that kind of penalty given in a game? Now think about how often teams use dummy runners - at least two, maybe three times a set?



It's a very, very small percentage of dummy runners that get penalised for making contact with defenders. If the defender makes a poor read and jumps onto the wrong runner, that's not a penalty. If the runner doesn't do anything to avoid contact, or initiates it, then that should always be a penalty IMO.

You very, very rarely see dummy runners get penalised in field. Only in really very blatant obstructions. But lots of times you will see players (none ball carrier and tackler) meet with an almost hug like contact, that neither seem concerned about. These never get penalised in-field. However if one of these occurs when a score gets looked at, they do get penalised.

This is rugby league, not American Football. As has been pointed out, a clear penalty. If a Wigan player charged into a Leeds man on the other side of the pitch, totally off the ball, that would be a penalty, right?

I agree with a lot you say Bloodbath but as has already been said Wigan walk a fine line and as I'm sure we will see on friday, it will be down to a fine art. Great it will make things more interesting on attack but again there has to be a sensible approach but unfortunatley the refs at our disposal do not have that sensible approach within them. In-field is always treated differently don't no why but the rules are more stringent when it may involve a try being scored

Try for me, although if the dummy runner decides to drop his shoulder and smack into someone, then he gets no sympathy from me for being so daft if the try gets knocked off

Usain Bolt's middle name isn't Bolt either....



Just saying like.

Bore off.

I'm with Gilder and Lister. The attacker made contact and took out JJB. JJB would not have made the tackle but that misses the point. He would have been able to continue sliding out and the eventual overlap may not have occured. Because JJB was denied the opportunity to take his place in the defensive line no try is correct.



The dummy run is fine, the contact was not.