Soem

The Rule that Changed the Game

The game’s official history, just released  (A Centenary of Rugby League, 1908-2008) disputes the popularly held theory that the switch  to four tackle football in 1967 – the most profound rule change in the game’s history – was specifically designed to bring down `unbeatable’ St George.  The following is an edited excerpt from the outstanding history compiled for the game’s Centenary year by David Middleton and Ian Heads:

The theory has gathered strength down the seasons that rugby league’s most dramatic rule change in the first 100 years was created to bring about the ending of the endless winters of  St George domination of the Sydney premiership. But, in fact, the timing of the arrival of the four tackle rule, 1967, was a lot more to do with coincidence than it was conspiracy.  The new rule was born about as far away from Kogarah as it could have been – in experiments conducted in English League in Yorkshire and Lancashire in October 1966. The move to do away with the `unlimited’ tackle rule which had been played in Australia for 58 years was the brainchild of the urbane secretary of the ERL, Bill Fallowfield..  In both countries a grinding, physical style of play had developed – with teams holding possession for long periods. St George’s seemingly endless domination no doubt nagged at the men at the top and there was a theory too that Balmain’s conservative play under the old rule – although dogged enough to get the Tigers to the ’66 Grand Final, was not a good advertisement for the game in this modern era.

Responding swiftly to the enthusiastic public response in early 1967 the Board of Control announced its introduction Australia-wide, along with some associated rule extras (including the introduction of the tap penalty). And so rugby league changed  profoundly…and would change again in 1971 with the broadening to six tackles.

Under the four tackle rule in ‘67 St George lost their first premiership in a dozen seasons, thus providing ammunition for the conspiracy theorists who reckoned the  rule was designed to `get’ the Saints. The pragmatic Ian Walsh, Saints’ captain coach, never saw it that way. “It was not the rule,” he said. “We were scratchy in the first few weeks, but so was everyone else. After that we handled the rule as well as anyone.” A thinning of the playing ranks was much more the reason, said Walsh. In ’67 history had collided with coincidence – via  a rule which came to an Australian game ready for change.

Excerpt from: A Centenary of Rugby League, 1908-2008 – The Definitive Story of the Game in Australia, by Ian Heads and David Middleton. Published by Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Ltd. Now on sale. RRP $75