Leigh coach airs ruck speed frustrations despite opening night win over Leeds

Leigh boss Adrian Lam aired his frustrations over the ruck speed interpretation changes following the Leopards’ opening night victory over Leeds Rhinos, believing the game is being spoiled as a spectacle.

For the second year on the spin, Leigh got themselves off to a winning start in Super League, ending up 26-14 victors against Leeds on Friday night.

Leading 10-2 at the break, quickfire tries from Jack Hughes and Matt Davis at the start of the second half extended the Leopards’ lead and gave them an advantage they never looked like relinquishing.

But the game itself was one of a stop-start nature, and involved a sin-bin apiece following a second half fracas which resulted in Leeds’ Harry Newman and Leigh try-scorer Davis being sent for ten minutes by referee Tom Grant.

Leigh coach Adrian Lam airs ruck speed frustrations despite opening night win over Leeds

Leopards head coach Lam had voiced his concerns over the proposed changes to the rules around ruck speed and ‘six agains’ during the off-season.

And just one game into the Super League season, those concerns remain in place having been worsened, if anything.

Speaking post-match, he said: “I thought the game went in patches depending on how the referee refereed the game, and I’m not a fan of it.

“I think there’s too many stoppages. I didn’t need to make too many changes in the game because we had time-outs, decisions being checked, ‘six agains’, it’s just frustrating. They can influence the outcome quite easily.

“It’s hard to accept and to watch, it changes the momentum of the game heavily, and we’re not doing anything different than last year.

“I presume that’s happening with all teams in all games.

“Even in the last five or ten minutes, it was just ‘six again’, penalty, ‘six again’… what are you doing?

“Just chill out and let them play. The best games of rugby league in the history of the game have no penalties in them and no stoppages. Just let them play, that’s what we’re after.

“Me and Brad (Arthur) both agreed that we’re all supportive of how they want to speed the game up, but it just can’t be like it is.

“A game’s only of 80 minutes and we’re averaging (a referee involvement) every two minutes of the game. It’s too much.

“I’m interested to know what other coaches are thinking at the moment.”

‘It’s frustrating, the players are getting frustrated’

Leigh conceded eight penalties over the course of the 80 minutes, while visitors Leeds conceded nine.

The first half at the Leopards’ Den ran for 50 minutes alone, evidencing the stoppages referenced by Lam.

He continued: “I don’t want to be negative about all of this, I just think they’ve gone into the game saying, ‘we’re going to do this, regardless’ as opposed to, ‘let’s do it if it’s necessary’.

“I was watching the game last night (between York and Hull KR) and in the first set it’s a ‘six again’ on tackle five.

“Do you think the players want that? Or have the intention for that to happen? It’s frustrating, the players are getting frustrated.

“It’s only Round 1. It’ll go for six weeks and then we’ll have a pull back. Whoever’s good at getting through those periods in the first six weeks of the competition are probably going to be leading it after six weeks, and it could genuinely be anyone.

“You can still find a faster play-the-ball by your communications as opposed to just doing it (giving a ‘six again’).”