RugbyRebels

It's being going on for a little bit, but seems to be taking the piss more and more.

When I was playing, the defending hooker had to stand 2m back from the lineout, and 2m away from the 5m line; whilst the SH had to stand 5m back from the lineout, between the 5m and 15m lines.

These days it seems that the hooker has to stand... an arm's length from his front man, whilst the SH can stand... an arm’s length from his front line - and move in and out of the lineout itself as part of all the movements.
Ref will confirm who the SH is, and then they join and someone else becomes the SH - or even, doesn't drop out - which should be a penalty, unless there's been a law change I haven't picked up on.

Am I annoying myself over nothing? or are they all a bunch of cheating bastards (who'd never ever dream of cheating, as per Pat Lam) with the ref.s prioritising getting on with things over applying the laws (yet again)

Yes. And not straight is a lottery, and closing the line is a lottery, and the general lackadaisical nature of officiating is really starting to get annoying.

Which Tyler wrote: ↑Mon Nov 24, 2025 11:51 am It's being going on for a little bit, but seems to be taking the piss more and more.

When I was playing, the defending hooker had to stand 2m back from the lineout, and 2m away from the 5m line; whilst the SH had to stand 5m back from the lineout, between the 5m and 15m lines.

These days it seems that the hooker has to stand... an arm's length from his front man, whilst the SH can stand... an arm’s length from his front line - and move in and out of the lineout itself as part of all the movements.
Ref will confirm who the SH is, and then they join and someone else becomes the SH - or even, doesn't drop out - which should be a penalty, unless there's been a law change I haven't picked up on.

Am I annoying myself over nothing? or are they all a bunch of cheating bastards (who'd never ever dream of cheating, as per Pat Lam) with the ref.s prioritising getting on with things over applying the laws (yet again)

I'll be honest, I genuinely don't have a clue what the current laws are about joining and leaving the lineout for lifters and jumpers. I thought I did at one point, but teams just seem to have pre-called moves that willfully ignore them, so I don't know whether there's been clarifications or if it's just understood that the law won't be applied if the ball hasn't left the hooker's hands before someone comes in.

I'd actually be in favour of liberalising the lineout laws a bit (if any of them are still on the books) and effectively ratifying what's currently existing (the "9" can come in and out and do what they want, the pod can move over 15 before the ball is thrown, and the defending hooker stands where they like as long as they don't involve themselves in a lift), cause it seems to be working okay and allows for a lot of creativity in lineout moves. I'm a bit worried that this'll get down to a big game where a crucial maul try goes to the TMO for grounding, but it'll end up getting chalked off because the TMO spotted that the 9 joined the lineout just before the ball left the hooker's hands and there'll be general outrage at a law being applied once a season. Like when that Underhill try was chalked off against New Zealand in 2018 because of VAR levels of assessment of whether a prone player's limb counted as the back foot and was Lawed behind it.

Puja

Hookers standing in the field of play and throws regularly not going 5m are a bugbear of mine. The toing and froing is a bit confusing and frankly i'm not sure what is and isnt allowed.