Phil Gould has declared the rugby league scrum is an “embarrassment to our code” as debate continues around its purpose in the game.
The scrum in the modern era has become a frustration for many experts and fans with the ball fed through the second-row. Pushing in the scrum is extremely rare.
One of the last times a team won a scrum against the feed was in 2024 when South Sydney halfback Lachlan Ilias put the ball in but Brisbane’s Marty Taupau put his foot in and hooked it back. Taupau was in the hooker position of the scrum.
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Marty Taupau hooks the ball back in the scrum. Fox League
Gould believes the scrum in its current form should be brushed.
“They’ve got to give a lesson because some are putting wingers in the front row. It’s ridiculous, it’s not a scrum, all we’re doing is keeping a group of players together so the others can attack for one play,” he said on Wide World of Sports’ Six Tackles with Gus.
“They’ll argue the midfield scrum now, we are getting tries on tackle one.
“But I think the scrum and whole look of the scrum is an embarrassment to our code, particularly for anyone that remotely played or followed the game back in past eras. We just look at it and giggle.”
Herbie Farnworth packs down in a Dolphins scrum. NRL Imagery
The Bulldogs football boss has previously called for the end of the scrum in 2020.
Gould played in the 1970s and 1980s when the scrum looked completely different.
His appearance in the 1981 major semi final can be watched on YouTube where Gould wore the No.10 jersey which was assigned to second-rowers in that time.
One scrum in the first half of that match against Parramatta shows the props and hookers standing up with the second rowers and lock binded behind them.
Both teams then pack down and in the space of a millisecond the scrum collapses before halfback Tommy Raudonikis fires it out to the backs while the forwards pick themselves up off the ground.
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One scrum in the 1981 qualifying final. NSWRL
Another scrum later waits for Parramatta prop Bob O’Reilly to arrive and once he joins arms, both Newtown and the Eels bind. Raudonikis puts the ball straight in but it flings straight out.
That doesn’t stop both teams from pushing and staying connected as Newtown surge an extra five metres before Raudonikis returns and feeds the scrum again.
The Eels and Jets stay binded as Tommy Raudonikis fetches the ball. NSWRL
In a further sign of how different things were back then, Gould was making conversion attempts with a toe poke as the pigskin ball stood on sand.
At the end of the match, which was won 10-8 by the Eels, commentator Alan Marks lists that Newtown won the scrums 12-11.
Gould believes the scrum from that era will never be recovered. That’s no surprise, considering the HIA components of the modern game and players literally butting heads in a previous era.
However, the lack of a push or competitiveness isn’t the only frustration with the scrum as Gould highlighted the halfbacks are now effectively feeding through the back of it.
The Knights and Panthers pack for a scrum. NRL Imagery
“Look where they put the ball in now, it’s just a tunnel they make and they roll it back,” he said.
“It’s embarrassing. What’s the point of it? The point of it is for one tackle keep six players stuck there so the others can have a shot at scoring a try.
“It serves no other useful purpose. They probably should just get rid of it.
“I personally find it embarrassing … I don’t like it at all but that’s where the game’s gone.
“They’re not going to be great again.”