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Doncaster RLFC saw their Challenge Cup journey end on Saturday with defeat to Castleford Tigers but questions have been raised about the Six Again rule and it\u2019s impact in the 14-0 loss.<\/p>\n
After so many blowout scores on Friday night, there looked to be the possibility of an upset as Doncaster held Castleford to just a 6-0 scoreline at half-time of Saturday\u2019s game, however, the Tigers would add another try and a penalty to run out 14-0 winners<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ryan Carr hailed the game as very tough but also necessary with the Tigers coach paying big credit to Doncaster, something that has been reciprocated from both Doncaster\u2019s head coach and their CEO, however, questions have been asked over the use of the Six Again rule.<\/p>\n Rather than simply giving an on-the-spot penalty, referees can restart the tackle count for lesser infringements, thus six more tackles and the name Six Again, but their usage in Saturday\u2019s game has been questioned.<\/p>\n Speaking on the club\u2019s YouTube<\/a> channel, head coach Richard Horne said:\u00a0\u201cI thought we got really hard done by with the Six Agains. There was far too many where I thought they\u2019d give us them but not them when they had done it to us. That took a little bit more out of us defensively than we\u2019d have liked.\u201d<\/p>\n He outlined the fact that Castleford\u2019s first try came off the back of a \u201cpenalty, penalty, six again\u201d and despite a chat to his team at half time, Horne conceded that his side perhaps \u201cleft an arm\u201d in the ruck at times when it was too quick.<\/p>\n One reason for such interpretations of the Six Again rule would be the fact that the ruck speed will be quicker this year with referees encouraged to be harsher on that, therefore meaning far more Six Agains by way of punishing slow rucks. With a slow or fast ruck being subjective, the number of Six Agains could feasibly change a lot week to week given how each referee interprets ruck speed.<\/p>\n Know your Super League? Serious About Rugby League have a Fantasy Super League comp.<\/a> Join it now and compete against our writers. PIN: 12433 Password: SARL2026<\/p>\n Six Again rule questioned after Challenge Cup clash<\/p>\n Like his head coach, Doncaster CEO Carl Hall was also accepting of the referee\u2019s decisions in regards the Six Again rule, however, he explained that it took some of the shine off the game when so many fans were left asking post-match why the Dons were being punished so frequently.<\/p>\n Posting a three-minute video on his social media on Sunday morning, Hall called on the authorities of the sport to offer fans more insight into what is being penalised when Six Agains get awarded. It\u2019s worth noting that Hall, like Horne, was not in any way critical of referee Tom Grant, who is one of the RFL\u2019s elite referees and regularly officiates in Super League.<\/p>\n Hall said: \u201cMorning everyone, just a reflection on yesterday\u2019s game against Castleford. It\u2019s just a shame that after the game everybody was asking me \u2018what was this ref doing\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cListen, the referees are there to ref within the rules of the sport and what I\u2019m going to say is that the Six Again rule, what is the rule? Because if the referee wants then he can give a Six Again every play the ball.<\/p>\n \u201cBack in the day, everybody knew what a penalty was for and everyone knew what the rules were. We\u2019re trying to make the sport attractive to supporters but the Six Again has so many interpretations of the rule that I\u2019m not sure anyone knows what they\u2019re for.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s nothing against the referee yesterday because he was doing his job and I\u2019m one of them who know that without the referees, we don\u2019t have a sport.\u201d<\/p>\n Hall then turned attention to how well his side played whilst also paying credit to Castleford, who he wished luck for in future rounds, but he ultimately circled back to the Six Again usage given the fact that so many fans were asking him about it.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cI just want to say how immensely proud I am of the team, certainly with the amount of Six Agains, who knows we maybe could have got a try or two and put them on their toes a little bit more.<\/p>\n \u201cBig credit to Castleford, I wish them the best going forward, it\u2019s no sour grapes. I just think that whoever invented this Six Again rule, where did it come from? Normally, rugby league fans go to a game and they know what a penalty is for.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not too sure why the Six Again got brought into the sport but it\u2019s so frustrating for us all. Like I say, that\u2019s all it was though, we got stuck into them, I thought it was a real good hit out for Castleford and for our boys, that\u2019s probably how we need to play every week to do what we want to achieve in the Championship.<\/p>\n \u201cI just wanted to get it off my chest because after the game so many people were talking about it. That\u2019s the referee reffing to the interpretations that he has been given from the powers that be but it\u2019s difficult to answer the question when there can be a Six Again for numerous things that a lot of us aren\u2019t too sure about.\u201d<\/p>\n Among the responses to Hall\u2019s well laid-out post, which offered genuine questions as opposed to just complaints, was a comment from Widnes Vikings head coach Allan Coleman, whose side lost to Leeds on Saturday afternoon. Coleman was clearly in agreement, responding: \u201cAbsolutely bang on\u201d, before applauding the Dons\u2019 performance.<\/p>\n Doncaster will next turn their attention to the Championship with the Dons set to travel to face Batley Bulldogs next Sunday before a bye week in round four of the competition.<\/p>\n Leeds Rhinos\u2019 latest transfer pursuit, Hull FC new boy assessed and potential cup \u2018upsets\u2019 \u2013 Check out the latest episode of The Serious About Rugby League Show here.<\/a><\/p>\n Just had to get this off me chest as got asked so many times after game which rattled me a little cause it reflected from the performance the boys put in yesterday @Doncaster_RLFC<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/KLTLPfxjIE<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Carl Hall (@hallyboy03) February 8, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768085712_213_srl-logo.png\"\/){kind=logo}
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