Apr 11th, 2019

Apr 11th, 2019

Phil Gould has called for golden point to be dumped, while NRL legends Andrew Johns and Brad Fittler have suggested the concept be changed.

Gould says he is “over” golden point, believing it is unfair, distorts the competition table and should be scrapped in favour of draws.

Johns is a golden try advocate, while Fittler would like to see a period of extra time played, which would convert to golden point if there was no winner.

Gould took the hardest line for change, saying his support for golden point had waned completely.

“I’m not [a fan] and I’m loving it less and less,” Gould said on the Six Tackles with Gus podcast.

“I saw three games on the weekend where there didn’t deserve to be a loser; where the loser deserved something.

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“In one of those games (Panthers vs Wests Tigers), it saved the game; the golden point period saved the game, because it was a pretty ordinary game. It had a couple of magical moments at the back end of it to send the home fans home cheering, but no: I’m totally over [golden point] now.

“I was kind of a fan of it when it first came out, thinking that we needed to get a result. And for that reason, it sometimes saved a bad day. Having been involved in a few draws, some of them left you with a bad taste in your mouth.

“But nowadays, with the competition so close and the fact that we’re going to have more and more [close games] … the games are refereed to be close. The way the game is played, these are always going to be close. You’re going to get those games that are 6-0, 6-all, 12-0, 12-all; let’s get down to a shootout.

“I’m over it. I think a draw’s a draw and you’ve just got to leave it at that.”

Penrith's Nathan Cleary lines up a game-tying conversion against Wests Tigers. (AAP)

Johns, speaking on Freddy and the Eighth, said golden point didn’t reward the team playing the best football; which could be changed by golden try.

“I love the idea of golden point, but I’d have golden try,” Johns said.

“Golden point’s really exciting, but teams put the ball up their shirt and go five, six in for a hit-up, and then they try to do a field goal. So, the best field goal person wins, not the best team who throw the ball around with skill.

“Five minutes each way, golden try; [still] tied after five minutes each way, both teams get a point.”

Gould said that he saw an obvious fault with golden try.

“You’re going to end up with a lot of draws and playing a lot of 10 minutes for no reason if you’re just going to go with a golden try. They’re not easy to come by,” he said.

“No, I’m over it. I just think a draw’s a draw and you move on. See you next time, and we’ll sort it out next time we play.”

Penrith's Nathan Cleary celebrates his golden point field goal against Wests Tigers. (AAP)

Fittler said that he’d like to see teams given their heads in a genuine extra-time scenario.

“I like the system they use in the semi-finals and the grand final, where there’s a period there where it’s extra time and it goes into golden point,” Fittler said on Freddy and the Eighth.

“I think giving a point to a team that loses in golden point or extra time is political correctness gone mad. I think that’s just ridiculous; ‘Everyone’s got to get a trophy’.

“I like it the way it is. I like how it’s a bit frantic, I like how they all go for field goals, I think it’s an exciting part of our game during that period. Keep it nearly the same.”

Phil Gould. (AAP)

Gould said that he had tinkered with a different points system in the past, but it was too complicated. He said that he also appreciated the benefits of golden point despite his desire to see the concept axed.

“You’ve either got what we’ve got, or you say, ‘No more golden point, we’re going to have a draw’. I’ve come full-circle, I’ve come around to that. I don’t like golden point,” he said.

“For the fans, the television, the theatre, I guess it provides excitement. It saved that game Friday night, because there was not much else worth watching in the game.

“It could have ended with the Cleary kick at goal and it’s a draw. Tigers feel, ‘Oh well, we lost a premiership point’. But two minutes later [in golden point], they had nothing and they’d led the game all night.

“They were magical moments. What Nathan Cleary did just in those couple of instances there will be legend in Penrith over decades to come. People will talk about the day that he did that, it was a great moment for the club and for the town and for those people that go out there in the cold weather and watch their football.

“They’re magical moments. So if we take away golden point, are we taking away something like that?”