The Australian Football League's controversial on-screen "shot clock" appears set to stay for the rest of the season. The league said that there is "support for maintaining the status quo." Football Operations Manager Mark Evans said, "We did take it to clubs and fans and the umpires to find out if people did want to continue with it" (THE AGE, 5/18).
SANZAAR "is to take action to stop teams from taking quick conversions on the off-chance that tries could be overturned after being referred to the television match official." This follows an incident in Melbourne where Super Rugby side Brumbies five-eighth Christian Lealiifano "scored a try from what may have been a forward pass and rushed a drop-goal conversion in a successful attempt" to head off the referee checking on whether the final pass in the movement had been forward. In an alert sent out on Tuesday to all 18 Super Rugby coaches by SANZAAR Referees Boss Lyndon Bray, he indicated that "something was to done about the loophole." Precisely what "remains to be seen" (NEWS LIMITED, 5/19).
