Louisa Wall: McCaw is attempting to define the law

Opinion

One of the burning sporting questions asked this week is does Richie McCaw intentionally break the rules at the breakdown or is he just playing by the rules?

There has been a mixed bag of responses but I think that McCaw, rather than breaking the rules or just playing by them, is actually trying to define them.

For example, when is a ruck a ruck and when does the tackled player have to release the ball?

McCaw is actually helping to clarify the rule that the tackled player must immediately release the ball and how you must stay on your feet to claim a ball that has been surrendered by the tackled player and that there must be no hands in the ruck.

There are no absolutes in rugby, and from game to game and ruck to ruck referees are constantly being asked to make a judgment call about the legality or otherwise of play.

Therefore, McCaw is just simply keeping the referees engaged and holding the opposition to account for not being there to support players who have just been tackled and who must immediately release the ball.

He continually tests the interpretations of such rules and does so for very good reasons. As he has previously said, if you don't play flat out, you won't be effective and you won't get picked.

The funny thing about people's reactions to his play is that when he is wearing the black jersey we all want him to push the limits and to secure possession any way possible. But when it comes to him wearing a Canterbury jersey the public cry foul.

The McCaw issue is really about the tall-poppy Canterbury thing. They are the best in the business and this infuriates most of those north of Cook Strait.

But to be fair, there is such a thing as the one-eyed Cantabrian and so these forces like to intersect over such issues and McCaw himself concedes that it is quite different being a Cantabrian.

No way is he a cheat and if he were then the referees should be warning him and sin-binning him for repeat and unjustified offences.

* Without Joey Johns it was not so unpredictable that the Warriors would beat the Newcastle Knights, who up to this game led the pack in every facet of play.

So, we scored an upset victory and after our tentative but steady start to the season, have wiped off the salary cap penalty of four points. The Warriors now have to ensure they nail their home-ground advantage.

Leading the pack are the Cowboys on eight points and the Warriors are only four points off where the 8th-placed team, Manly, are on the NRL table.

The Warriors are going to take us through another emotional season with the freestyle game that we all love.

I'm satisfied with the state of play on the rugby and league fields and will just have to wait until the end of the month for some netball.