Phil Gould believes England’s defeat to Samoa should have been decided by different method
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Samoa created history by beating England 27-26 in golden point to reach the Rugby League World Cup final but Australian pundit Phil Gould believes a different method should have been used after full-time.
England sent the game to extra time after Herbie Farnworth’s late try but Gould, who is the current general manager at NRL club Canterbury Bulldogs, has suggested an alternative process.
Instead of golden point, Gould believes the full two five-minute halves allocated in the period should be played out in full before a winner is determined, allowing for multiple scores and as seen in other sports such as football, who have two halves of 15 minutes before the extra time whistle is blown.
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“10 minutes was more appropriate,” Gould posted on his Twitter account. “I now think that’s how all games should be decided. 5 mins each way. If it’s still a draw, then it’s a draw. Some games deserve a draw. Finals should not be decided with golden point.”
Gould took plenty of heat after England beat Samoa in the tournament opener last month, but he soon got his own back on supporters, quoting tweets after the game in the North East with a love heart emoji.
Gould, despite his extra time beliefs, also congratulated Samoa, who were undisputly the deserved winners in the second men’s semi-final, with Stephen Crichton’s drop-goal sending them to a historic first ever final.
“What a wonderful moment for Rugby League,” Gould said. “Samoa into the RLWC Final. A victory built on courage and resilience.
“They had to overcome so much, yet prevailed against the odds. England tried hard right to the end. But the big story is the Samoa victory. Just brilliant.”
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