Phil Gould calls for rugby league to abolish scrums, arguing that the format has changed in ways that make it no longer suitable. In commentary reported by The Age, the Brisbane Times and the Sydney Morning Herald, Gould says scrums should be removed from the game and replaced by alternatives better aligned with modern play. The outlets present the position as Gould’s view on how the scrum has evolved in recent years, implying that its current role and impact do not match the purpose originally intended for the contest.
Across the reports, there is no indication of an agreed timeline or immediate change to the rules. Instead, the coverage focuses on Gould’s recommendation to eliminate scrums, framed as a response to their contemporary character. The articles also do not attribute specific details to the same mechanism of change, but they consistently describe Gould’s argument broadly: scrums have become something different, and the sport should move away from them. The reports therefore reflect a shared message from multiple outlets, centered on Gould’s call for scrums to be abolished.
