The phrase "gerrumonside" may mean little to you but be prepared to say it on a regular basis now that the 12-club Super League is back for a brand new season. Tonight’s opener sees Wigan Warriors visit the Widnes Vikings in a titanic Lancastrian derby. It’s going to be fast, furious and action-packed, with the Warriors looking to get last year’s Grand Final defeat to St Helen’s out of their system. A game of speed, tactics and robust challenges, Rugby League is a huge hit (literally) in the north of England and is growing in popularity year on year.
Here’s our cheat sheet for all you soft southern jessies who want to know the difference between the six-tackle rule and an up-and-under.
Play-the-ball: Intrinsic to rugby league’s fast moving appeal is the quick restart after tackles. Once grounded the player in possession must place the ball on the ground and do a cute little back-heel to a team mate waiting to receive.
10-metre law: Every time a player is tackled, all defenders, apart from a maximum of two markers, have to retreat (yes you've guessed it)10 metres from the play-the-ball area.
Gerrumonside: As explained above, this phrase is a corruption of the more quintessential “Please referee, can you get them onside. Many thanks!” Usually expressed in thick north of England accent, this plea is invoked when a spectator gets frustrated by the lack of distance between the defensive line and the ‘play-the-ball’ restart after a tackle.
Blindside: The narrow side of the pitch in relation to a scrum or a play the ball; the opposite of openside.
Dummy runner: No, not a player of low IQ but an offensive tactic meant to bamboozle the opposition; a player on the attacking team runs towards the opposition as if running onto a pass, only for the ball to be passed to another player, carried on by the ball carrier or kicked forwards.
Grubber kick: It is a type of kick which makes the ball roll and tumble across the ground, producing irregular bounces. Can lead to a comedy slap-stick moment when a defender tries to make a grab for the ball and it suddenly veers off in another direction - making said defender look like a proper Charlie.
Knock-on: A knock-on is committed when, in an attempt to play at the ball, a player knocks the ball towards their opponents' dead ball line with their hands or arms and it touches either the ground, or an opposing player.
Above the horizontal: A description of a dangerous tackle that occurs when defenders lift an attacking player off the ground to the point when their feet are higher than their head.
Forward pass: A forward pass is deemed to have occurred when the ball travels forward relative to the player passing it - a big no-no in all codes of rugby. Don’t do it.
Hospital pass: Not an entry card to the A&E but may lead to one. This pass is often made under pressure and without consideration of the situation of the player receiving the pass. The player catching the ball is often stationary and in the way of a 16 stone defender coming towards him like an enraged rhino.
The Six-tackle rule: Since 1972, an attacking team has a set of 'six chances' to score. If they fail to score, they must turn over the ball to the defending team. Before reaching this point a team will usually opt to kick the ball onwards after the fifth tackle and hope to take advantage of any mistakes by the opposition.
Up-and-under: A tactical kick in which the ball is kicked high and short onto or behind the defending team. Not to be confused with the ‘up-the-jumper’ move.
Man of Steel: Award given to the rugby league player of the year, as voted by Super League players themselves.
Magic Weekend: Newcastle St James’ Park will be the latest venue to host a full round of Super League fixtures over two days in May. It’s like the rugby league equivalent of WWE’s Royal Rumble but without the spandex.
Ben Flower: Don’t even go there…
Watch the Vikings v Warriors this evening from 7pm here
