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In the past few days we have seen the formation of one of the biggest partnerships in the history of the NRL.
The NRL has created a partnership with the Touch Football Association of Australia which will see over a million people participating within the respective sports.
But while this will allow both respective sports to grow and expand their fan-bases, what does the integration of these two sports mean for the NRL’s style?
Well first we can look at two of the NRL’s stars that have had strong roots within touch football, Benji Marshall, and of course the Warriors’ Shaun Johnson.
Both players possess the ‘the step’, leaving defenders clutching at air. Both players possess the speed, leaving defenders watching in awe.
Both players are renowned for their attacking prowess, their ability to conjure seemingly impossible tries leaves viewers astounded.
These traits in my opinion are derived from their extensive experiences in touch football.
Through the NRL’s touch football partnership, these freakish talents could spread throughout the game, developing a new, exciting, and often unpredictable style of play, leaving fans simply wanting more.
However while there are positives that would come through this partnership, there are also an array of negative effects that would unfortunately seep into the NRL.
This is clearly highlighted through the defensive styles of both star players.
Both players are defensively limited. Neither player is renowned for their defensive prowess, and both are often prone to lapses.
This is almost certainly due to the lack of requirements to tackle in touch football. These defensive errors may seep into the NRL and produce simply a points feast, ridding the game of the grind for points.
However with the NRL’s integration with touch football, it can build a grass roots program to allow individuals to play seasons that involve both these sports.
This could possibly be as simple as a game of touch football during every third week of rugby league season to allow those attacking traits to become part of the NRL while still maintaining our defensive credibility.
It would allow the NRL to take the game to a new height, establishing it as the premier code throughout Australia.
Whether this will happen though is a completely different story.
Yet despite all these uncertainties for the league, one thing can be assured, the partnership and its influence on the game will surely be interesting to watch.
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