A reduction in the number of interchanges in NRL matches is expected to be announced next month, according to NRL head of football Todd Greenberg.
On the same day the governing body released a proposal to scrap the June 30 deadline for players reneging on deals, Greenberg admitted the NRL is also on the verge of making changes to the interchange system.
Teams are currently allowed 10 interchanges per game but after recent talks with sports professor Kevin Norton, Greenberg said that could be reduced to six or eight.
“We’re not far away. We’re collating our final reports at the moment,” Greenberg said on 2UE.
“(Norton is) an expert in his field on the impact, the collisions, across sports and measuring fatigue.
“It’s a fascinating piece of work that is a first for our sport in rugby league.”
The NRL moved from an unlimited interchange to 12 substitutes in 2001 before lowering the number to 10 in 2008.
But now with the aerobic capacity of players at the highest level it has ever been, there has been a growing push for the smaller, more creative players to be brought back into the game.
Greenberg said the game wanted to keep the balance between entertaining fans and looking after the welfare of the players.
“So we’re looking at that at the moment and I’d expect something next month that we can come out and definitively talk about our future for interchange,” he said.
The mooted changes to the contract system are currently before the Rugby League Players Association but could be just a temporary solution, with head of strategy Shane Richardson also looking at ways to improve the game.
“There is a much broader piece of work underway under Shane Richardson’s leadership here at the NRL at the moment, and that brings into discussion a whole range of things,” Greenberg said.
“Whether we look at a draft, a trade window, a whole range of things in relation to our competition structures… that’s a much broader piece of work.
“But where we need to make decisions in a more immediate terms, we’ll change them. And that’s why we’ve made this change today.”
Nathan Absalom
Roar Guru
Scott Wilson was the player, I believe. He'd played in the U23's, but because not all teams had an U23's team at the time, you weren't allowed to do that.
Cugel
Roar Rookie
Yep. If the result of this is in fact an increase of tired defenders, this will just mean softer tries, and 5-settles-and-kick even more effective.
matth
Guest
That's a fair call
matth
Guest
I think we should go to eight. 10 back to 6 is a massive change that may have unforseen consequences. 10 to 8 is more incremental. I worry that with 6 interchanges and the 10 metre rule, that we might see a return to 70 metre sets consisting of dashes from dummy half against a tiring forward pack. It may not promote creativity at all. If they really wanted a radical shift to promote creativity then just reduce the players on the field to 11. Or even more radical, have a space 10-15 metres on the edge of either side of the field, where only the centres, wingers and fullback can go.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
The players who lose the most here are going to be the small backs who don't make a lot of hit ups in the middle of the park. Every team is just going to employ the middle of the park metres strategy if the interchange is cut, so they'll all want big wingers and centres.
pjm
Roar Rookie
Makes your scrums proper and props can stay.
Lachlan Bickley
Roar Guru
I've written before about why dropping to six is a bad idea http://www.theroar.com.au/2015/04/16/the-nrls-interchange-reform-needs-to-be-benched/ We've already got wingers, centres and second rowers who are physically interchangeable, do we want to add front rowers to the same shade of 189cm and 101kgs? Also does anybody seriously doubt that the game is already determined by small men? Even teams with huge packs like the Bulldogs and Rabbitohs have struggled when their halves have either played poorly or been absent
Arnold Krewanty
Guest
If the interchange becomes six, the likes of Souths, Bulldogs and Canberra will be overhauling their forward rosters very quickly.
Jimmmy
Guest
Eights a good start. I think teams need a little time to adjust their rosters for the new rules.
Mike from Tari
Guest
I remember Souths losing points for a player who did not play in the reserve grade team.
Zedman
Roar Rookie
Remember sitting at Jubilee Oval in the seventies watching the reserves bench fill up with blokes wearing dirty shorts and clean geurnsey's, you had to have a run in the seconds to sit on the bench. Those were the days.
maximillian
Guest
80 minute middle forwards like Gal/Parker/Mannering etc will be worth their weight in gold with less interchanges.
Squidward
Roar Rookie
I'm hoping for 6. But expecting 8