There will be points galore on offer as the NRL introduce many new rule changes before the season opener on March 11.
Let’s have a look at the new rules and how they will affect the game, listed from least to most impactful.
1. If a captain’s challenge is inconclusive a team will retain their captain’s challenge
This is always going to be a grey area and will initially lead to more challenges earlier in games and slightly more stoppages. Overall it won’t affect the game much at all.
2. A play the ball restart if the ball goes over the sideline
Less scrums, more action. Great!
3. Teams penalised for leaving a scrum before the referee calls break
It’s about time the game dealt with this issue. We will now see much better action from set scrum plays.
4. A handover will be ordered when a player does not make a genuine attempt to play the ball correctly with their foot
This is a no brainer and a pet peeve. It is a very basic law of the game that has been eroded over the years to the point of nonsense. It signals the game’s intention to try and restore some integrity to the play of the ball.
Look for Andrew Fifita to be regularly handing the ball over to the opposition early in the season. He and countless others haven’t used their foot for years and it is a disgrace that we need to make new rules to enforce rules that have been part of the fabric of the game since 1908.
(Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
5. Six-again to be called for ten-metre infringements
I like this change. Hopefully it means the teams that live offside early in the count will be called for the offence more regularly. Also goal-line defences that are always a metre off the line might find themselves facing 20 tackle sets.
6. The bunker will review all scoring plays but a conversion attempt will not be allowed until it gets the green light
This rule is straight out of the NFL and is a total no brainer. When the ref awards a try it will automatically be reviewed. This will take away the tediousness of the refs having to ask for a review. The refs will be more likely to award tries and the absolute howlers will be more easily avoided. There may be some teething problems but this is a step towards the future.
7. Two-point field goals for kicks taken from more than 40 metres out
This is a dumb rule. Encouraging more field goal kicking achieves nothing. If you’re 40 metres out and two points behind towards the end of a game, you should be trying to score a try, not throwing your last chance away on a miracle field goal.
8. If a trainer asks for play to be stopped the injured player must be interchanged or leave the field for two minutes of play
This is a great decision from the NRL. In the new age of player safety the trainers have been taking advantage of the referees waving their magic wand to stop play and greatly impacting the flow of the game. It may seem harsh but it is a result of too many clubs flat out cheating with fake injuries.
Overall the rule changes make sense. The NRL, under Peter V’landys’ leadership, continues to make big strides forward in restoring an integrity to the game, which has been eroded by unscrupulous, self-interested clubs and coaches, particularly in the NRL era.
These cheating clubs have been aided and empowered by a television media that crucifies referees whenever they blow their whistles. The six-again rule in particular has tried to address that and I applaud the efforts of the NRL commission to give the game back to the fans.
Which is your favourite (or least favourite) new rule?
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
Alan Clarkson of the SMH was a Souths fan who watched the Rabbitohs with his mate Col Pearce also a Souths fan. He admitted this a few years back and it didn't surprise anyone who had heard Ken Kearney stories of Pearce in the 1955. I suspected Clarkson as he never reported what Souths got away with. Dick Huddart said he didn't know how Souths got away with the high shots.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
I honestly don’t care how long it takes and someone at the NRL needs to grow a back bone and not cave into these media twits that complain. Sooner or later clashes will be screaming at their players for making rookie mistakes and they’ll cut the crap.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
I think that’s the issue Adam. It’s always looked at from the angle of speeding the game up. To do that you need to reduce fatigue. What actually makes the game a better spectacle is fatigued players to exploit. Reduce interchanges further and you’ll have more fatigue and moments for the smaller players.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
And those big blokes like we see today weren’t really part of the game until increased interchange came in back in the late 90s. Prior to that all locks were like Cam Murray for example.
Greg
Roar Pro
"If they police it properly there won’t be 20 hand overs a game." Eventually there won't be and we will get the desired result. But how long will it be, and how many rubbish turnover riddled games before we get there? When they were cracking down on this with penalties (which I was supportive of) after half a season players still weren't getting it right Then in the face of public/media pressure they reverted to not policing it correctly or consistently. Why would we expect it to be different this time? We have all these new rules, under the guise of "speeding up the game" that have the potential to change the fabric of the game. Why would we not consider altering an existing rule that will slightly speed up the game without the risk of overly dramatic changes to the game, that also eliminates what is considered a grey area (at least in policing if not also in interpreting) when the rule being modified serves no purpose to its original, or any other, function?
LeftRight
Guest
The bunker reviewing all scoring plays - WHAT!! This will be a disaster, especially in high scoring games. Players will get extra rest, reducing fatigue as a factor to open up the game. Live spectators will have the opportunity to "enjoy" players hanging around waiting for the bunker's ruling (& then the conversation attempt), plus TV audiences will "enjoy" extra ads. Also diminishes the role of the on field ref - this person should be making all decisions, & the bunker should be a mere supporting tool for the ref to use. This is not a "no brainer."
Kerrin
Guest
Players leaving the field in a NRL game due to injury or offence need to leave by the shortest distance or incur a penalty
Adam
Roar Guru
Is the intention of NRLHQ to have the ball in play at all times? I kind of thin that the NRL is fast enough and has the ball in play for the right amount of time at the moment. I just don't really go all in on the theories that underpin the removal of scrums for touch (I think they have it the wrong way around and it should be a handover for a knock on) as well as the extension of 6 again. Penalties in my mind didn't really slow the game down. I understand that it is partly down to reducing cynical infringement in the red zone, but I don't think it does. If it's a choice between giving up a try or a 6 again, well the team will just infringe
Adam
Roar Guru
And let's be honest, the two best majors are still played on grass and clay...
Adam
Roar Guru
20 bombs a game does become pretty wearing
Adam
Roar Guru
I tend to agree with you. I think the rules of speeding the game up are not going to fix any of the perceived issues with the game. What really needs to change is the fact that all coaches are so risk adverse that they play a game that is homogenised. We can pretend that the rules changes will make for a more exciting match, but I really don't think that's the case.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
I wish that Benny Elias field goal attempt had been a few inches higher. Balmain were unlucky.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
I don't like the bomb and would like to see the defence be allowed to punch the ball dead and get a 20 metre tap. I would rather see ball playing forwards put support players through the defence than tall players catching bombs. It will be good to see teams passing it back beyond the 40 for a pot shot.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
The NRL ditched the two referees because it cost the Raiders a chance to kick the winning field goal. It was an embarrassing system failure and your list of refereeing errors and imagined unrewarded dominance is irrelevant.
ppa19696837
Roar Rookie
Raiders v Tigers 89 had some massive dodgy calls go the raiders way!! But that’s footy!!
ppa19696837
Roar Rookie
The Raiders defense was set... the roosters didn’t play the ball right away and they didn’t go left right away... the tri came after 4 tackles and was the result of BJ racing up out of the line and putting s as legs tackle on Cordner... he couldn’t get up and in the line in time and that’s where Keary exposed them! Raiders first try came off a 6 again call that was incorrect also!! They got many great calls including the opportunity of playing against 12 men ... they just weren’t good enough ...roosters defense was outstanding...
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
I try to reply to this and am told it is a duplicate message but I can’t see it so maybe the mooderators have it for some reason. Can anyone see it?
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
I didn't hear that. Treating the fans like fools isn't a good look. They should've admitted their mistake and apologised for their amateurish analysis. They seem to have forgotten the referee's decision is final whether it is right or wrong. It was a pity that it didn't happen in an earlier game.
Morshead
Roar Rookie
Hi Graeme. Yes, V'Landy's is nothing if not a mover and shaker. As for the points, I agree, and this is the risk with change (whether it ultimately be good or bad), it WILL change the game and i do think there is a risk (if nothing else) that speeding up the game so radically will have some adverse affects on scorelines. Good article btw.
Morshead
Roar Rookie
As far as i know Forty Twenty tennis is still played on grass and clay.