Just when what we were all wishing for was a return to normal in 2021, the NRL throw a set of rule changes at us.
Graham Annesley, fresh from surviving the drastic slimming down at NRL HQ, has announced eight shifts to keep us all on our toes.
The NRL’s public mouthpiece – also referred to in some circles as NRL head of football elite competitions – wants us to know that these changes are all about “minimising stoppages, increasing the amount of time the ball is in play, increasing the fatigue factor, trying to open up some spaces on the field and making the game more exciting and entertaining to watch.”
Those are some impressive goals indeed and, should they pull off even 50 per cent of those intentions, I’ll be the first to give them kudos.
While recent changes – like the six-again introduced last year – haven’t been complete successes, they also haven’t been total failures.
It should be noted that Des Hasler was able to get the Sea Eagles from 15th in 2018 to sixth in 2019 when he got his charges to use his circa 2013 tactics to cheat their arses off to defend their line, but once Annesley brought in the six-again rule they plummeted back to 13th in 2020.
However, it is a coach’s job to push the rules right to the limit to get all of the advantage they possibly can, no matter how cynical or negative it might be. Coaches whose sides lose in an entertaining manner don’t last long.
The key word in ‘winning ugly’ is ‘winning’ and coaches detest excitement. Every one of them would gladly choose a win each week that bores the pants off the crowds. There is little excitement to be had in ‘Bellamy ball’s’ notorious wrestling tactics, but its success can not be denied.
Every coach will be examining the eight new rules from the perspective of how their team can gain advantage from them or blunt them. And not one moment’s care will be given in regard to the provision of excitement or entertainment.
It appears that the NRL even realised this and has hired North Sydney Bears legend David Fairleigh to help new referees boss Jared Maxwell to combat teams trying to take advantage of the changes.
Apparently Fairleigh will provide an insight into the way coaches and players may seek to exploit the new rules. But here’s the thing, Fairleigh was a clean player with little to no cheat in him at all.
To catch a cheat you should hire a cheat, right?
This photo is inserted with absolutely no editorial comment attached. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
So let’s try to help ‘Daisy’ by looking at these eight new rules, work out just how they might be perverted by teams, and evaluate whether they are a good idea.
We’ll start with the more workable ones and work our way through.
New Rule 1
When a captain’s challenge is inconclusive, a team will not be docked for an unsuccessful attempt.
How the rule will be manipulated
I’m not sure this one can be warped for nefarious intent.
New rule rating: Distinction
The purpose of challenges is to overturn howlers. Keeping a challenge when something is inconclusive is a good idea.
New Rule 2
The Bunker will now review replays after an on-field referee awards a try but a conversion attempt will not be allowed until it gets the green light.
How it will be manipulated
Well, this is just a return to reviewing everything. Don’t get me wrong, I’m in favour of it. But it is neither speedy nor exciting.
New rule rating: Credit
Whether people like it or not, when we have 16 Ultra HD cameras capturing the action, you’ve got to use them to get the calls right. It is just inevitable and logical.
New Rule 3
Replacing scrums with a play-the-ball when the ball or ball carrier go into touch
How it will be manipulated
This rule is probably meant to challenge the defending side. However, there are plenty of times that the side getting possession will be in absolutely no hurry to get the ball back into play and will find all sorts of ways to delay, like not getting back quickly to play the ball, not retrieving or getting the ball, finding a way to get two balls on the field, trying to do the play the ball well in front of the mark so it has to be taken back to the correct place…
New rule rating: Credit
As long as the team is made to perform the play the ball quickly, this can actually be an attacking weapon for the kicking team, who can take advantage of a tiring opposition and apply some offensive defence to gain field position. And of course there will be times when this rule really does speed things up.
(Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)
New Rule 4
Six-again to be called for ten-metre infringements instead of a penalty.
How the rule will be manipulated
Sometimes it is distinctly to a side’s advantage to give away six more tackles instead of a penalty. For example, there are 30 seconds to go in the game and your side is up by two points, defending their line. A penalty could deliver your opponent two points and golden-point extra time, whereas more tackles may yield nothing at all.
New rule rating: Pass
While there are circumstances where a side should be able to choose a penalty instead of an instant six more, there are plenty of others where six more is spot on.
New Rule 5
Two-point long-range field goals.
How this rule will be manipulated
Here’s what will happen: teams will get to the attacking 20, the field-goal expert will be stationed just behind the 40, and the ball will be delivered to him a la a goal kicker in the NFL.
Because they are so deep, defenders will not be able to get to them without giving away a penalty far closer to the sticks. A good proponent of the field goal will nail lots of them at two points a pop.
New rule rating: Fail
This is neither exciting nor entertaining. Rabbitohs legend Eric Simms once booted five in a game against the Panthers in 1969. Shortly afterwards, field goals were reduced to one point because we don’t go to the footy to see a bloke do drop kicks all day. Go to the rah-rahs if you want that tripe.
New Rule 6
A penalty to be awarded if a player leaves the scrum before the referee calls “break”.
How it will be manipulated
Right now, across all 16 clubs, players are learning to impersonate Gerry Sutton, Ash Klein, Grant Atkins, Ben Cummins, Chris Sutton and the other whistle blowers.
There is only one word they need to mimic: “OUT!” Their scrum will hold the ball in and the designated mimic will yell it out to dupe their opponents into breaking early and conceding a penalty.
While it will be amusing and will fail far more than it will work, you can guarantee this tactic will be used.
New rule rating: Fail
The refs have always been able to blow a penalty for this offence, they just haven’t been doing it.
New Rule 7
A handover to be ordered when a player does not make a genuine attempt to play the ball correctly with their foot.
How this will be manipulated
As with the scrum breaking, loudmouth players will constantly be drawing the now-lone ref’s attention to the player’s feet and away from checking offside.
New rule rating: Fail
The referees can already give a penalty for this. All this does is place more pressure on the ref and deny the team getting the ball a touch finder to get better field position.
New Rule 8
Injured players to leave the field for two minutes if a trainer stops play.
How it will be manipulated
This doesn’t stop trainers from calling for a halt in the play, there is just the cost of an interchange added when they do it.
There are plenty of situations where a coach would gladly use an interchange to halt opposition momentum. As they have for a decade now under the operations management of Nathan McGuirk – who somehow survived the NRL downsizing in spite of his ignoring of repeated warnings for years about the risks of on-field trainers – trainers will continue to be involved on fields in a way all of the world’s biggest sports – soccer, grid iron, baseball, basketball, cricket – would never consider as vaguely acceptable.
The no-brainer way to manage trainers is to just get them off the field. Full stop.
New rule rating: Dismal fail
A pathetic waste of time that is easily manipulated. Just get the trainers off the field you mouth-breathing morons.
Emcie
Roar Guru
as long as the opposition doesn't have a Reverse card in their hand
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
& if we play the Joker card for a set of 6 does that mean a try is worth double?
Rellum
Roar Guru
Players are talking about dropping the ball on purpose to get a rest so I am sure that getting a rest is more important than preferring defending a scrum or a change over.
criag
Roar Rookie
I can’t name one rule that’s been brought into the game in the past decade or more that really has had a beneficial effect. Each rule they bring in is a band-aid to address one problem, but usually just leads to more. They always talk about speeding the game up but they never address WHY DO PLAYERS WANT TO SLOW THE GAME UP, WHY DO THEY NEED TO WRESTLE? It’s because since coaches worked out how to exploit the 10 metre rule with quick play the balls (which is why there are so many errors in the play-the-ball), defences can find it physically impossible to always be on-side. Attacking teams too often rely on defences backpeddling and being off-side rather than being creative. The 6-again rule exacerbates this problem, especially as the refs have gone crazy with its use! I believe the 10 metre rule should be looked at.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Must have been the herd...
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Well the game was getting really predictable a few years ago Baz when the team like the Storm would score a couple of tries and the wrestle the opposition into submission. With the 6 again rule its become more open and free flowing and gives teams more chances to score. Despite their negative approach to the game the Storm also have enough talent to create opportunities to score. I reckon high scoring teams like Parra and Penrith have been advantaged by the rule. I think the Storm looked a bit lost in the first few weeks of 2020 but found a way to adapt to the rule. I hope its here to stay.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Your victim mentality knows no bounds. Did people really bag YOU for suggesting captains challenge would be introduced? Rubbish I’ve bagged the captains challenge and still do. It wastes more time than it produces “correct” decisions and we still have howlers every game Just because you support the concept and I bag it, doesn’t mean I’m bagging you...
The Barry
Roar Guru
Let me guess...it was the mob? I think there’s still a huge question mark about the captains challenge and if the measure of success is “eliminating howlers” then no way it’s a success. We still have howlers and a lot captains challenges (and the time that goes with it) are wasted on frustrated props who’ve lost the ball
The Barry
Roar Guru
In what way does it reward skill?
The Barry
Roar Guru
We should have a 50 metre three point field goal and a four point 60 metre field goal :silly: That creates even more possibilities We could have a coaches power play where all points scored for 10 minutes are doubled and play with two footies simultaneously for the last five minutes of each half... there’s no limits... :laughing:
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
I'm happy to see how the 40 metre rule works out. It could well lead to more exciting finishes where a team , for example , is 2 points behind with a minute to go and has a chance to draw and then win the game with a long range Field goal. It creates more possibilities.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
I also love the six again rule. I suspect in the future a team will have the choice of six again or a penalty but I haven't put much thought in to it yet. To me the way the Storm play now due to the 6 again rule is all I want out of the game. I seem to recall many predicting that the tries would flow around the ruck but I'm glad that heaps of action is out wide because that's what makes the game a great one to watch.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
I'm a joker who called for the CC and I'm glad it's part of the game. There was always a very good risk that they would need to fiddle with it and that's what is happening. I was bagged by the usual suspects when I claimed the CC would be introduced at some stage and guess what , here it is. I'm also claiming now that it will definitely swing the course of some games including grand finals in the future. The complaint that it slows the game down is valid but that's ignoring the reality that many people are saying the game is getting too fast and you can only use CC when the game has already stopped anyway. It clearly makes that stoppage longer but considering the huge reduction of stoppages anyway , it might actually be a good thing. I see the CC continuing to evolve. On another topic, DCE and Glenn say they would welcome Folau back to the NRL. Are they both unaware of all the apparent ''dramas'' that would cause or are they more in tune with reality than the critics, who say it can't happen? I'm claiming the latter.
The Barry
Roar Guru
I was never calling for it, so I’m not one of your “jokers” Most of the challenges have been absolutely inconsequential. Most devious on strips v loose carries are 50/50 calls The CC kills the momentum of the game to look at a 50/50 multiple times to come back to “refs call”. Now we’re going to have more of them. It flies in the face of the other rule changes aimed at speeding the game up...the CC slams the brakes on
The Barry
Roar Guru
I’m not against the six again rule, other than it seems like a soft option to actually enforcing the rules Has it really reduced the wrestle? Are teams really significantly more concerned about conceding six more tackles than they were giving away a penalty? You say the rule hasn’t hurt the Storm because they’ve adapted to it, but maybe it hasn’t hurt the Storm because it hasn’t really made a difference. Is there any team that you would say have been affected positively or negatively by the six again rule...?
The Barry
Roar Guru
What’s the over / under for how many we’ll see all season? 1? 2? So what’s the point? It’s a non-solution to a problem that’s never existed...
The Barry
Roar Guru
Geoff, no offence but that’s ridiculous. “Make a bit of an effort” what sport has rules written like that? Imagine the no ball in cricket. It’s not a no ball as long as you make a “bit of an effort” or a “genuine attempt” It’s either a rule or it’s not...diluting things down to “a bit of an effort” is laughable and has got the game in this situation of changing rules and interpretations on a whim
The Barry
Roar Guru
I know what the rules say but what’s the point of having it in the rules, international or otherwise if it’s never enforced? What’s the point of making the rule “genuine effort”? Either touch it with your foot or get rid of the rule Now that the play the ball is not a contest there’s no need to touch it with your foot and it actually increases the chances of an error at dummy half It makes no sense enforcing a rule that serves no purpose And playing the ball is not a skill. No one ever watched a game and said “that was the best play the ball I’ve ever seen”
Muzz
Guest
Are we trying to speed the game up or slow it down? Phone a friend will be next.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
It will be really interesting to see what impact this rule change has - particularly late in a game. Until this rule change teams that were in front with a few minutes to go just had to roll the ball into touch - and then got 40 seconds or so until the scrum was set and then put everything into their defence for the next 6 tackles. With the rule change teams that are behind might have a sneaky chance of getting a quick play the ball and possibly a line break which could put them in an attacking position. I like it.