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Opinion

Does rugby league’s future lie in four 20-minute quarters?

14th February, 2022
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14th February, 2022
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In addition to the sterling performance put up by the Maori team, a few spicy fracas between very willing participants and an engrossing battle between Andrew Fifita and Jordan Rapana that may well be settled elsewhere down the track, Saturday’s NRL All-Stars match also threw up an interesting proposition.

CommBank Stadium hosted what was a brilliant start to the new season and the Maori side were simply too good across the four quarters, with the rain doing little to take the gloss of one of the NRL’s showpiece events.

And it was those four quarters that piqued my interest on a night were we saw the best of Kodi Nikorima, Joseph Tapine and Patrick Herbert and a little less from a few of the much heralded Indigenous All-Stars.

With some of the biggest global sports using a four-quarter structure and the most famous of those looming on Monday morning Australian time in the form of the Super Bowl, perhaps there was never a more perfect moment to re-consider the time parameters that apply to a game of rugby league.

Sitting back and enjoying the first taste of the men’s game in Australia for 2022, it appeared clear that the NRL All-Stars match benefited from the four-quarter structure.

Of course, it is something far from foreign to rugby league, with cup competitions of the 20th century using the format consistently, mostly in consideration of players who backed up on a Wednesday night after a weekend fixture.

However, with the modern game predominantly played using two 40 minute halves, barring a drinks break in oppressive conditions, the four quarters played on Saturday night did come across as something quite different and interesting.

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The game appeared to “re-set” at each interval, providing opportunities for coaches to alter tactics far more easily than relying on the irritating messenger service that sees trainers constantly on the field of play during the NRL competition. The three breaks in play potentially create space for rule changes that restrict the involvement of trainers, with hydration less of a compelling reason for them to be on the field.

Within a 20-minute quarter, perhaps a policy of no more than two sojourns onto the field to hydrate players and pass on instructions from the coaching box could be implemented, while still maintaining a safe working environment for the athletes.

Of course, medical staff would still be permitted to access injured players wherever required, yet the frequency of a 14th man lurking behind defensive lines could potentially be decreased thanks to targeted rules within a four quarter game.

After a concerted effort to eliminate dead-time during NRL matches, after many began extending to somewhere near two hours in duration just a few years ago, recent seasons have pleasingly featured less vacuous moments of trivial video analysis and inane discussions between officials.

The Maori All Stars celebrate.

The Maori side celebrate victory during the NRL All Stars match. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Australian Rugby League Commission Chairman Peter V’landys and his board realised that the game had begun to drag and took steps to kill the dead air that often existed, as well as adopting a host of rule changes designed to add speed and excitement to the game.

There are some who believe that the recent adjustments have almost made the game too quick, frantic and potentially lacking an adequate defensive focus. The opportunity for two additional breaks in NRL matches presents itself as a possible solution to such concerns.

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Whilst fatigue has been an integral part of the game since 1908, the combination of a four-quarter structure and a further lowering of the number of interchanges permitted, could effectively achieve the desired balance between the often insane speed and explosiveness featured in the modern game, player safety and an expected level of accrued fatigue.

The overall objective is, of course, the game day experience offered to the paying fan. With the days of reserve grade matches as part of a standard weekly undercard long gone and many fixtures now stand-alone, a four quarter structure with appropriately targeted fan engagement strategies during the breaks could be the way of the future; slightly lengthening the match yet also creating more of an “event” feel.

Such a structure works for many sports and is far from unrealistic when it comes to where rugby league entertainment could potentially end up.

On Saturday night, it appeared to fit the contest perfectly. Perhaps it should be high on the list of things to consider for the ARL Commission, as it decides exactly where the game should head in the near future.

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