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There are, however, four changes that were approved at a meeting of the ARLC on Wednesday, namely:
- Trainers will be restricted from entering the field of play to prescribed and clearly defined circumstances. This will ensure player safety remains the priority while reducing unnecessary intrusions by trainers carrying messages.
- There will be no seven-tackle set following a knock-on in-goal by the attacking team, considered an accidental breach of the “zero tackle” rule in goal.
- Restarting the tackle count: for certain infringements beyond the 20-metre line, the tackle count will restart, replacing the current 40-metre threshold.
- Squad sizes will be expanded to 19, with teams allowed to interchange four players up to eight times a match, from a bench of six players.
The last initiative is the one with the most tactical significance. Previously, only four players sat on the interchange bench and the composition was almost always the same: three forwards and a utility. Now, with two extra options to choose from, coaches could be able to turn to an outside back or a player who could play half or hooker if injury strikes. In the past, losing a halfback usually meant losing the game. Those days may be over.
However, choosing a bigger bench is an inexact science. The Roosters, for instance, have outstanding insurance for Daly Cherry-Evans and Sam Walker in the form of Hugo Savala. But if Savala sits on the bench and the first-choice halves have an extended run without injury, he could go weeks without getting a run. The issue of gaining game time could be complicated further still if the Roosters have a string of NSW Cup games that are scheduled before the NRL team plays on a given weekend.
Then there’s the opportunity for fringe players to show their wares. Dolphins livewire Trai Fuller, for instance, has so far had only limited chances in the NRL. But given his attacking prowess, the fullback is the perfect replacement should Kristian Woolf’s side be chasing late points.
As for the mooted kick-off rule, it is not a dead duck just yet. The change will be trialled in games of no finals consequence at the end of the season. That’s the same avenue by which another big shake-up, the captain’s challenge, was introduced to the game.
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Legendary referee Bill Harrigan has always warned of rugby league’s “carpet-bubble effect”, whereby even the smallest rule alterations can have unexpected consequences. Under the current kick-off rule, teams that concede a try can struggle to get the ball back, leading to blowouts.
Yet, one of the best features of the modern game is the late comeback. The best example is Penrith’s stunning 2023 grand final resurgence against the Broncos, which wouldn’t have happened if they didn’t get the ball continually kicked back to them after scoring.
It didn’t have the requisite support this time, but the beauty of the mooted change was that the choice of who kicks off goes to the team that conceded points. It won’t be long before we debate its merits again.
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