Change to the kickoff rule 2026

[Valheru]

Neither of those rules are in the best interest of the game. With the new kick-off rule Brisbane's amazing run through the final series would not have been possible.

The game is flying right now. There is no need for any significant rule changes for at least the next 5 years.

So they would have had to of played better in the first 60 minutes of those games then?

Im neither here nor there on the rule but this ain't a good reason to not do it IMO.

 

[Barney Stubble]

So the NRL wants to introduce an option of kicking off or receiving after a try to stop momentum of teams, yet wants to introduce more 6 agains to speed up play. How about they look into why there is so much momentum in games and tell the refs to stop pulling 6 agains out of their backsides that create this momentum in the first place.

This
the balance in the 6 agains is the key here
Its been a good rule change in that the spectacle is open fast & more often then not exciting leading to record eyeballs ...
but
leads to waves of momentum that are hard to arrest , 20 point leads being chased down with ease are both exciting & alarming

Refs need to award a 6 again only if it was a penalty under the old rules , I often can barely see a breach & that effing bell goes off

 

[mave]

Seibold said...

"Our thoughts are that the rule be trialled before being implemented. Therefore, we can see how the rule changes momentum of the game and/or does it make the game better viewing and a better game for the players?”

Probably the smartest thing Captain Harvard has ever uttered.

 

[Barney Stubble]

Seibold said...

"Our thoughts are that the rule be trialled before being implemented. Therefore, we can see how the rule changes momentum of the game and/or does it make the game better viewing and a better game for the players?”

Probably the smartest thing Captain Harvard has ever uttered.

yea hes spot on ,
match conditions late in the season when sides are out of finals contention should be the only time rule changes of this magnitude should be trialled before being implemented

as a sport we can say we've got it down pat atm
we don't
we can improve , this may work , it may not
we should give it a whirl under the conditions Seibold is suggesting

 

[siv]

Will the changes in the International RL rules recently announced effect the NRL?

 

[Wb1234]

Will the cganges in the International RL rules recently announced effect the NRL?

No chance

The cart doesn’t go before the horse

 

[Yosemite Sam]

So they would have had to of played better in the first 60 minutes of those games then?

Im neither here nor there on the rule but this ain't a good reason to not do it IMO.

Absolutely.

But the point is the current rules allowed them to play 3 of the most exciting games of the year. Why on Earth would you want to take that away?

 

[T-Boon]

Neither of those rules are in the best interest of the game. With the new kick-off rule Brisbane's amazing run through the final series would not have been possible.

The game is flying right now. There is no need for any significant rule changes for at least the next 5 years.

There is still a huge amount of empty seats at grounds each week. Until they are full every week any and all changes are on the table.
This kick off change is so minor most fans just will not care and I just want to see kick offs being something other than the EXACT same play every play.

 

[Barney Stubble]

There is still a huge amount of empty seats at grounds each week. Until they are full every week any and all changes are on the table.
This kick off change is so minor most fans just will not care and I just want to see kick offs being something other than the EXACT same play every play.

No comp in Australia has all seats filled at every ground every week , not even the derps & misses ,
so not a great selling point there ..

 

[T-Boon]

Absolutely.

But the point is the current rules allowed them to play 3 of the most exciting games of the year. Why on Earth would you want to take that away?

There will be nothing about this proposed rule change that will mean you can't make big comebacks.
The "head of steam", "hit-up" momentum-based comeback may now just need to also involve something like a heads-up play (creative kick off for example) which we definitely want a lot more of in the game.

 

[T-Boon]

No comp in Australia has all seats filled at every ground every week , not even the derps & misses ,
so not a great selling point there ..

There is only two competitions worth talking about in Australia and one of them is way ahead in terms of bums on seats (AFL). RL crowds are still embarrassing in comparison (but have responded very encouragingly to recent rule changes) so pump the breaks on the whole the game is perfect thing as the metrics suggest otherwise.

 

[T-Boon]

It is also great to have a situation where coaches and captain need to make a strategic decision because then they can be judged on that which is what you really want in a sport. You want the fans crediting/blaming the performance of the coach and captain (the two highest paid people usually) rather than the referees or whatever.
The coaches have almost zero actual noticeable input into game day (compare to the NFL for example). We need them having more contribution to game day - being questioned about decisions in the media so they have to stop blaming others.

 

[Barney Stubble]

There is only two competitions worth talking about in Australia and one of them is way ahead in terms of bums on seats (AFL). RL crowds are still embarrassing in comparison (but have responded very encouragingly to recent rule changes) so pump the breaks on the whole the game is perfect thing as the metrics suggest otherwise.

Thats not what you said tho is it ?
every seat filled is a ridiculous expectation ...

Our crowds have increased by 33% since covid & continue to rise , theirs about 5%.
Thats the only " comparison " a true NRL fan should be making.

 

[marshall stalin]

They can incorporate the new AFL way of restarting the game from halfway - The Ref throws the ball up and a player from each team contests for possession of the ball -i.e catching it of knocking it back to another teammate.

Seriously the only proposed rule changes of any worth are reducing 7 tackle sets and the 6-player interchange bench although both need to be tweaked

There should be no 7 tackle sets when attacking teams knock on or lose possession in goal when attempting to score a try or their kicks go dead in goal (general field kick / field goal attempt/grubber kick) - defending teams get a 20 metre restart which is all that should happen.

6 player interchange bench is a good idea but changed to teams being able to use all 6 players as interchange option the current 8 times.

This would cover game ending injuries which are not concussion related where an 18th player can be activated.

The proposed change has teams having a 6-player interchange bench with only 4 that can be used as interchange players 8 times unless the 18 or 19th player is activated.

If a team has 2 players ruled out of a game early (non-concussion) then they are down to 2 interchange players - 18th and 19th player unable to be used unless activated under the concussion rules.

Why can't player 18 and 19 be used as interchange players so teams have at least 4 interchange players.

Of course, you can't have unlimited reserves but for player welfare as the clubs are advocating for in opposing the proposed rule changes all these interchange players should be available to use in a game.

 

[T-Boon]

Thats not what you said tho is it ?
every seat filled is a ridiculous expectation ...

We've got extremely small stadiums relative to everyone else. It is a great expectation/goal to tinker with the rules until we see how far we can get with the crowd increases....to the point of capacity each week.
Honestly it is sad that you are just use to the game as it has been being run by idiot rugby league people and now we've got PVA who has come in and started kicking arse your head is spinning.
I mean honestly some people are trying to suggest this proposed kick off rule is changing the fabric of the game... what a hissy fit stupid thing to say. It is one of those rule changes they could bring in and then 2 years later people would be having a hard time remembering when it was brought in and why it was ever anything different or admitted why it was changed.

 

[T-Boon]

This
the balance in the 6 agains is the key here
Its been a good rule change in that the spectacle is open fast & more often then not exciting leading to record eyeballs ...
but
leads to waves of momentum that are hard to arrest , 20 point leads being chased down with ease are both exciting & alarming

Refs need to award a 6 again only if it was a penalty under the old rules , I often can barely see a breach & that effing bell goes off

Most 6agains are on the try line. These are always B R A Z E N penalties and expose the level of cheating the coaches coach their players to do.
We need to double down on getting cheating/dark art exponent coaches out of the game by given them actual things to have to coach.

 

[marshall stalin]

Good point.
Can you remember Captain that the benchies ages ago played usually a ½-¾ a game in U23 or reserves then get taken off to sit on the bench for first grade wearing a dirty jumper with reserve numbers.
If you were at the ground watching and you saw a player you didn't recognise do something good you would ask your mate who number 23 was or look it up in the big league mag shoved in you back pocket.

Yeh the old days you could have 2 reserves in 1st Grade, but those players needed to have played at least 1/2 a game in a lower grade.

mmm something that Wests forgot about in 1975 in using Mick Liubinskas as a reserve in first grade - they drew with Canterbury but lost the comp point for using an illegal replacement which later resulted in a 3-way tie for 5th place between Wests, Balmain and Parramatta

 

[T-Boon]

This
the balance in the 6 agains is the key here
Its been a good rule change in that the spectacle is open fast & more often then not exciting leading to record eyeballs ...
but
leads to waves of momentum that are hard to arrest , 20 point leads being chased down with ease are both exciting & alarming

Refs need to award a 6 again only if it was a penalty under the old rules , I often can barely see a breach & that effing bell goes off

It has been an epic rule change (maybe best in the games history) that has definitely had some negatives, which have been well worth the immense positives.
Here is the thing: It would never have been brought in if PVL had of consulted the bed wetters who never want any rule changes, and we would be stuck in 3rd gear like 5 years ago when the cheating coaches ruled the game.
Honestly, I can tell you must have been in the fetal position when they brought the 6 again rule in - mid-season no less.
When you talk about the 6 again rule you should start by saying "I have been opposed to every rule change ever mentioned and the 6 again rule fried my brains but now I have to admit my bed wetting was wrong and I love the rule and I am a big bitch".

 

[Nutz]

Yeh the old days you could have 2 reserves in 1st Grade, but those players needed to have played at least 1/2 a game in a lower grade.

mmm something that Wests forgot about in 1975 in using Mick Liubinskas as a reserve in first grade - they drew with Canterbury but lost the comp point for using an illegal replacement which later resulted in a 3-way tie for 5th place between Wests, Balmain and Parramatta

I can vaguely remember this. Good pick up Marshy.

 

[Barney Stubble]

We've got extremely small stadiums relative to everyone else. It is a great expectation/goal to tinker with the rules until we see how far we can get with the crowd increases....to the point of capacity each week.
Honestly it is sad that you are just use to the game as it has been being run by idiot rugby league people and now we've got PVA who has come in and started kicking arse your head is spinning.
I mean honestly some people are trying to suggest this proposed kick off rule is changing the fabric of the game... what a hissy fit stupid thing to say. It is one of those rule changes they could bring in and then 2 years later people would be having a hard time remembering when it was brought in and why it was ever anything different or admitted why it was changed.

The small ones are often full or very near it
Lack of cover from the elements these days being the biggest impediment , so no
every seat every game is still ridiculous

Im not for or against the kick off rule, but it needs to be trialled first to see what it does to games.