It's Official - Interchange to be Reduced to 8 for 2016

[Mogsheen Jadwat]

The NRL need to be very careful they don't turn the game into glorified touch football.

That's what I think.

everyone's like it'll open the game, bla bla, yeah until they reduce it to 6 and then everyone bitches it's touch football and there's not enough collisions etc.

shouldn't be reduced anymore than 8.

 

[DiegoNT]

The game is already noticeably quicker than previous years. I think we really need to go to 6 interchanges eventually. Only then we will again be able to say our game is for all shapes and sizes.

We need to bring back the players with footballing brains and actual skill and steer away from players who possess only brawn. Once this is done, the game will be exciting again.

so we don't already see a variety of shapes and sizes already? Anthony milford, edrick lee, greg inglis, kasiano, George Burgess, matt Gillette all have the same body type?

I still fail to see how the powers that be have come to the conclusion that less interchange will discourage game slowing tactics.

If anything, this is only going to further increase holding down and wrestling tactics as teams desperately try to control the speed of the ruck to improve their forwards' endurance. Although really most teams only use 8 interchanges as it is on forward rotation and another 2 on rotating the hooker/utility, so really IMO the major change that we'll actually see from this is the development of more 80 minute hookers as opposed to more lean, speedy forwards.

Don't get me wrong, I actually like the change as I think having an 80 minute hooker is not rewarded well enough at the moment, but surely if the aim is to reduce the wrestle they should look at actually targeting the f**king wrestle directly than by trying these roundabout tactics.

I sense that their might initially be more wrestling, more slowing down of play and more conservative play. The biggest change will be to lock, when we first went back to limited interchange every team went back to having a workhorse at lock, the type of guy that makes you 50 tackles a game. As teams got used to the interchange we started to see a bit of variety at lock, some teams still have the workhorse, some have a ball player and some go the third prop route. I think the biggest change we will everyone will go back to the Dallas Johnson style lock while they adjust to the changes

 

[BunniesMan]

That's what I think.

everyone's like it'll open the game, bla bla, yeah until they reduce it to 6 and then everyone bitches it's touch football and there's not enough collisions etc.

shouldn't be reduced anymore than 8.

Tries, offloads and linebreaks are significantly down over the last 5 years. Are you happy with that? If not, what is your solution to fix it?

 

[Bronco18]

I'd like to see referees ease their interpretation of markers being square to combat excessive dummy half running.

Also: how are you going to penalise teams for not packing a scrum on time?
Is the shot clock in favour of an attacking or defending team? What happens if a team wastes time but only binds with one second remaining, not giving the half a chance to feed the ball before the timer runs out? I can see a bit of controversy around this, but I suppose someone has thought it through.

In saying that, I agree with the rule changes. A competition with George Roses and Sam Kasiano means that big players don't do enough work as it is.

 

[user_nat]

I don't think going to 8 will provide a noticeable difference. Needed to be 6.
This will mostly effect games where teams have to make unplanned changes.

 

[taipan]

If it helps reduced wrestling due to players being tired,it's got to be a plus.Wrestling IMO is one of the biggest blights in the game.

 

[LineBall]

Change it to 5 replacements and bring back the 5 metre rule. Make them fitter, but also force more creativity in attack with no easy metres and reduce the number of dummy half runs when teams are tired.

 

[lockyno1]

Should have been reduced to 4-5 but I'm happy with 8

 

[darcy]

"Interchange to be reduced to 8...to make the game faster".

Lovely.

That's sure to work...with all the big forwards walking for most of the match.

Bye bye big forwards, hello small forwards.
Should've kept Jimmy as a forward.

 

[MightyMoo]

And there goes the George Roses and Sam Kasianos of our game. They will be missed.

Rose is a fat mess, while Kasiano will still be damaging. Players will continue to become fitter.

 

[magpie4ever]

That's what I think.

everyone's like it'll open the game, bla bla, yeah until they reduce it to 6 and then everyone bitches it's touch football and there's not enough collisions etc.

shouldn't be reduced anymore than 8.

If the so-called footballers (athletics) learn to tackle it wont be touch footy.

Watch some of the body shape changes. Hopefully, down tp 6 in 2017.

 

[MightyMoo]

I don't think going to 8 will provide a noticeable difference. Needed to be 6.
This will mostly effect games where teams have to make unplanned changes.

Pretty much. Maybe 7 interchanges?

 

[Snappy]

Havent read the thread,

But it wont mean shit if we continue to have such large breaks for the video ref, especially when it's a clear no try and they're jst trying to work out the restart

 

[Tommy Smith]

I wonder what this does to the interchange hooking role.

We're in a great position with Mitch Aubusson who can cover centre, backrow and no.9. But it'll be interesting to see if the likes of Nikorima can still find a bench spot.

 

[rabbitohs95]

I wonder what this does to the interchange hooking role.

We're in a great position with Mitch Aubusson who can cover centre, backrow and no.9. But it'll be interesting to see if the likes of Nikorima can still find a bench spot.

As we are with McQueen who can cover the outside backs and back row.

Although the young up and coming hookers are going to need to learn to play 80 minutes so it affects us losing Issac Luke.

 

[some11]

But it wont mean shit if we continue to have such large breaks for the video ref, especially when it's a clear no try and they're just trying to work out the restart

Pretty sure coaching staff already have all the average stoppage time factored into their rotations.

 

[Mr Spock!]

Weren't people complaining that the game was too fast and too many tries were scored when we tried unlimited interchange.

 

[Misanthrope]

Between the banning of the shoulder charge and this move that will likely eliminate the big boppers from the game, we're only a few moves away from jersey grabbing AFL-esque 'melees' being the highlights of our game.

 

[Diesel]

What teams are the winners and losers from this?

 

[Perth Red]

I used to like it in the old days when you had 2 subs and getting pulled from the game was a massive insult!