Reduced interchange?

[roopy]

I have heard both Phil Gould and Warren Ryan talk in favour of reducing the number of interchanges in a game down to possibly 8.

The possible benefits - 110kg props who play for 40 minutes a game would not be as common so less damaging tackles from them.

Players would have to reduce their workloads on the field so less 3 and 4 man tackles which will lead to less injuries and more breaks and offloads.

More tired players on the field towards the end of the game should lead to more scoring opportunities.

Downside

Teams that get early injuries will struggle badly.


Anyway - I see it making the players a bit smaller, a bit fitter, a bit less likely to be injured - and it should make scoring a bit easier.

 

[BuffaloRules]

I think its worth considering this idea..

The game will slow down a bit though...

 

[Inferno]

Works fine for me. The Sharks backrow normally play the full 80 anyway, so we normally only use 8 or less anyway.

 

[fourplay]

The NRL needs to act on Phil Gould's idea FAST for next season. Its brilliant.

The only reason its not been implemented yet is probably because the NRL is lazy and can't be bothered replacing the old one.

 

[Lockyer4President!]

If it helps cut down on injuries then I'm all for it.

 

[Dani]

Player burnout will become a bigger problem though.

 

[strewth_mate]

Provided it doesn't result in more endless dummy half running from the three-quarters, then fine by me.

 

[RainMan]

It has to be looked at seriously. It will bring the 'footballers' back into the game and maybe reduce the number of 'athletes'.

 

[stevie013]

great idea IMO, less impact players, more actual "footballers" so to speak

 

[j5o6hn]

Why not as well just make it law that no more than 2 in a tackle and only below the shoulders, any head contact mean a penalty.

 

[simon says]

It has to be looked at seriously. It will bring the 'footballers' back into the game and maybe reduce the number of 'athletes'.

I couldnt agree more......I reckon 6 interchanges would make the game more tactical than just rotating ur forwards endlessly.

And there would definitely be more space for some football.

I miss the softening up period leading into a more open style game......

And I guarantee there would be less injuries as there wouldnt be 110kg blokes coming on fresh all the time,and I wonder if the players would have enough energy for all the garbage in the ruck.

IMO.....there are way too many replacements.....needs a good tweaking.

 

[Drew-Sta]

Fantastic idea and should be implemented.

8 is a great start, but 6 interchanges would be better. I want to see footballers, not athletes. If I wanted to see athletes I'd go down the park and watch Touch Footy.

 

[dragonfire]

Why not as well just make it law that no more than 2 in a tackle and only below the shoulders, any head contact mean a penalty.

well because this would help some teams, guys like Mason and SBW would run at the halves all day long where the defending team needs a third player in to stop the attacker. The only time i ever see problems with gang tackles is when the attacker gets tackled and the pick him up and chair him back 5-10m. The refs need to start coming in to penalise this so we dont have another player getting hurt like O'Donnell.

 

[dannyboy]

Player burnout will become a bigger problem though.

Poor widdle boys. Having to play 65 minutes of footbal instead of 40 ONCE a week.

The likes of Langlands, Coote, McCarthy etc must shake their head in disbelief. Not having to work an honest job; having phsios to rub their little bruises and nutritionists telling them what to eat; training part of the day and then extensive free time; sh*t loads of money; one game a week (normally); part-time game time with another player to help out when the poor little darlings get a stitch. Sheesh! What a bunch of sooks.

 

[petetheileet]

id be up for an 8 man interchange, where you start the game, you finish there, unless of course with injuries

 

[sharko]

It would certainly reduce the impact that the big Polynesian players have on the modern game..most of them are not fit for 80 minutes of football, they are imoact players that are knackererd after 10 minutes and once they get tired their desire goes down the tiolet and they become a liability.
The game could see more skilled ball players in the fray as opposed to big lumps who bash and barge and do little else!

 

[The Engineers Room]

Another disadvantage is that the hookers will run rampant as the forwards will be more tired.

I think the only way it can work is if the dummy half run is limited. I have suggested a number of times that if the play the ball is outside your own 20m and the dummy half runner is caught with the ball, then it is a changeover.

This would not remove this play but make it more difficult to continually make the opposition forwards backpedal.

 

[petetheileet]

lol that is one of the worst ideas i have ever heard...the modern game has dramatically been influenced by creativity from dummy half, take that away and we will be in for some boring rugby league...

Also there would be next to no use for markers

and next to no reason for there to be a quick play the ball

 

[Jono078]

TBH, I'd even be happy to drop it to 10.

Might not sound like much but it still could change tactics coaches use a fair bit.

 

[Drew-Sta]

Another disadvantage is that the hookers will run rampant as the forwards will be more tired.

I think the only way it can work is if the dummy half run is limited. I have suggested a number of times that if the play the ball is outside your own 20m and the dummy half runner is caught with the ball, then it is a changeover.

This would not remove this play but make it more difficult to continually make the opposition forwards backpedal.

The extensive dummy half play being seen is a result of the 'touch football' like speed with which Rugby League is being played with today. Implementation of that rule would see RL turn into a contact variation of touch football.

If players are being interchanged less, the play the ball slows down naturally and the game changes. Dummy halves won't scoot unless one of the markers is not straight.

In any case, if interchanges are limited to 8 or even 6, players like Cameron Smith and Danny Buderus would be run at on a more constant basis in an attempt to prevent them running from dummy half, and as such their energy levels would be less.