Time to consolidate No more mass NRL rule changes but six-again tweak looms

Peter V’landys has given a strong hint the NRL won’t pursue another off-season of mass rule changes but has forecast a tweaking of the six-again rule to penalise teams who give away cynical set re-starts in their territory.

Australian Rugby League Commission chairman V’landys is due to receive a report this week from the NRL’s consultation sessions with the 16 clubs about a range of issues, including potential rule changes after a record season of blowout scores.

V’landys has been rugby league’s top dog for two years and during that time the NRL has seen the introduction of the six-again concept, the captain’s challenge, two-point field goals and extra bunker reviews, along with a reduction in scrums.

V’landys on Sunday forecast the NRL would not see any major rule changes this summer but the ARLC chairman said would area that will come under scrutiny is the six-again option, to address teams conceding set re-starts early in the tackle count when an opposition team is trying to carry the ball out of their end.

“A lot of the coaches have said when they’re stuck in their own half it’s not much of an advantage [to receive a six-again],” V’landys said. “It is one area that has been mentioned that we will certainly look at. It could be that it might not be a six-again when you’re in your own defensive end, and instead a penalty.

The NRL will resist another off-season of mass rule changes.Credit:Getty

“None of this has been approved, but it has been raised and it will all come under consideration when we see the final report. But from my understanding, the Commission would prefer to consolidate this year rather than make a lot of change.”

Premiers Penrith gave away the highest percentage of their six-agains in the opposition half en route to winning their first title in 18 years.

The issue has been a bugbear of fans who have watched players deliberately slow the ruck or stand offside knowing they won’t concede a territorial advantage with a full penalty.

Despite critics claiming the game was causing too much fatigue and leading to uncompetitive matches, V’landys said a fan poll on the NRL website earlier this year showed 65 per cent (of more than 22,000 respondents) said the speed of matches was “just right”.

In the same poll, 54 per cent of more than 23,000 voters said the six-again concept was a positive addition to the game.

It will mean the rule - introduced during the COVID-enforced shut down of the season last year - won’t be going anywhere, despite staunch opposition in some quarters about its effect on the game.

“We’re going to consolidate this year,” V’landys said. “You’ve got to listen to the fans, and I feel a lot of the fans overwhelmingly like the rule changes which is why we want to consolidate. We need it to bed down.

“People now find the captain’s challenge part of the game, and once they get bedded down and become par for the course they forget about it and recognise it’s just part of the game.

V’landys, fellow ARLC member Wayne Pearce, NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo and head of football Graham Annesley will discuss the findings of the review with clubs - including match review and judiciary recommendations - before taking them to a meeting of the NRL’s innovations committee.

The ARLC will sign off on any rule changes after its meeting in early December.

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