Kick Offs

[LeonardCohen]

I see the NRL are considering amending the rules for kick offs again, suggesting a seven tackle set for kick offs that breach the 20m zone on the full. I wonder if they’ve considered the advantage a team receiving the kick off will gain when they are in field position to put in an attacking kick on the very first set of the match?! Even if the opposition field the kick, they’ll be camped on their own line from the get go. A game’s momentum could be decided in the first set of the match, based on this rule. It’s stupid.

 

[manly al]

So this could result then in shorter but higher kick off "s with the prospect of the kick off side getting a chance of retrieving the ball .
Or the runner of the side receiving the ball with a bounced kick off past the 20 meter zone not being able to wind up as much but still subject to a gang tackle type reception .
Pretty much the intention in the N f L for the kick off side to punt the ball as deep as possible for ground advantage .
Guess that there are always suggestions particularly in recent times to help player 's welfare in general and just another proposal to be considered to whatever level of seriousness

 

[madmax]

I guess BFB will take his run up from the goal line instead of the back fence dependant on whether the kick off is retrieved by the receiver? I’m sure coaches will find a way around the short kick offs!

 

[mave]

Just put tags on their shorts and be fkn done with it.

We are losing our game by death from a thousand cuts.

 

[double hoops]

Amalgation with Union going full circle, just got a massive step closer.

 

[double hoops]

Only needs to land in the 20. The long grubber will get trialled in the off season by all clubs for sure.. But hey the tall back rowers and out side backs just became even more valuable. Roosters will love this rule. If only Jason Saab learnt to jump and catch.

 

[Disco]

I understand wherever logical you need to reduce risk to the players.

However, there needs to be an understanding that risk is an inherent part of the game, we cant eliminate it conpletely and any quest to do so is a fools errand.

 

[rmd]

The ‘powers that be’ are trying to reduce head injuries through contact, and that’s all good, but, where does it stop?

What about a Burton bomb and the impact on the fullback and wingers from the chasing mass? Do we stop that as well?

 

[bob dylan]

Tell them to leave our game alone.

Wasnt the stat something like "2500 kickoffs for the season and 5 knockouts from the first tackle".

Once you start legislation for events that happen once in every 500 occasions its safe to say you have officially lost the plot.

 

[Ben]

Wouldn’t you still just kick long and concede a seven tackle set starting from the opposition 10 meter line?
Teams would much prefer that opposed to giving them the ball on the 40m line with a full set.
Not too sure if teams will care and just continue to kick long.

This would only work if you kicked short and the opposition receive a 3 tackle set.

 

[reconeagle]

Let's be real this is not about player safety completely but more about saving the bottom line as there will come a time when former Nrl players will come for some compensation because they have a brain injury. The fact that Keith who had that unfortunate experience and is no longer with us and had the early signs of this particular brain injury that is being diagnosed in alot of former players is alarming and if something is not done it will only get worse but is this the answer they are imploring prob not, but it will definitely help but it may change alot around how big bopper forwards are used over time and that could change potential loss of employment at a later date or lesser money paid because they are not used the same way anymore. More changes will keep coming and possible signing by players to contracts that state nrl is not liable or the nrl has a set fund for players after retirement that need medical treatment especially if diagnosed with these brain injurys after they have retired!

 

[Stuey Davis’s Socks]

NRL rule out changes in 2025​

Christian Nicolussi
The ARL Commission is unlikely to make any rule changes for the 2025 season and want to give referees the chance to “come up for air” after five years and 20 different amendments and innovations.

Reports on Tuesday suggested the NRL were considering introducing a seven-tackle set when a team received a kick-off inside their own 20m, in an attempt to reduce the number of concussions from players running the ball back from long kick-offs.
ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys said the rule had been mentioned briefly, but the game wanted to soldier ahead with no changes.

“Our preference is not to have any changes for next year, and after a year of record ratings and record crowds there’s no real need to make any changes – the game is better than ever,” V’landys said.
“We only made the one change last year, where there were tap restarts rather than penalties for short drop-outs. That rule actually made things more entertaining, with teams trying to get the ball back.
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“But we’ve made enough changes. We want referees to come up for air and focus on interpretations of the current rules.
“I’ve heard of the proposal about seven-tackle sets for long kick-offs, but it never progressed anywhere. I could see merit in it, but it would be yet another rule for the referees to learn.

Nelson Asofa-Solomona’s tackle on Lindsay Collins.CREDIT: NINE

“The game has already been completely proactive when it comes to head knocks and concussion. We review our systems every year, and we think we have struck the right balance as rugby league is a contact sport.”
Debate about banning the long kick-off to reduce concussions has bubbled away all season, with the Sydney Roosters losing Lindsay Collins with the opening hit-up of the preliminary final against the Melbourne Storm.

St George Illawarra lost Moses Suli when he knocked himself out trying to stop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves in the first play of the game on Anzac Day, which later prompted coach Shane Flanagan to admit: “Short kick-offs take out big collisions, but they bring in other issues, like people jumping and landing on their heads.”
The 20-40 rule and captains’ challenges were brought in for the start of the 2020 season, while the following season featured two-point field-goals and six-agains for 10m ruck infringements, which has arguably had the biggest impact on the modern game.
Meanwhile, the NRL is moving closer to finalising its 2025 draw, with club bosses informed they can expect a final draft by the end of next week.
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[mave]

Sanity prevails.

 

[jbb/james]

Surely short turn arounds and backing up after origin 2 days later has more impact on player welfare