Wayne Bennett has defended the NRLโs radical shift to clean up the ruck as clubs and coaches raise questions about the controversial six-again rule amid a pattern of blowout scores and injuries blamed on fatigue.
This seasonโs increased deployment of set restarts has accelerated the speed of games and increased the number of points scored to an average of 50 per match.
The changes have been implemented as the code attempts to present the most attractive product it can to broadcasters in an effort to secure a record-breaking fee for the next five-year rights cycle.
They have been a point of contention, though, with some clubs left frustrated and Canberra coach Ricky Stuart voicing his concerns this week, saying โweโve lost the fabric of the gameโ.
Club chief executives have sought a meeting with NRL head of football Graham Annesley on the issue, but South Sydney coach Bennett maintains the game cannot return to an era of the ruck being disrupted.
โThere is no doubt itโs a game changer,โ he said before Southsโ game against Shane Flanaganโs St George Illawarra at Accor Stadium on Saturday.
โBut weโve got a game thatโs full of entertainment right now. There are some wonderful tries being scored, great ball movement. Do we go back where had grapples and all the other terms for different types of tackles that we were making to hold players down?
โI donโt want to go back to that. We suffered for over a decade with that, and I donโt want to go back there.โ
Some clubs have adapted better than others to this yearโs six-again interpretations and their use from an attacking teamโs 20-metre line rather than from their 40-metre line.
They include the Raiders, with Stuart, previously a supporter of tackle count resets replacing penalties for particular infringements, claiming the policy had gone too far.
Stuart, whose side beat the Rabbitohs 36-34 in Perth last weekend, said on Thursday: โMaking the game faster doesnโt necessarily make it more attractive because the score line is 50 to 30. I donโt believe that is more attractive.โ
Parramatta coach Jason Ryles earlier this season warned that greater fatigue among players would cause more injuries from hip-drop tackles such as the one that ended the season of Eels representative forward Jโmaine Hopgood in round three.
Bennett, whose team sits fifth on the ladder, said he would be happy if an alternative was found that didnโt necessitate set-restarts but believes โthe onus is back on the playersโ.
โThe players are always playing on the edge of the rules, and this is one they really canโt play on the edge with because it really hurts your team,โ he said.
โTheyโve got to become more conscious about being more compliant and making better efforts to give the referee what he wants. They want a cleaner, better play-the-ball situation than weโve had in the past, and I donโt want that to change, personally.โ
Clubs are also seeking clarity about when future amendments to rules and interpretations will be made, with some unhappy at how little notice was provided about this yearโs round of changes before they were put into action.
The NRL announced the updated version of the six-again rule on February 4, less than a month before the season began with a double-header in Las Vegas.
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Chris Barrett is a senior sports reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former South-East Asia correspondent for the Herald and The Age.Connect via X or email.
