South Sydney’s Bennett has long been a fan of changing the kick-off rule because it increases the chances of teams having an even split of possession and reduces the prospect of blowout scorelines. Warren Ryan, another respected figure in the game, has also been a supporter of the team that scores restarting play.
Bennett was bemused when told about the clubs’ concerns, and said on Monday: “You’ve got an option, so if it offends you, and you don’t like it, do what you’ve always done and kick off … It doesn’t change.
Ricky Stuart and Craig Bellamy leave NRL HQ last month after a meeting to discuss rule changes.Credit: Sam Mooy
“I’m a fan of the flexibility of it even more because now you’ve got the option to kick off, or you don’t want to kick off.
“This is a new rule of the game where you can determine whether you want the ball back. Who is to stop the team kicking off to you going short? Nobody.
“If you like the old rule, and you don’t like the new rule, stick with the old rule.
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“You’ve got the choice, you can just say, ‘We’ll kick off. We’ve kicked off the last 100 years, and my team is kicking off again today’.
“Stop whingeing about it. The key to the game is possession.
“If you listen to some of these guys [complaining], we’d still be playing with unlimited tackles, and players would still be wearing black boots with white laces.”
Teams that concede tries are likely to want to receive the ball, but depending on the score and the time remaining in the game, could still opt to kick long and play for field position.
The Broncos staged three successive large comebacks during the 2025 finals series, which would have been difficult if they had been forced to kick off after scoring, while the Panthers had all the momentum to steam home over Brisbane in the 2023 grand final, which also would have been difficult if they were forced to restart play after each try.
Allowing teams to carry six bench players will also help contests remain closer, especially if a playmaker is injured early in a game. Only four of the six players can be utilised, but if a halfback or five-eighth goes down injured early, fans can take heart; a readymade replacement could be on the bench.