NRL players and commentators have overwhelmingly opposed the new kick-off rule that was trialled in the Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm game on Thursday night. The new rule allows the team that just conceded points to decide whether they want to kick off or receive the ball from the restart.
The NRL wanted to bring in the new rule at the start of the season to try and stamp out blow-out scorelines as it would seemingly allow the losing team to stop their opponents’ momentum. The players’ association unanimously voted against the change and it wasn’t brought in officially.
Matty Johns and Harry Grant are both strongly against the kick-off change. Image: Fox Sports
But the NRL trialled it on Thursday night because the Broncos and Storm were both already eliminated from finals contention. In bizarre scenes, neither team opted to implement the rule change until the second half.
There were nine tries scored during the match, but only after three of them did the conceding team opt to receive. Commentators suggested the two teams had quietly decided to ‘boycott’ the rule in the first half and were doing a ‘silent protest’ against the change.
Speaking after the game, the majority of players who were asked about it only expressed negativity. Storm captain Harry Grant said in the post-match press conference: “I’ve loved the game for so many years since I was four years old. I think it’s part of the fabric of the game and we don’t need to change it.
“We’re bringing in a rule to counteract the rules we’ve brought in (around set restarts). Maybe we can have a deep hard look at going back on a few rules if that’s where we sit with it. I think they are a lot of people in the game strong on it and maybe it’s time to stay with what it is.”
Ben Hunt kicked off after the Storm opted to receive following a Broncos try. Image: Channel 9
Grant pointed out a huge flaw in the proposed change that the captain has to decide whether to kick off or receive BEFORE the conversion is taken. It means late in the game they have to make the decision without knowing what the score might be after the conversion.
“If it’s a draw and a team choose to kick-off or receive and then they go and kick the two points, your decision might be void,” he said. “There’s no real reward for it and I’m pretty strong on that.”
Majority of NRL world opposed kick-off change
Speaking on his post-game show on Fox Sports, Matty Johns said the team that concedes a try “doesn’t deserve” the option to choose. “I find it unnecessary,” he said. “If you get scored upon you shouldn’t be allowed the luxury of being able to choose what happens next. I think you have to defend your way to get the ball back.”
Broncos veteran Ben Hunt and Storm counterpart Cameron Munster also opposed the change in post-game interviews. But Broncos legend Darren Lockyer was one of the few in the camp who likes it.
“I think it’s worth experimenting with,” Lockyer said. “I think there’s an entertainment factor to it and a strategy factor to it, a bit like the captain’s challenge which everyone hated when it first came in.”
