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August 25, 2026 \u2014 7:30pm<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n Players rather than coaches will dictate how the NRL\u2019s experiment with a change to the kick-off rule is conducted when Brisbane and Melbourne road-test it for the first time on Thursday night.<\/p>\n Rugby league could be getting a glimpse into its future when the match between last year\u2019s grand finalists is played under a new rule <\/a>giving the team that concedes points the option to either kick off or receive the football from the resumption.<\/p>\n The rule tweak will be trialled in matches with no bearing on the finals over the remainder of the season, beginning with Thursday night\u2019s Storm-Broncos clash at Suncorp Stadium.<\/p>\n The change could result in fewer blowouts, given the scoring team won\u2019t necessarily retain possession after the re-start. Much will come down to the tactics employed, although it\u2019s expected the decisions will be made on the field rather than in the coach\u2019s box.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will very much leave it to [captain] Harry [Grant] to make the call,\u201d said Melbourne\u2019s director of football, Frank Ponissi.<\/p>\n \u201cThe proposed way it\u2019s going to be handled by the NRL \u2013 and we agree with this \u2013 the referee will immediately ask the captain what he would like to do. He won\u2019t have any time to get any decision from the coaches via the trainer or any other way, it will be very similar to the captain\u2019s challenge.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will trust our captain, our players and leaders on the field to come up with the right decision at the time \u2026<\/p>\n \u201c[Not having coaching input] is a good thing, and we support that. It gets rid of delays in the game, otherwise you\u2019re waiting for the trainer to run on and get a message. The last thing we want as a game is stoppages like that \u2026 Ultimately, it\u2019s fantastic we\u2019re letting the players decide what they are doing.\u201d<\/p>\n Troy Thomson, Brisbane\u2019s manager of football operations, said the rule tweak would provide a lever that could allow momentum to be shifted.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll brief the players and the captain in particular, working through different scenarios,\u201d Thompson said. \u201cIf you get scored on, you probably want to get the footy back, particularly if you are chasing points as well. It will depend on the circumstances. If it\u2019s the back end of the game, your tactics and strategy will be very different at the start of the game. It will be quite situational.<\/p>\n \u201cIt adds another level of strategy for the players.\u201d<\/p>\n A point of interest will be whether a team chasing points opts to receive the ball or instead attempts to regather it from a short kick-off. It could also pose a dilemma for teams in front as the clock winds down.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re protecting a lead with not long to go, sometimes territory is better than possession,\u201d Ponissi explained. \u201cYou may as well kick it down [the field], especially with how teams are doing short kick-offs so well. You\u2019d run the threat of losing the ball and giving very good attacking position to the opposition.\u201d<\/p>\n The NRL will have a relatively small sample size before deciding to implement the change permanently from next season. The only other confirmed trial in a \u201cdead rubber\u201d is the final-round clash between the Eels and Dragons.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to want the ball back in my hands if we\u2019ve been scored against to stop the momentum,\u201d said Dragons captain Damien Cook.<\/p>\n \u201cA team like Penrith that are very good at their yardage D [defence], they might see a chance to kick off again, lock them back in there and get good field position straight away \u2026<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re a team in front and dominating the game, you may want to kick off again. If you\u2019ve got the momentum against you, you probably want the ball back in your hands.\u201d<\/p>\n Related Article The merits of the change have divided the game. While seven-time premiership-winning coach Wayne Bennett has been a vocal proponent, others believe it is unnecessarily tampering with the fabric of the game.<\/p>\n Speaking on Nine\u2019s 100% Footy, Phil Gould and Paul Gallen said they wanted the status quo to remain.<\/p>\n \u201cHonestly, this is ridiculous,\u201d Gallen said. \u201cWe don\u2019t need all these rule changes. The game\u2019s been so good for such a long time, I don\u2019t get this one.\u201d<\/p>\n Gould said that when made in the Super League, the change had only made blowouts worse.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you win the toss in a big game, what\u2019s the first thing you say? We\u2019ll kick off. Why? Because it\u2019s easier to get down the other end,\u201d Gould said. \u201cNow you\u2019re going to make it harder for the other team to get down the end.\u201d<\/p>\n News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/dd9bb96330d6f89755694194c745ee7992110a79.jpeg\")
A proposed change to the kick-off rule will be trialled on Thursday night.Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Dragons](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/e2ac6c3a19b94f782602639109522c6be9519026.jpeg\")
Dragons captain Damien Cook will play under the new rule in the final-round clash against Parramatta.NRL Photos<\/p>\n![\"Clinton](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/cdc8f5a5251f7a0c7aaccbcc70c67c1cbeca6913.jpeg\")
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