Return to the glory days, urge the greats
FORMER NRL hard men and coaches have joined the campaign to slash the number of interchanges from eight to six to revive the lost gladiatorial battles of rugby league.
The debate will be reignited when the NRL’s competition committee, which includes legends Mal Meninga and Darren Lockyer, meets tomorrow for a two-day workshop.
There have been calls to reintroduce the fatigue factor into the NRL through reducing the interchange, which would help unravel rigid defensive lines and speed up play.
“The game could become more of an attacking focus. It will introduce fatigue and less collision injuries,” Dragons coach Paul McGregor said.
“Interchange planning would become more strategic which would bring more coaching into play.”
Newcastle coach Nathan Brown said it would also bring more balance to the game.
“Dropping interchange to six would certainly help give the smaller creative player more opportunities,” he said. “The game’s rules have, for too long, given the big man an advantage over the smaller player.”
Former Test players Mark Carroll and Steve Roach want a return to the old days of forwards playing long, harder minutes.
“I want to see the gladiatorial element come back into our game – when players’ backsides were dragging on the ground but they had to keep going,” Carroll said.
“I want to see the next Ray Price and Brad Clyde, 80minute players.
“I’d like to see it pulled back to six interchanges. It would also bring the little bloke back into the game, taking on the line to find the tired big bloke.”