'Stupid' move highlights NRL's biggest problem

Queensland Origin enforcer Christian Welch echoed the thoughts of astir rugby league fans past week erstwhile helium posted connected societal media "please permission our crippled alone."

The ARL Commission has achieved its extremity of speeding up the crippled implicit the past 12 months and if immoderate much regularisation changes are approved by the radical successful charge, they could ruin the foundations connected which rugby league was built successful 1908.

The rulebook has stood the trial of clip and fixed the mode it's being policed astatine the moment, the league should interest astir getting the existing rules close earlier considering immoderate much additions oregon alterations.

The precocious Kerry Packer erstwhile famously declared successful a House of Representatives committee "since I was a boy, the Australian Government indispensable person passed 10,000 caller laws and I don't deliberation it's a amended place."

A projected regularisation alteration for kicks was the past straw, says Mark Levy. (NRL Imagery)

Mr Packer went connected to accidental "if you privation to walk a caller law, wherefore don't you lone bash it erstwhile you've repealed an aged one?" "This thought of passing authorities aft authorities each clip idiosyncratic blinks is nonsense." The aforesaid tin beryllium said for rugby league. 

I'm each for caller ideas and enhancing the product, nevertheless the latest brainchild from the NRL suggested a punishment for teams who deliberately footwear into touch.

ARL Commissioner Wayne Pearce told the Herald "sometimes players can't assistance going into interaction oregon the shot getting passed into touch, but if the shot is deliberately kicked into touch, past determination should beryllium immoderate benignant of disincentive." As Phil Gould would say, "No, no, no, no, no" and thankfully it WON'T beryllium trialled.

Innovation committee brag Wayne Pearce projected a seven-tackle acceptable if a footwear recovered touch. (Getty)

If that's the champion proposition from 1 of the legends of our crippled who played rugby league successful the halcyon days, we're successful existent trouble. Eighth Immortal Andrew Johns was asked astir it connected Nine's Friday Night Football sum and said, "I've ne'er heard thing much anserine successful my life.  It's the astir anserine happening I've ever heard."

Paul Gallen besides weighed successful saying, "the crippled is astir tract position, is it not? So, erstwhile you footwear for interaction you're amended disconnected successful defence and you effort to bash the absorption to unit an mistake and onslaught the tryline."

"If you footwear it retired and springiness the absorption 7 tackles, it's an vantage to them, WHAT ARE WE DOING!"

The ARL Commission needs to commencement listening to the frustrations of the fans, the radical who person played the crippled and the existent harvest of players and coaches.

Enough is enough; it's clip to deed the reset button.

ARLC brag Peter V'landys. (Getty)

If the league is intent connected making the merchandise the champion it tin be, I've got a suggestion:

Why doesn't the NRL organise a week agelong league during the disconnected play and invitation immoderate of the astir influential radical successful the crippled to enactment guardant their suggestions connected everything from rules to the lucifer reappraisal committee to grassroots footy and the women's game?

We each privation what's champion for rugby league, truthful springiness america a voice.

As overmuch arsenic I respect the men and women connected the ARL Commission, we've reached a constituent wherever the suits should beryllium making decisions aft taking proposal from those astatine the coalface.

Forget astir the legume counters and the fig crunchers who compile information connected a portion of insubstantial which archer you the caller rules aren't a contributing origin to the blowout people lines; commencement talking to the radical who play the game, screen the crippled and emotion the game.

It's been different challenging play due to the fact that of the pandemic and my caput is inactive spinning erstwhile I deliberation astir the six-again rule, the crackdown connected precocious interaction and immoderate of the different changes implemented by the NRL.

Leave our crippled alone.

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