The NRL’s revamp of trial games with gimmicky rules is at odds with what coaches seek to achieve in pre-season matches, further reflecting the discord between Rugby League Central and its clubs, their football departments and the playing group.
Bonus points are awarded for offloads, line breaks and tries scored. Yet, there is no incentive for defence which coaches traditionally emphasise in pre-season matches. Coaches want to see discipline, effort, self-sacrifice, not a hyped-up “Nines with four extra players” competition.
The NRL’s rule boffins would have hoped Thursday’s opening match between the Warriors and Wests Tigers would showcase the new gimmicks, given the New Zealand team’s historic love of offloads and Tim Sheens’ commitment to making his side a passing team.
However, the Warriors under new coach Andrew Webster, formerly the attacking coach at Penrith, played more like the premiers, with structure, discipline and minimising errors.
In their 48-12 victory, the Warriors recorded only one offload and achieved a 82 per cent completion rate. Sheens’ young team did try to play an expansive style but missed 54 tackles. Defence is usually the pre-season priority of incoming coaches.
The Warriors were awarded 14 points for their win, comprising 12 for the victory and another one bonus point each for scoring five or more tries (9) and five or more line breaks (8). However, these points are largely irrelevant to most coaches and only meaningful in finding a winner at the end of the two-week, 18-game format which includes English Super League club, St Helens. The winning team collects $100,000.
Alex Seyfarth of the Tigers charges forward during the NRL trial match between New Zealand Warriors and Wests Tigers at Mt Smart Stadium.Credit:Getty
To formalise this new pre-season format, the NRL pay all airfares and accommodation, whereas in the past clubs picked up the tab and chose the times and venues of matches. All matches are televised live by Foxtel, whereas the Charity Shield was the only club game previously telecast, with betting allowed. Now, from early February, all games are live with wagering, reflecting the lucrative link between live TV and gambling.
The rules encouraging expansive play are designed to make the game more appealing for the broadcasters and bookies, which highlights why the clubs are frustrated the ARL Commission didn’t do a better pay TV deal – the code’s biggest source of income – when it signed an exclusive seven-year deal with Foxtel in May 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NRL’s head of football, Graham Annesley, denies the new format is driven by TV.
“No, it’s to determine a winner over two weeks,” he says. “The bonus points system finds a way of separating teams. Someone will walk away with $100k.”
Luke Sommerton of the Panthers celebrates scoring a try in their trial against Parramatta.Credit:Getty
OK, then why all the emphasis on attack? Why not award a team a bonus point for not conceding a try? Or keeping missed tackles to under 20?
The NRL is rewarding players for what coaches fear. Offloads in the pre-season usually result in loss of possession; desperation for line breaks leads to pushed passes. Coaches want ball control, completed sets and defensive structure, as well as no injuries. They don’t want poor-quality football.
The only defensive lesson an inexperienced St George Illawarra learnt in their match against St Helens was that when the English champions moved the ball, the Dragons had no idea.
Konrad Hurrell of St Helens is tackled by Dragons players.Credit:Getty
The other area where the administration has interfered with what coaches seek to achieve in the pre-season is to cap squad sizes at 28 in the first week and 26 in the second week. This is clearly designed to force clubs to put their stars on the TV screen, rather than use 40 players and hope to find a future champion.
Annesley concedes the pre-season bonus contrivances won’t influence some coaches.
“Just because there are bonus points on offer doesn’t mean some teams will play any differently to what they are preparing for in the regular season,” he said. “How seriously the coaches go after the bonus points is a matter for them.”
Asked who came up with the bonus gimmicks, Annesley said: “It was a combination of a number of people.”
It certainly wasn’t the rules committee, chaired by ARL commissioner Wayne Pearce, which hasn’t met since last year.
Increasingly, NRL “initiatives” are fait accompli, with no opportunity for challenge. Not surprisingly, a recent newspaper poll revealed only 8 per cent of coaches believed the NRL consulted them enough.
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