How NRL rule changes have made big games like State of Origin
It’s official! The NRL is as good, if not better in some cases, than the State of Origin series. Exclusive data shows fans are enjoying a golden period of action - and it’s all thanks to two brave new rulings.
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Rugby league’s marquee matches are now being played with the same intensity and speed as State of Origin blockbusters as the code enjoys its exciting new life under ARLC chairman Peter V’landys.
According to exclusive data, the 2020 NRL season is currently on a run of three straight weeks where a marquee match has either equalled or surpassed the ferocity of last year’s Origin series.
NRL Head of Football Graham Annesley said the stunning results are a direct result of the competition’s new ‘Six Again’ rule and switch to one referee – both of which were implemented by V’landys, amid much controversy, in May.
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Apart from bettering Origin in areas like metres, offloads and overall play the balls, the NRL data also revealed individual players are travelling around the same kilometres, and maintaining the same speeds, as were achieved for both NSW or Queensland last year.
“It’s hard to get better quality football than Origin,” Annesley said.
“That’s the benchmark.
“Yet what we’re seeing now, especially among the top eight teams, is that regular competition games are reaching that same benchmark.
“Everyone talks about the speed of Origin, the intensity of Origin, and now (our data) shows it’s also what we are seeing in these marquee games at the top of the table.”
Annesley suggested the new ‘Six Again’ rule had been “the overriding factor” in the shock results.
“Because the ‘Six Again’ rule has significantly reduced the number of penalties in a game,” he said.
“So that means less stoppages, and therefore the ball is in play more often.
“That’s increased the intensity and speed of the game.
“The intent of the changes was to make the game more open, entertaining and free flowing with fewer stoppages.
“And it’s had the desired effect.
“I think it’s the only thing you can put the results down to.”
Over three consecutive weeks the NRL has seen key marquee matches either get close to, or better, the 2019 Origin series in areas like ball in play, metres made, offloads, even kilometres covered by individual players.
The games were Roosters versus Parramatta in Round 6, Parramatta versus Canberra in Round 7 and the slobberknocker that was Roosters versus Melbourne last Thursday night.
Crucially, two of the three games have also bettered last year’s Origin series in the category of ‘Active Seconds’.
“While the general public may not have heard a lot about this one, it’s the length of action between stoppages,” said Annesley.
“Or the amount of football fans are seeing between stoppages.
“And for the two games involving the Roosters, you can see it’s significantly above Origin standard.”
According to the data, the Active Seconds for the 2019 Origin series was 65.7 seconds. Yet when the Roosters played Parramatta, it went up to 72 seconds.
Against Melbourne it was also higher at 70 seconds.
While two of the three NRL games listed went into golden point, Annesley said his number crunchers deliberately removed the extra time figures from game event data to ensure “we’re comparing apples with apples”.
In the Roosters win over Parramatta at Bankwest Stadium in Round 6, the players carried the ball an extra 529m compared with Origin, made 16 more offloads and had 15 additional play the balls.
Individually, the average distance travelled by players was also raised from 5.8km to 6.3km, while the speed increased across the park from 87km/min to 89km/min.
Annesley added the NRL referees also deserved credit for the startling new figures, given their strong handling of both the new ruck rules and shift to one on-field official.
“There is no doubt the referees deserve a lot of the credit,” he said.
“It’s all very well for the administrators to make rule changes but they still have to be implemented and interpreted on the field.
“Going back to one referee was a big risk. Nobody knew how that would go.
“But it has given single referees the confidence to use their own judgement.
“We all know they have to use discretion and judgement in applying the rules because ours is not a technical game, we don’t play a game where we pull up every minor breach.
“The referees have to find an acceptable standard of compliance and then deliver that consistently. And I think they’ve committed themselves to that 100 per cent this year and come up with the right balance.”
Originally published as How NRL rule changes have made big games like State of Origin