NRL 2023 coaches’ survey results: The rules rugby league’s best minds want scrapped
Rugby league’s sharpest minds have praised the Bulldogs’ roster rebuild, but are split on who should have final say on recruitment. See part two of the News Corp’s NRL coaches’ survey.
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The game’s sharpest minds have called on the NRL to replace golden point for golden try, mute the video bunker and scrap the seven-tackle set rule.
A News Corp poll of 24 NRL coaches and assistant coaches has delivered a telling insight into how the game is officiated, leading to the majority of coaches also wanting the freedom to critique the performance of referees.
The seven-tackle set rule, when the attacking team propels the ball over the opposition dead-ball line or when an error is conceded in the act of scoring a try, caused the most angst.
“Conceding seven tackles for an error in the act of scoring. F---ing archaic dog shit rule,’’ one coach said.
Other grievances from coaches included the number of interchanges and scrapping a new 10-metre rule where players must have both feet behind the tryline while defending and one coach who says “no interchanges – just four reserves”.
Another coach said: “No six again off charge downs.”
Two coaches said: “Change golden point to golden try.”
The contentious influence of the video bunker wasn’t missed either by the coaches.
“Remove the bunker – still too much human error,” one coach said.
The NRL has resisted making radical rule changes ahead of the 2023 season.
However, there have been some amendments to the way games will be policed in 2023.
The News Corp poll also delivered a telling insight into how the most senior figureheads opposed being gagged from having their say on contentious refereeing decisions.
The NRL has increasingly moved to protect match officials from public scrutiny – a justifiable decision amid the intense spotlight of the job and rise of social media vilification from fans.
However, coaches who ride every result like it’s their last game in charge have suggested a refereeing decision that significantly impacts a game deserves dissection.
NRL coaches’ survey: Back as top Dogs
Phil Gould’s roster revolution at Canterbury has won the backing of the game’s leading coaches after the club’s two marquee recruits – Viliame Kikau and Reed Mahoney – were hailed as the best off-season additions in the NRL.
There was, however, a caveat.
While Gould masterminded the signing of both players, the coaches cast doubt on the Bulldogs’ model of an omnipotent head of football wielding significant power over the recruitment of players.
When it came to the final say on recruitment, the vast majority of mentors, not surprisingly, insisted the head coach should be the final port of call. Just over 20 per cent of coaches endorsed the model using a committee while only one coach backed the head of football wielding all the power.
Canterbury is expected to be one of the big improvers this season after the signings of Mahoney and Kikau, the pair joining the club on big-money deals and heightening optimism that the Bulldogs are on the improve under Gould and coach Cameron Ciraldo.
Canterbury clearly fans aren’t the only ones impressed with Gould’s manoeuvring.
The Daily Telegraph’s exclusive survey of more than 20 head and assistant coaches across the NRL gave the thumbs up to the Bulldogs’ pursuit of Kikau and Mahoney, with the pair attracting more than half the votes when it came to best off-season buys.
Fijian star Kikau pulled in the most votes just ahead of former Parramatta rake Mahoney. Sydney Roosters signing Brandon Smith was third in line ahead of a pair of Wests Tigers pick-ups – Isaiah Papali’i and Api Koroisau.
NRL COACHES’ SURVEY PART I: PRIDE ROUND SPLITS MENTORS
The Dogs are far from finished in their roster rebuild. The signing of Kikau and Mahoney, as well as the likes of Ryan Sutton and Hayze Perham, for this year has been augmented by the addition of boom teenager Karl Oloapu in recent weeks and Penrith star Stephen Crichton for 2024.
The club recently distanced itself from Parramatta star halfback Mitchell Moses but continued to be linked with some of the biggest names in the game.
Gould remains one of the most polarising figures in the game, wheeling and dealing with the best of them for more than 30 years.
At age 65, he shows few signs of slowing down given the way he has cut a swathe through the NRL player market since joining the Bulldogs.
Mahoney, Kikau and Crichton are just the start.
“Seeing Reed back at the Bulldogs after playing in our junior reps system is great to see,” Bulldogs chief executive Aaron Warburton said.
“Reed returned back from his off-season break a week early which shows his commitment and drive to succeed at the club. He’s a natural leader.”
Kikau, meanwhile, threatens to give the Bulldogs a weapon of mass destruction on the edge.
“Billy’s presence at training is outstanding,” Warburton said.
“Everything he does is at a supreme level – he’s really lifted the bar. It’s no secret that he has a strong long-standing relationship with Cam and Matt Burton.
“We’re all looking forward to seeing him run out in the blue and white in round 1.”
NRL coaches’ survey: Cleary the anointed one
Kangaroos halfback Nathan Cleary has been anointed the king of NRL players by the game’s coaches, who snubbed the reigning Dally M Medal winner.
Cleary was the resounding winner of the “Who is the best player outside your club?” question in The Daily Telegraph’s coaches’ survey.
Of the 24 NRL head and assistant coaches to participate in the survey, 57 per cent voted for Penrith’s back-to-back premiership hero Cleary.
The next best supported player in the voting was Cleary’s Kangaroos halves partner and Origin rival Cameron Munster, who garnered 17 per cent of the vote following an outstanding 2022 campaign.
After those two was NSW Origin skipper James Tedesco (13 per cent), 2021 Dally M Medallist Tom Trbojevic (9 per cent) and Penrith’s slick fullback Dylan Edwards (4 per cent).
Interestingly, no coach voted for last year’s Dally M Medal champion Nicho Hynes.
After leaving Melbourne, Hynes produced a stellar season with Cronulla to comfortably claim the NRL’s top individual award, however, the coaches did not rate him among the top five players in the game.
The NRL’s highest-paid player on $1.3m, Cleary is justifying his price tag by being rated the game’s best.
He is now the NSW Origin and Australia No.7 and has helped Penrith clinch the past two NRL premierships.
Trbojevic was easily the NRL’s top player in 2021 after scoring 28 tries in 18 games to help Manly to a top four finish.
However injury limited him to only seven matches last year and he had little impact for the Sea Eagles.
Trbojevic spent two weeks in the United States last month to work on his injury rehabilitation in the hope of rediscovering his 2021 form with Manly this year.
NRL coaches’ survey: Bellamy remains king of kings
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy will make a call on his future in coming weeks and if he needed any extra incentive to carry on, he has received it from his peers after they declared the three-time premiership winner the best in the business.
Bellamy is due to inform Melbourne owner and chair Matt Tripp in March whether he will continue as head coach of the Storm next year after more than two decades at the helm of the club.
At the age of 63, with three premierships under his belt, his decision will have a seismic impact on the Storm. There are no bigger shoes to fill in the game, according to those who took part in News Corp’s exclusive poll of head and assistant coaches.
Nearly 70 per cent of the coaches voted for Bellamy as the pre-eminent coach in the NRL. Remarkably, Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon finished in second place even though his head coaching career is still in its infancy.
There was also support for seven-time premiership winner Wayne Bennett, North Queensland’s Todd Payten and Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson. Yet no-one can hold a candle to Bellamy, whose future could have a ripple effect across the NRL.
“I concur with all the coaches in the game,” Tripp said.
“I think he has never coached better. Everyone at the club would agree with the coaches’ verdict that Craig is … not only the best coach in the game at the moment, but one of the greatest coaches of all-time.”
Tripp still holds out hope that Bellamy will extend his time at the helm of the club. If not, the likes of Storm assistant Marc Brentnall and Roosters assistant Jason Ryles are expected to be at the front of the queue to replace him.
Queensland State of Origin coach Billy Slater would also be in the mix, although he would likely need plenty of convincing to become an NRL coach.
“I haven’t had a conversation with him about since before Christmas,” Tripp said. “Nothing has been raised. I would hope that he looks upon their (the coaches) view of him favourably.”
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