NRL 2022: Judiciary system set for overhaul, forward pass technology edging closer after secret trials
The NRL’s judiciary system is for a major shake up — and it could be implemented before the new season kicks off next month.
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The NRL’s controversial judiciary system is set for a major shake-up after Peter V’landys declared the game must fix one of its most polarising issues.
A group of influential figures are in the final stages of completing a review into the current judiciary system, with an overhaul possible before the 2022 NRL premiership kicks off next month.
The match review committee and judiciary regularly comes under fire for its decisions, with consistency and penalties often dividing NRL fans, players, coaches and commentators.
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There were a host of contentious issues last year including Penrith’s star halfback Nathan Cleary escaping suspension for a shoulder charge, Roosters firebrand Victor Radley regularly falling foul for debatable offences and Phil Gould labelling the system “ridiculous” after Roosters hooker Sam Verrills was suspended during the finals.
ARL Commission members Wayne Pearce, Tony McGrath and Gary Weiss have been working with NRL management throughout the off-season to come up with a better system.
Chairman V’landys said it was time the NRL overhauled the judiciary.
“Any good corporation or organisation always reviews its procedures and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” he said. “We’ve got input from a lot of people. We want to make sure we’ve got the best practice model available.
“Looking at it, we probably don’t. Everything can be improved and we just want best practice. We want to make it fair to all parties. We want to make it as fair as possible to players, clubs and everyone else. We are looking at other codes and sports and how they do it to ensure we’ve got the best system in place.”
The entire charge system, penalties and judiciary process has come under the microscope and changes are expected to be made, possibly before the premiership kicks off. The NRL is looking at the charge system following a dramatic increase in grade one offences in recent years and the loading they contribute to future suspensions.
V’landys also wants to ensure the judiciary system is as independent as possible and remove any potential perceived conflicts of interest that could arise with ex-players adjudicating on cases.
“I’d like to see it as independent as possible,” he said. “When a player is given a penalty it should be done independently. Andrew Abdo (NRL CEO) is in favour of that as well. It takes up a lot of his time that could be better spent in commercial areas.
“The appeals process should be looked at – a player should have more opportunity to appeal. We may look at the NRL just acting as prosecutors as opposed to the decision makers on penalties.
“There can be perceptions around the judiciary that may not be correct so we want to make it as independent as possible. All we’re trying to do is get best practice. We want to rid the system of perceptions of conflict. It’s going to be as independent as possible.”
The ARLC is set to meet in the coming days and V’landys said changes were in the pipeline.
“There is a subcommittee of the board that are overseeing it and it will come back to the commission after that,” he said.
FORWARD PASS TECHNOLOGY EDGING CLOSER
By Brent Read
The NRL secretly trialled forward pass technology at the end of last season and will take another step towards its introduction by conducting blind trials in coming weeks in the pre-season and women’s premiership.
News Corp can reveal the NRL carried out a series of clandestine trials with ball-tracking technology over the closing weeks of the 2021 premiership, the results kept a closely-guarded secret.
It is understood they plan to use another form of technology during the pre-season and the upcoming women’s premiership as they inch towards a final decision on whether to introduce more technology to the game.
The goal is to find the right process and then take a recommendation to the ARL Commission for their approval, potentially within the coming months with a view to its introduction as early as this year.
The alternative option, provided the right technology can be found, would be to finish this season and leave the commission to make a call over the off-season about whether to head down that path.
NRL head of football Graham Annesley has been charged with overseeing the process, having opened talks with two companies who believe they have the solution to one of the game’s most vexing problems.
“We have been quietly working on different types of technology with a couple of companies for the past 12 months or so,” Annesley said. “It’s not an easy solution due to the physics of the forward pass rule and the location of cameras at venues.
“We’ve been exploring two very different possible solutions and we trialled one of them behind the scenes in a number of games late last year.
“The alternate proposal will also be blind-tested in several pre-season matches over the next month. This will allow us to properly assess the capability and accuracy of both technologies against each other.
“After the trials we will discuss the results with the Commission and seek further direction on next steps. While I’m not sure of the outcome at this stage, the potential to finally crack one of the great frustrations of our game is very exciting.”
One of the companies involved in talks with the NRL — Sportable — went public early last year. Wests Tigers head of football Tim Sheens reached out to Annesley with a contact for the company, which boasted technology developed by a nuclear engineer who had previously worked with NASA.
Their technology involved placing microchips in rugby league balls to track the ball and measure its speed, which in turn would allow officials to detect whether the ball had been thrown flat or backwards.
The other process being used by the NRL is believed to use technology similar to the Hawk-Eye, which is used in cricket and tennis respectively.
ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys is believed to be a fan of the concept provided the right technology can be found.
The ultimate decision will rest with the commission as they decide whether to foot the bill for technology which could solve one of the game’s glaring problems.
NRL ACTS TO CLOSE HIA LOOPHOLE
By Michael Carayannis, Paul Crawley
An interchange loophole allowing clubs to use up to a half a dozen more replacements has been closed by the NRL.
A free interchange will only be granted for serious acts of foul play – when an opposing player is sin-binned or sent off. Last season clubs were able to receive a replacement when a player was placed on report.
Clubs would use that as an opportunity to get a fresh player on the field – essentially given them a huge boost to their rotation.
The change is one of three policy changes introduced ahead of this season.
The other two include;
– Teams announcing 22 players instead of 21 players each Tuesday afternoon. This has been added to complement the introduction of the 18th man last season.
– Trainers are now only able to stop matches for a head injury. Only the referee, touch judges or the bunker will be able to halt matches because of an injury. Medical trainers retain unlimited access to the field to treat an injured player.
Vossy and Katie discuss the Storm's manipulation of Cam Munster's HIA to gain a tactical advantage.
— 1170 SEN Sydney (@1170sen) April 19, 2021
Via @VossySEN #NRLpic.twitter.com/A1qKlHtFVq
The NRL also confirmed just one rule change in a bid to stop teams from intentionally rorting the six-again rule. Penalties will again be introduced instead of a six again restart) for ruck or 10m infringements inside the 40 metre zone of the team in possession.
This will help teams receive better field possession when they are awarded a penalty.
The six-again call has divided fans and experts since it was introduced after the 2020 shutdown.
It remains in play for any ruck or off-side infringements outside the 40 metre line.
NRL REACTS TO GROWING CONCERN OVER RULE CHANGES
The NRL has conceded there could be further rule “interpretation” clarifications in the countdown to the upcoming season.
But coaches, players and fans have been assured these will not impact on how the game is played, and do not officially classify as “rule changes”.
That is the verdict from NRL head of football Graham Annesley amid a growing concern among some coaches that the governing body is preparing to throw a late curve ball with the new season looming.
Talk emerged over the weekend that several coaches were “demanding answers” relating to new rulings that they heard were being proposed behind the scenes.
One is expected to focus on the controversial downtown penalty that “dumbfounded” veteran coach Wayne Bennett last year in a controversial loss to Penrith late in the season.
In that instance, Mark Nicholls was pinged when he advanced beyond the play the ball before a kick.
Nicholls was then penalised when he scooped up the ball following a knock on from Stephen Crichton, allowing Nathan Cleary to snap a crucial goal.
Even though Nicholls was more than 10 metres away when Penrith received the ball, under the existing rule he should have stayed away from the play entirely, although it is a rule that is rarely enforced.
Bennett said at the time Nicholls “has done it all his career … I don’t know where that came from. No one has any idea on it in that change room. They are all guilty of it.”
However that is why the NRL now wants to make it clear for all — so coaches, players and officials go into this season on the same page.
Annesley was adamant the only official rule change would relate to the one already proposed by ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys.
“The Chairman has previously indicated the only intended change to the laws of the game relates to the awarding of a penalty rather than six-again when teams are inside their own 40 metre zone,” Annesley said.
“In the coming days there will also be further clarity provided regarding a number of refereeing interpretations and operational issues that were identified during our comprehensive review with all stakeholders.”
There were a number of other contentious interpretations to come out of last season including the issue relating to how much protection a team can give a kicker.
That also came to a head when Bennett and Ivan Cleary were involved in a war of words leading into their finals clash over protection being given to Nathan Cleary.
Annesley was adamant coaches have not been kept in the dark with the proposed clarifications expected to go before the Commission this week for approval.
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