NRL’s media blitz to ensure captain’s challenge is dealt with correctly
Ahead of Saturday’s All Stars clash, the NRL has taken steps to educate players, fans and the media in a bid to explain how new laws are to be implemented.
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The NRL has taken unprecedented steps to successfully implement the contentious captain’s challenge by carefully explaining the new rule to media broadcasters, print journalists, footy fans along with coaches and captains from the All Stars game.
In an unprecedented education blitz, the NRL also issued an official media statement on Thursday afternoon detailing how the captain’s challenge would work.
NRL officials are desperate to start 2020 without controversy after the disastrous “six again” dramas which marred last year’s grand final.
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Anxious to avoid an unwanted early season drama, the NRL has reached out to the public, players, coaches and media to ensure everyone has a firm grasp of the rule proposal.
The ARL Commission has proposed the captain’s challenge will be trialled in the All Stars game Saturday night on the Gold Coast and then again in the annual pre-season Charity Shield game between Souths and Saints in Mudgee a week later.
NRL head of football elite competitions, Graham Annesley, held a meeting on Wednesday with Fox Sports commentators assigned to call the All Stars game to answer any queries about the captain’s challenge.
Annesley even drove to Fox Sports’ Artarmon studios to ensure all commentators were present and well briefed.
The Daily Telegraph has been told Annesley will meet with other All Stars broadcasters Channel 9 and ABC Radio on Saturday to further explain the captain’s challenge
The NRL also released a media statement and short video on Thursday afternoon pointing out how the rule would be introduced. That video, say the NRL, will give fans an insight and understanding.
Print journalists covering the All Stars game will also be briefed pre-match.
It comes after Annesley and NRL referees boss Bernard Sutton flew to the Gold Coast on Tuesday to meet indigenous coach Laurie Daley and captain Joel Thompson along with Maori All Stars coach David Kidwell and skipper Dallin Watene-Zelezniak to discuss the rule.
The captain's challenge system will be introduced in the upcoming #NRLAllStars games.
— NRL (@NRL) February 20, 2020
Here's how it will work 👀
👉 https://t.co/0rRJM2xm6b pic.twitter.com/BHQzc6wihu
“We met to primarily brief them on the captain’s challenge,” Annesley said. “It is a new system and we need people to understand it as much as possible.
“It is purely an educational and awareness process to ensure people are as informed as they can be about what to expect. If we are going to introduce it to the competition proper then we need people to understand it.
“Given the captain’s challenge is a new innovation that isn’t just a variation of an old rule, it’s a completely new rule, we want to make sure people understand how it will work.
“Nine, Fox and ABC – who are calling the game – we will have met with them and we will also put something out generally so everyone is aware of it.”
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The success – or failure – of the captain’s challenge will be discussed at an ARL Commission meeting next Friday.
A decision on when or whether it will be implemented full time this season is expected to be made after the Charity Shield.
Under the new rule, teams will be issued an opportunity to lodge an official on-field challenge with the referee for a disputed ruling.
The new rule has been introduced pre-season to determine whether it can ease pressure on referees and eradicate glaring errors from matches.
There can be just one incorrect challenge allowed a match. If the referee’s decision has been proved correct, no further referrals can be made.
Should a ruling be overturned, that team’s captain retains a challenge.