Ball-tracking technology could be introduced by next season after ‘positive’ test results

The NRL’s head of football, Graham Annesley, has revealed initial tests on ball-tracking technology yielded positive results.

The NRL has confirmed radical new ball-tracking technology could be introduced into the league by next season as a way to eliminate contentious forward pass decisions, with results from initial trials yielding “positive” results.

The league revealed earlier this year it was running tests on the new technology in the pre-season and is continuing to do so over the coming months.

NRL head of football Graham Annesley said on Monday the NRL had been happy with the first trials of the technology, which involves a tracking device fitted to the ball.

He said once the final trials were complete, the results would be brought before the Australian Rugby League Commission, which would determine whether or not to invest in the technology.

Annesley said he hoped a decision could be reached before the 2023 season kicked off in March next year.

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“The initial trials were positive,” he said.

“If we can convince the players, the clubs and the general public that it is credible and it will eliminate some of these debates around whether passes are forward, then that would be a good outcome, so we’ll continue to pursue it.

“I’m hopeful that we’ll have some kind of outcome before next season, either positive or negative. Hopefully positive.”

The NRL is hoping to reach a decision about the technology before next year. Picture: AAP /James Gourley

Annesley ruled out the possibility of introducing the technology this year and reassured fans the continuing trials wouldn’t affect games this season.

“We’re going through some additional trials at the moment,” he said.

“No one will notice any difference and of course we wouldn’t introduce new technology midway through a season.”

The technology would help match officials definitively rule on forward passes, instances of which frequently divide fans and currently cannot be pulled up by the Bunker.

During Sunday’s clash between the Roosters and Raiders, debate raged when Angus Crichton threw what seemed to be a suspect pass for Paul Momirovski, who dived over for the Roosters’ second try.

Momirovski’s try gave the Roosters a sniff late in the game. Picture: Mark Nolan / Getty Images

Annesley stood by the referees’ on-field decision to pay the try, which ultimately did not affect the outcome of the game.

“The direction of a pass is relative to the player making it and not the actual path relative to the ground,” he said.

“A player running towards his opponent’s goal line may throw the ball towards a colleague who is behind him, but because of the thrower’s own momentum, the ball travels forward relative to the ground. This is not a forward pass.

“Momirovski was always behind Crichton and that’s all that matters.

“To say that this is some kind of outrageous decision that the match officials have missed, it just doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.”