Rugby league’s transformation should worry union

ARLC chairman Peter Peter V'landys. Picture: Nikki Short

Phew. It’s over. Have a glass of water and a bit of a sit-down. Catch your breath. The opening round of the all-running, no-wrestling rebooted NRL has concluded. And we can have a spell for a whole four days before it starts again.

It was exhausting. It’s fair to say there will be plenty of NRL players who woke up sore on Monday morning after a weekend of relentless, high-impact rugby league. But what about the fans who sat through it? Just watching the non-stop action was draining.

A T-shirt with a nod to the NRL's iconic 'Simply the Best' campaign has been released.

In the cold light of Monday morning, the verdict is in. Peter V’landys’s on-the-run reforms to the rules to make the game more entertaining have worked. The reduction to one referee and six-to-go call for ruck infringements have reduced the amount of time players grapple on the ground or muck around while a penalty is taken and dramatically increased the time they are running with the ball.

The referees weren’t happy and most of the coaches opposed the changes. They saw their iron grip on the outcome of the game loosening and an element of unpredictability creeping in. Even some of the more authoritative pundits covering the NRL mumbled into their beards about the risks of rushing through changes in the middle of the season without months of consultation and debate. But fortunately, V’landys listened to the fans – and to the broadcasters – and did what had to be done to make the game more entertaining.

Players in the Roosters-Rabbitohs match on Friday night had almost 55 minutes with the ball in play. That’s six minutes more than the average last year. Six minutes more value for your money.

Payne Haas played 80 minutes against the Eels on Thursday night. Picture: AAP

The game is faster, the hits are harder and the breaks in play are almost non-existent. When there were breaks at the weekend, players doubled over or sank to the ground in exhaustion, not because they were out of condition after a long lay-off but because they had been going so hard.

It began with a bang from the kick-off in the first game between Brisbane and Parramatta on Thursday night, which was played at a pace only previously seen in State of Origin matches.

Teams that were able to adapt to the new rules did well, while those steeped in the old ideas struggled. The Storm, who have built years of dominance on the ability to slow the ruck down and control the game, often with wrestling tactics, had no answer for the speed, power and ball-movement of the Raiders.

Arguably the match of the round was the 14-all draw on Sunday afternoon between Penrith and a Newcastle Knights side stacked with fast, enthusiastic youngsters. Rookie Chris Randall came on for his first game for the Knight and pulled-off a game-high 60 tackles. Welcome to first grade, Chris.

“He was out of his feet for a lot of the game, but he just kept turning up,” said coach Adam O’Brien.

Fellow rookies Brodie Jones and Tex Hoy were also everywhere in defence and attack. And centre Bradman Best, playing his third game, was an absolute powerhouse in the fast-paced conditions, scoring two tries.

The round concluded with Manly’s entertaining carve-up of the Canterbury Bulldogs, in which one of the game’s best fullbacks, Tom Trbojevic, found the time and space to create magic almost every time he touched the ball.

Players were out on their feet at the end of Penrith and Newcastle’s 90-minute draw. Picture: Getty Images

The result is a game transformed. V’landys promised to make rugby league more entertaining with more opportunity for the truly skilled players to shine and he has succeeded.

While NRL fans are loving it, over in the troubled world of Australian rugby union, they will be beside themselves. When the domestic-only Super Rugby competition — mired in endless penalties, five-minute scrums and rolling mauls — finally gets going, how boring will it look in comparison to the new-look rugby league?