2026 Proposed NRL rule changes

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R_A

Jarrod Mullen
NRL are proposing 4 rule changes as per the below

KICK OFF
A drastic change to the kick-off rule which could see the scoring team kick-off.
The team that has been scored against will now have the option to kick-off or receive the ball to restart play. As it stands, the team which concedes a try or goal restarts play by kicking off.
It means momentum is hard to stop and can result in lopsided scorelines. In the 1997 Super League breakaway competition the scoring teams had to kick-off.

EXTENDED MATCH DAY SQUADS
Coaches will now be able to carry benches of six players but will still be only able to play four per game. It means game day squad sizes will increase from 17 to 19 but interchanges will remain capped at eight. This idea came out of a meeting with coaches, including Wayne Bennett, Ivan Cleary, Craig Bellamy, Ricky Stuart, Michael Maguire and Craig Fitzgibbon at the end of last season.
The plan was originally to have 21 players available but that has now been scaled back. It would allow clubs to carry specialist players on the interchange bench just in case they lose a starter. The NRL introduced an 18th man to help cover for headknocks or acts of foul play in 2021.

ACT OF SCORING
If an attacking player drops the ball in the act of attempting to score a try over the tryline they will not be penalised by a seven tackle set. Instead the defending team will receive the ball for an ordinary six-tackle set from the 20 metre mark to restart play.

PENALTY ZONE
Set restarts instead of penalties will be awarded from outside the 20-metre line of the attacking team. This is designed to speed play up. Full penalties will still be awarded inside the 20-metre mark. This season, penalties were awarded inside the 40 metres. Set restarts were introduced in 2020 but tweaked in 2022 where penalties were awarded inside the 40-metre zone of the team in possession.
 
Having the option to kick off or is very nice and I'm keen to see how teams use this.
Don't really see the need to remove the 7 tackle set from dropping the ball in the act of scoring but its a what ever rule.
 
Personally I'm good with 2 and 3, 1 and 4 are a bit hmmmmm...

I don’t know I feel like they’ll always opt to receive the kick? Is this every time a try is scored or do you get to use it once?
 
I hope the kick off rule doesn’t get passed.

I know PVL and Abdo are staunch in trying to change a already extremely successful and winning formula, I just don’t why.

Again I hope the kick off rule is burned
 
I like the extended bench rule change

I do have a question in what happens if you have already used your 4 players on interchange like normaL, then you loose your halfback to concussion. Does that mean you can’t activate the spare halfback you had as 19th man
 
A larger bench is a solid idea, kind of a no brainer, really. Doesnt have any material impact on the actual game but still adds something extra to the game.

The kick off rule seems innocuous, and maybe it is, but I also get the sense that it might turn out to be more consequential than intended, whereby teams with certain distinct advantages can hone in on those advantages, which is actually the opposite to what V'Landys / Abdo have been trying to achieve with their rule changes to date
 
Kick off rule would be a design to stop run away games and level the worse teams closer to the best. Whilst I’m not sure about if it would be good, would be great to see less blow outs.
 
They constantly go on about how the game is the best it’s ever been and then keep changing the rules for no reason. That proposed kick off rule change is an abomination.
 
mozza said:
They constantly go on about how the game is the best it’s ever been and then keep changing the rules for no reason. That proposed kick off rule change is an abomination.
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It creates conversation which helps promote the game. I think the games is in a very good spot and I do agree that maybe just let the rules go for a couple of seasons, just focus on how to referee the current rules
 
mozza said:
They constantly go on about how the game is the best it’s ever been and then keep changing the rules for no reason. That proposed kick off rule change is an abomination.
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Maybe they threw in a gag rule to see how people would react and if I had pick one that would be it. It would rule out comebacks in the last 10-15 minutes which would suck and just seems silly.

As for avoiding blowouts the team having try upon try scored against them should just shape up and fly straight and stop the rot instead of relying on such a rule?
 
Not a fan of the proposed inter change rule change tbh. With a bigger bench but the same number of actual players who can take the field it means fewer games for the unlucky players. If, as suggested, it means they can carry a half back in the off chance the first choice player gets injured it will cut down the non-used players chance to gain experience (assuming for many it will be a younger player) which will stifle their career longer term.

I do think that they should reduce the number of HIAs to 1 to invoke the additional player but I also think that they should be looking to reduce the amount of interchanges to 6 or fewer. There’s a strong correlation between the size that players are building themselves to now and the number of head knocks. Fewer interchanges means less focus on size for many players and more focus on stamina. It also gives the naturally smaller players a chance to impact the game more.
 
Thieves Like Us said:
Not a fan of the proposed inter change rule change tbh. With a bigger bench but the same number of actual players who can take the field it means fewer games for the unlucky players. If, as suggested, it means they can carry a half back in the off chance the first choice player gets injured it will cut down the non-used players chance to gain experience (assuming for many it will be a younger player) which will stifle their career longer term.

I do think that they should reduce the number of HIAs to 1 to invoke the additional player but I also think that they should be looking to reduce the amount of interchanges to 6 or fewer. There’s a strong correlation between the size that players are building themselves to now and the number of head knocks. Fewer interchanges means less focus on size for many players and more focus on stamina. It also gives the naturally smaller players a chance to impact the game more.
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Yeah it seems like a pretty big logistical nightmare.

And for the kick offs, last thing you want after conceding a try is to be pinned on your own line, one mistake away from being under huge pressure again. They tried it in the Superleague years and it was a disaster.

Personally the dropping the ball going for a try not resulting in 7 tackles is the only one I’d change. But I’d just get rid of the 7 tackle nonsense all together.
 
jamesgould said:
Yeah it seems like a pretty big logistical nightmare.

And for the kick offs, last thing you want after conceding a try is to be pinned on your own line, one mistake away from being under huge pressure again. They tried it in the Superleague years and it was a disaster.

Personally the dropping the ball going for a try not resulting in 7 tackles is the only one I’d change. But I’d just get rid of the 7 tackle nonsense all together.
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Yeah, from memory they introduced the 7 tackle rule to stop teams kicking it dead against Billy Slater so that he couldn’t run them ragged. They could tweak the rule so that kicks that go dead from your own half or outside the 40 get 7 tackles but everything else is just 6.

On the kick offs thing I reckon it could get a bit confusing and slow the game down if the ref has to ask the captain to choose kick or receive after every try. Refs call can be a farce at times and this is likely to occur more times a game.
 
Thieves Like Us said:
On the kick offs thing I reckon it could get a bit confusing and slow the game down if the ref has to ask the captain to choose kick or receive after every try. Refs call can be a farce at times and this is likely to occur more times a game.
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You would think they would basically just memo it out that the captain has to decide between the try being scored and the goal being kicked no time wasting like they sometimes get away with when they do a captains challenge.
Not that I would support it in any way but what would be more better or interesting is if you get to just use it the one time throughout the 80 mins (not including overtime). Stop momentum midway through a game or later in the game during a comeback, though short drop outs always happen anyway.
 
The replacements of 6 but using 4 is good as gives greater a like for like replacement and the additional 2 can still play some Cup on day, 40-60mins to at least have game time, stay fit etc.
The kick off is an option that the Captain can decide at time and likely to be influenced by score, weather, wind.
 
jamesgould said:
Yeah it seems like a pretty big logistical nightmare.

And for the kick offs, last thing you want after conceding a try is to be pinned on your own line, one mistake away from being under huge pressure again. They tried it in the Superleague years and it was a disaster.

Personally the dropping the ball going for a try not resulting in 7 tackles is the only one I’d change. But I’d just get rid of the 7 tackle nonsense all together.
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Should only be for kicking it dead from outside the attacking 20/30m.
 
Kick off rule - Why would you ever choose to not receive the ball? Maybe someone who’s played at a serious level can justify that one cos as a talentless slug who only ever played against other bums I don’t get it.

Extended match day squads - I don’t know that they’ve absolutely nailed it but if we’re going to get serious about concussion management etc we do need something like this.

Act of scoring - Absolute no brainer, should have happened years ago. Such an easy fix too.

Penalty zone - Fuuuuuuccckkkkk offff cuuuuuunts. They do this and we’re gonna get another super lopsided weird stats year like 2021. The 40m thing I still don’t love as a compromise but at least it got the game to a state which isn’t completely stupid. Don’t roll it back.
 
God PVL is an idiot. Is he capable of leaving things alone for one off season? They had a very good year last year, so why not leave things as they are and just make small adjustments.

For instance, the extended squads are a good idea. It shouldn’t take 2 failed HIAs to activate the 18th player, if they’re actually concerned for player welfare.

Being able to carry a back on the bench will mean games aren’t completely over if a team loses a winger in the first half so happy with that.

The only change they should be making to the 6 again rule, is to get rid of it completely.
If anything I’d prefer if it only used in the attacking 40

The 7 tackle rule change is good, but it could also just be scrapped altogether really.

Just leave the kickoff rule as it is. We already know it doesn’t work the other way otherwise you may as well hand Penrith the comp now if you’re going to change that.
 
Teams will spend a lot of time working on short kickoff options to get the ball back in attacking situations.

The Walker brothers got Ipwitch home against the Knights in a state champions game by using some crazy short kickoffs and a few other options that involved doing the unexpected.

They won't do it all the time, but when teams are desperate for points, they will have a trick play to try.
 
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