Pearce proposal kicked into touch after savage backlash

The NRL has torpedoed a proposal to trial a controversial kicking rule change next week after a savage backlash from players, coaches and fans.

The Herald revealed plans to road test a proposal to punish teams who kick into touch, by awarding the opposition team a seven-tackle set, in the Canterbury-Wests Tigers clash next week. However, the initiative, the brainchild of NRL innovation committee chair Wayne Pearce, has been scrapped after a visceral reaction on social media and concerns from key stakeholders.

While Cronulla coach Josh Hannay said the initiative may warrant exploration, players and coaches were almost unanimous in leaving the rules as they are. The result is the NRL will not trial the new rule in the final round of the regular season.

Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans, one of the best tactical kickers in the game, said most of the recent rule changes had been positive, but labelled the latest proposal “unnecessary”.

“I was very intrigued to know how that would work because there are so many different options that come off a kick,” Cherry-Evans told the Herald.

“For example, the long 40-20 kicks that might be a couple of inches off. It might be an attacking cross-field kick that might have gone wrong. There are so many variables to determine what is a deliberate kick out.

“That’s before you mention what I think is a pretty important area of our game and that is the craft of playing halfback. It’s about putting the ball out when you need it to go out or keeping it in when you need it to stay in.

“We’d probably be taking away from that.”

Storm star Christian Welch, who is on the Rugby League Players Association alongside Maroons teammate Cherry-Evans, took to social media to voice his concern.

“Please just leave our game alone,” Welch posted on Twitter.

Daly Cherry-Evans is not a fan of the proposed rule change.Credit:Getty

“The tension, grind, pressure & game management almost already gone. Would love the commission for less gimmicking with the rules & more focus on bigger picture strategy.”

Canterbury coach Trent Barrett, whose side was originally slated to participate in the trial, said the proposal would only lead to more blowouts.

“I just think we should leave the game alone,” Barrett said.

“It’s quick enough, we’re getting a lot of lopsided scores as it is with huge amounts of possession going to one team in certain periods of the game.

“Games are getting put away in 5-10 minute periods. I think that would only exaggerate that outcome. I don’t see why … we have to change everything all the time.

‘We’ve had more rule changes in the last 10 years than we have over the previous 100.’

“We’ve had a really good product – or we had one. I thought the game was really good last year.”

Dragons coach Anthony Griffin felt there were already too many rule changes in quick succession.

“We’ve had too many over a short period of time in the past two years, you start to lose the identity of your game. That’s the first thing I would say,” Griffin said.

“The other thing is I don’t agree with it. I think too many times the attack gets rewarded without really earning that in our game. To give teams down their end of the field seven tackles to get out of their own end when someone kicks it into touch, I don’t see the balance in that.”

Legendary Eels halfback Peter Sterling, who possessed one of the best kicking games in league history, isn’t a fan of the Pearce proposal.

“We’ve had more rule changes in the last 10 years than we have over the previous 100,” Sterling said.

“I think we should address the imbalance between attack and defence towards the defensive team a bit more, not add to their burden.

“That’s why we get so many blowout scores, because teams take full advantage of that. I love Junior [Pearce], but this probably wouldn’t get a thumbs-up from me.”

RLPA chief executive Clint Newton said he expected the players to be consulted before further rule tweaks.

“It’s my understanding that there is no rule that is going to be introduced or trialled next weekend,” Newton said.

“The NRL have given commitments that no more rules will be trialled or introduced until the end of the season.

“But the NRL also knows the firm belief and sentiment among the playing group that when there is a review of any items on-field that impact the players, we have made a formal submission that players want to be at the table.”

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