Steeden ball to replace the Rhino ball . The majority of players didn’t like the Rhino ball .

As part of a new three-year partnership, Australian Sports Manufacturer Steeden will become the Official Match Ball supplier to Betfred Super League, Championship and League 1, the Challenge Cup and England Rugby League programmes.

Steeden is currently the official match ball of the NRL, New Zealand Rugby League, Queensland Rugby League and New South Wales Rugby League amongst many others and the Symmetry match ball will be reintroduced at the professional level in the UK this season ensuring continuity and familiarity for players.

Steeden match balls will be in use from early January for all pre-season games and will feature in Round 1 of the Challenge Cup over the weekend of January, 26 and 27.

The three-year agreement sees the Rugby Football League move away from Rhino Rugby League, who have been a partner since 2014, but will continue to provide branded equipment in 2019.

like to see another ruling fetched in, standing like a crucifix when you know your blocking a path to a player, Percival was within his rights to stay still with a player coming in but held both arms out wide which then blocks his path around him, to me that's just as bad as running into a players path

I'd prefer it if that loophole (because that's what it is) was closed altogether. It's one thing for a stationary player to stay stationary but it's another entirely for him to move into the path of a running player and stop just before contact, thus being stationary and having a "right" to remain so. Such a player is not intending to contest the ball; he is intending, quite clearly, to obstruct his opponent.

much better viewing lastnight with the stop clock in place, game was shorter and quicker