Seriously, is this a joke? NRL is going down the NFL route more and more. Everything from this extra play initiative to splitting the game into quarters is making this fixture a complete farce.

I thought NRL attendances and viewing figures were at an all time high so why are Gallop et al messing around with the rules?

The horse bolted on that one a few years ago.

Another interesting factor is the amount of nationalities that will be on show. Whats that about? I thought it was Aboriginies v Convicts? Adam Blair is involved, how?

How?

Its is the NRL allstars team...

I'll let you do the rest

Personally I think its a poor inclusion, but hey worth a look at.

Dying in the backside?

The game is going well over there, there is no panick at all. I wish the same could be said for the health of RL in this country.

Its just an exhibihition match that will attract plenty of publicity, viewing numbers and sell 27k seats and is a good medium to try these ideas.
While I beleive the idea is poor and will be scrapped never to be raised again after this game, I wont bash the NRL for trying a few new ideas.

If it werent for experimentation and creation of new rules for the better of the game, we would still be watching the 15man code.

Tut, beat me to it.

I think selecting to kick a goal from further back should be worth an extra point or 2. from 40m is worth 1 point and from behind the halfway line is worth 4. Could be interesting!

I stand corrected.

If kicks aren't allowed it would be almost impossible to get a try against any decent team. Without the kick option the defensive line just needs to hold and unless it was a howler of a missed tackle the play would fizzle out.

in the sydney game?what u mean by that lol?

Is he implying that the NRL are living in their own little bubble where doom and gloom reigns supreme in David Gallop's mind? The actions coming out of NRL HQ certainly seem to confirm that while the rest of the rugby league world look in despair as the Australian game worries itself over nothing.

You and bramleyrhino are correct: "After a try is scored, the scoring team MAY take a kick at goal"

It happened during the 80s in a SoO game. 1 game all and in the decider, NSW were ahead by 7 points, Queensland scored a try with about 1 minute left. Wally Lewis told the ref he didn't want a kick at goal. NSW kicked off and Lewis immediately put a kick to the corner, Queensland were inches from victory before the NSW winger made the ball dead and won the game.

There was much discussion about the decision but it was agreed to be correct and a smart move on Lewis's part. Mind you, I've long maintained that to play the game at the highest level, you should know the rules inside out. Something we seem to sadly lack over here. In fact the only British coach I've ever known study the laws and ask particular questions, in regard to aspects of play, has been a young John Kear, when he was coaching Cas 'A'.

Leeds 'A' v Cas 'A' at Headingley: Kear came into my dressing room before kick off and asked a couple of questions.

The first was about downtown kicks and the Leeds full back's propensity for trapping the ball with his foot, rather than taking it on the full. I told him that providing the chasing players were outside the ten, as soon as the Leeds full back touched the ball, it was play-on.

The second (and more controversial) regarded the play the ball on the fifth tackle. At this time, the tackled player could still play the ball forwards. Kear asked what would be my decision, if the Cas player, at the 5th tackle, stood, played the ball forward and the Leeds player picked it up (a natural reaction). My decision was, penalty to Cas because the Leeds player handled the ball before it cleared the ruck.

Kear had obviously done his homework and studied the Laws of the Game. Thankfully Cas never tried the seconf scenario, otherwise Harry Jepson would've had my balls, Kear & I were probably the only two people in attendance who knew what the correct decision would be.

It is in the laws of the game that you can do a ' drop kick ' instead of a place kick after scoring a try , I have on occaision been screaming as such to various players when Leigh have been 2/4 points down with a couple of minutes remaining in matches