The NRL has made a major rule change ahead of the 2024 season, removing penalties for teams who kick the ball out on the full or don’t make the required ten metres from kick-offs and drop-outs.
Over the last two years, there has been a significant increase in sides attempting both short drop-outs and kick-offs leading to a high uptake in errors, allowing opposing teams a free penalty.
NRL Executive General Manager – Elite Football Graham Annesley announced a change to the rule on Tuesday afternoon, revealing that teams will now get a set restart 10 metres from where the kick has taken place.
SEN’s Scott Sattler admitted he isn’t a fan of the newly imposed change due to the perceived negative plays that could arise from the league’s better defensive sides.
“I don’t like it, I think it’s a negative play,” Sattler said on SEN 1170 Sportsday.
“Some people will think it means we’re going to see more attack and we possibly might see four points as opposed to two points.
“If you’re a good defensive side, like the Penrith Panthers, if they’re ahead by two… they’ll just try a short drop-out, if they get the ball back it’s fine, if they don’t because it goes over the dead ball line or doesn’t go ten metres, they’ll just defend for a long period of time.
“When you’re on the try line you don’t have to go back ten metres, you have to go back two or three metres, so you don’t have to come up as far, I think it’s quite a negative play.
“I know what they’re trying to do, keep the ball in play more and (have) the possibility of four points but your really good defensive sides will defend that.
The law will be in place for the first time when the Indigenous and Māori All-Stars face off in Townsville on February 16.