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Six again for Wayne

Six again for Wayne

01/19/2012 06:39:07 AM

NRL All Stars coach Wayne Bennett has called for one of the experimental rules being used in next month's annual clash against the Indigenous All Stars to be introduced at NRL level.

The February 4 clash will see three new rules trialled, one of which will see the referee signal 'six-again' on differential penalties.

Therefore, if a tackler is deemed to have deliberately slowed down the play-the-ball, the attacking team will immediately be awarded a new set of six tackles without stopping the game to kick the ball into touch.

Foul play and other infringements will still result in either a kick for touch or a kick for goal.

Bennett says the rule has the potential to revolutionise the way teams attack and believes players will be forced to eradicate most of the infringements that 'spoil' the game.

"It won't happen this year but I think it'll be a rule the game will adopt in the future," Bennett said.

"I think it's a great idea. It enhances the game because our game is about the physicality of it and the intensity and all of a sudden somebody's getting six-to-go again for an infringement."

"It might have been as simple as just being a little bit offside at marker or having a hand on the ball."

"All of a sudden rather than stopping the game and going to a kick the referee's going to signal six-to-go and you're going to have to defend another six and that's really going to put some pressure on you."

"I think it'll open the game up a lot more as well with a bit more attacking football ... if it becomes a rule of the future it will make sure players cut out a lot of the infringements that do spoil the game a little bit."

The other trial rules include a 20-40 kick option and a five-minute power play per side each half.

Under the power play experiment, a team on the attack can ask the opposition to bench two players for a five-minute period.

The defending team can elect which two players leave the field.

Bennett announced his 20-man squad at NRL headquarters on Thursday.

Almost 30,000 fans voted online for their favourite players, with one from each of the 16 NRL clubs chosen to play, as well as St George Illawarra's Ben Hornby and Penrith's Luke Lewis who were the two coach's picks.

Sharks forward Gallen polled the most votes, gaining more than 8000, with Melbourne's Cooper Cronk second just over 300 votes back.

There are 10 debutants in the squad including imposing forwards Tony Williams (Sea Eagles), Frank Pritchard (Bulldogs) and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Roosters).

New Zealand captain Benji Marshall and likely new Kangaroos skipper Cameron Smith were both automatic selections as skippers of their respective nations.

Marshall will captain the NRL All Stars, replacing recently retired Darren Lockyer.

"It's quite an honour (to have the captaincy) ... and to get the chance to play with all the Australian guys and English guys with Jack Reed there too, you don't get that opportunity very often so really looking forward to it again," Marshall said.

 
Photograph Copyright : Getty Images

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Comments
Posted by Phil at
27/01/2012 07:28 PM
Momentum for a set of 6 is usually won at the first play the ball. Will defending teams happily slow the first play the ball down with only the risk of one additional tackle being added to the count?

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