Interchange rule untouched for 2019 season

We’ll stay at eight changes per team per game next season.

Published by
Stephen Marson

The NRL have decided against shortening the interchange numbers, and have instead confirmed they will remain at eight per team per game next season.

The last change to interchange numbers was back in 2016, and have decided to stick with eight changes per game after looking back at data from the past three seasons.

Dr Kevin Norton, who is a professor in exercise science at the University of South Australia, took the data to the competition committee, to show how the game had changed since the interchange numbers went down from 10 to eight three years ago.

They initially hoped for a faster pace to the game when the interchange numbers were cut, and it looks as though their current formula is working well, although some have called for a further reduction to six changes per side.

Head of elite football Graham Annesley wants the NRL to get on the front foot more often during the season, and has spoken to CEO Todd Greenberg about a weekly press conference that increases the transparency between the NRL and the fans week in, week out.

"One of the things I spoke to Todd about was that I felt we needed to be a bit more on the front foot and be in the debate more," Annesley told NRL.com.

"There is always going to be debate around decisions that are made on and off the field and I felt we needed to be a bit more proactive in that so I suggested to him that in the interests of transparency and leading the debate we should conduct a regular Monday briefing after each round of football.

Published by
Stephen Marson