Rugby league 2025

[greeneyed]

Peter V’landys launching billion-dollar broadcast deal right talks, with Netflix, Amazon in the mix

The NRL’s multibillion-dollar broadcast rights are going up for sale in a development that could attract interest from some of the world’s biggest brands like Netflix, Amazon and Paramount. ARLC chairman Peter V’landys is targeting a mid-year deadline for finalising the NRL’s next broadcast arrangement to take the game into a bold new era beyond 2027.

“We will be negotiating the rights this year,” he said. “They don’t start until 2027 but you need to give yourself a couple of years’ lead time. We hope to have something done in the middle of this year.”

Read more: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport ... a723238a5f

[Botman]

It sounds good, i know it'll just end up with re-upping with Nine but at least the noise is good

[greeneyed]

NRL obstruction, play-the-ball crackdown: 17 clubs sent memo outlining areas under the microscope

The NRL will launch a crackdown on players taking ‘dives’ this season as three of the code’s most powerful coaches - including Wayne Bennett - lead a push for Bunker reform. Bennett, Ricky Stuart and Ivan Cleary were enlisted by the NRL to provide recommendations that will trigger a crackdown on messy play-the-balls, players standing offside and penalising defenders who take deliberate dives on controversial obstruction calls.

The pre-season trial matches will also include a new concussion rule that will see players retrospectively sent to the sin bin, up to 15 minutes after committing a high tackle that rules a rival player out of the game. That rule will be pressure-tested only during the pre-season trial matches and won’t be implemented for the 2025 season.

Read more: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport ... ca27b3154d

No rule changes for 2025 NRL season: https://www.nrl.com/news/2025/02/04/no- ... rl-season/

[greeneyed]

Graham Annesley says players must make a genuine attempt to play-the-ball and they've "tweaked" the way the referee will manage the 10 metres to ensure more consistency when defenders are allowed to advance. On obstruction, a try will be awarded if, in the opinion of the match officials, any contact between a lead runner and a defender would not have prevented the try being scored. Players pretending to be obstructed won't be rewarded.

[gangrenous]

For the high tackle one. Why not straight sin bin a tackler where an independent doc requests an HIA from a penalised illegal tackle?

The obstruction change is awful. It’s going back to where we were before. We know what will happen already:
* Obstruction decisions will become more contentious because it will come down to a judgment call of whether a player was impeded.
* The favoured teams will benefit from generous interpretations for them and there will be clear examples of inconsistencies for similar cases.
* This interpretation will favour running blocking plays in the line because the refs are clearly being forced to a place of clear and significant contact/interference. This ignores the edge the attacking team gets through even slight contact or no contact that causes a player a slight delay. Particularly in cases where the tackler can still get to the ball player, yet now they’re having to come from the side or behind which makes a huge difference in being able to tackle them while Gould yells “he can’t be obstructed because he still had a chance to make the tackle”. Ignoring the fact that the chance to make the tackle got significantly impaired.

Pisses me off

[-PJ-]

Penalty Broncos.

[bonehead]

Penalty Broncos.

penalty wayne

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[gerg]

Referees adjudicating on when a player is, or isn't taking a dive? What could possibly go wrong there?

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[BJ]

The simplest and least obtrusive rule for a player walking off the mark or not touching the ball with their foot should be the instant loss of a tackle. The opposite of the 7 tackle set would see players picking up their act.

[greeneyed]

NRL set for grassroots overhaul with NYC to return, a crackdown on player agents and stopping clubs from hoarding talent

The NRL is set for the biggest grassroots reform in its history by reviving the National Youth Competition, cracking down on player agents and stopping powerhouse clubs hoarding rugby league’s best young talent. An external draft for the NRL’s best teenagers is all but dead. Under an unprecedented shake-up of the NRL’s grassroots, the recommendations of the NRL Pathways Steering Committee include:

* Agents restricted from signing junior talent until the calendar year in which they turn 18;

* The introduction of an under-21s National Pathways Competition for the 2026 season; and

* The code to adopt a “standardised national development program” for all players aged 13-15 from next year.

Read more: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport ... b90f1371b4

[NoMan]

I really disagree with clubs signing juniors directly without representation.


This is the most relevant change though:

Recommendation 3

New contracting model for players aged 16-19 by 2026, which caps remuneration and number of contracts, regulates player relocation, agent engagement and scholarships, and lifts the minimum contracting age to the calendar year the player turns 16.

Definitely not good.