The more the season progresses and the more players coaches are forced to call upon, the more I've been thinking that the NRL should have permitted an extended bench for this season with a view to making it a permanent move.
There is always a discussion around the number of interchanges permitted in the game and the speed of a match alongside the amount of time a ball is in play, but little thought is given to the bench.
A rugby league bench is actually one of the smallest in world sport. At only four players it's smaller than soccer's, basketball's and rugby union's. As a result I believe it constrains a coach's ability to be more tactically adept.
The super sub, for example, has all but disappeared from the game. Coaches instead prefer to go with 2-3 middle forwards, perhaps an edge forward and some may opt for a utility who is often a backrower that can slot into the halves.
That's about as creative as you get, although this season we've seen a few coaches carry backs on the bench.
An extended bench would allow for a wider variety of players to be carried and deployed in a number of different scenarios. Chasing points? Here's a creative player or two and the coach will gamble with perhaps taking off a few middle players. Needing to defend to a win? Here's an extra middle to be used.
Soccer is perhaps the best exponent of that. Teams often carry a few creative or impact players on the bench they can turn to when needing a goal or two. Very rarely will those players actually start. And if something else is needed than those players aren't used.
NRL squads are 30 men deep normally, meaning an entire starting 13 is usually left out of the matchday squad with some players not seeing action for weeks due to being 18th or 19th man and unavailable to play in NSW Cup.
We may even see more juniors given their chance in first grade.
Quite often players debut off the bench and those chances often only come about due to injury or severe form slumps from their teammates. Some do come about through a natural succession plan. However, wouldn't it be great to have those players available to the coach for him to roll on at an opportune moment?
BA basically said that Davey would've been given his crack last year but a lack of injuries meant he couldn't play him, nor could he stick him on the bench.
Brad Arthur probably would've liked to be able to debut Utoikamanu against the Cowboys. A perfect chance to get some carries against a beaten side and begin acclimatising to the NRL. Rather than get 10 seconds against Newcastle and then thrown into a dog fight against Manly.
Also, in such a condensed season, the option of providing game time to lower grade players would be invaluable.
Now I'm not suggesting this is introduced now. That moves the goalposts mid-season and that shouldn't happen.
But perhaps next year?
Replies
It's an independent doc now doing the HIA assessments.
It's still easy for the player to let's say, overact.
This HIA being used for a free interchange thing has been going on since HIA was introduced and the Eels have utilised it as much as any team. Timmy was the HIA king towards the end of his career.
I have long campaigned for a bench similar to soccer's. The EPL has 7 men on the bench, but the manager can only make 3 subs out of that 7 players.
So for Rugby League, I would advocate for an 7 man bench, but the coach can only use 4 of those players. 5 Interchanges & 2 permanent subs. If a player is interchanged off a second time, it's classified as a sub.
You keep fatigue as a factor, but it allows coaches to carry backup playmakers & outside backs on the bench without necessarily having to use them.
The bench for the Eels might look like this.
Kane Evans
Marata Niukore
Oregon Kaufusi
Jai Field
Andrew Davey
Taka
George Jennings
I think 3 Interchange players for 6 Interchanges
Extra 2 reserves that once on the player replaced is not allowed back.
Covers HIA and offers the option of a super sub
No, just no.
4 maximum. They get injured, tough.
Agreed,
Not a bad idea, but keep the interchange at 4. Have as many on the list as you want, but once the 4th player is used the rest can hit the sheds.
I like this idea Wayne.
I have said on many occassions in the past, that there should be at least 2 reserve players outside the 1-17 to cover game ending injuries, rather than just having the interchange players as replacements as is at the moment.
The big aspect is when a team loses one or more players with a game ending injury, they are immediately behind the 8 ball and down a player to compete. With this new game with changed rules its so much faster and intent that most clubs have suffered as a result. If a player is injured or does not pass HIA, then why not a replacement for him, and in this season especially provides the opportunity to give reserve playes a chance to show what they can do.
Great blog Super and you are correct again.
With Con-u-ova BS virus reportedly on the increase, players should now be 2.5 metres apart which means the bench will have to be extended to around 12 metres to accommodate the players.
Great idea mate.