In the NRL's February All Stars game the following rule changes will be trialled:



1. POWER PLAY - at a stoppage in each half, each team can call a Power Play, whereby the opposition must immediately drop 2 players for 5 minutes.



2. Ruck infringements which do not halt the play (eg holding down) will not be a penalty, but instead, an immediate wiping of the tackle count.



3. 40/20 rule to be extended to include 20/40



Would you like to see any of these introduced? I can see merit in 2 and 3, but the power play thing is to me a horrible gimmick, artificially altering the balance of play, and I just hate the idea.



Full rule changes:

Agreed.

I like the rule 2 idea, but what does it extend to, hands on the ball etc?



Also how would it be communicated to fans effectively?

Presumably the same gesture as for wiping the tackle count clean.

3 seems reasonable enough.



I'm not that keen on 2. At the moment the punishment for holding down at the ruck makes it really important to tow the line (not that everybody does). Under these proposed rules, if a team had their opposition camped in their own 20, they may be more inclined to try it on a bit if all that's at stake is defending a couple of extra tackles. Their opposition won't be able to do anything with the extra tackles anyway, if they're being held down at the play the ball. Similarly, after your opponents have made a half break it would make sense to just hold them down and face a full set with an organised defensive line.



1 is the most stupid idea I've ever heard.

1. stupid idea



2. Not a bad idea really but still think the system we currently have in place is better



3. Dont agree with this seems to punish the defensive efforts of a team, if you are able to restrict your opponents to 20 meters they shouldnt be able to put in a 50m kick and gain an advantage IMO.

2. Ruck infringements which do not halt the play (eg holding down) will not be a penalty, but instead, an immediate wiping of the tackle count



I would count holding down as being something that halts play so may still be a penalty rather than the tackle count restarting

I agree

1. absolute no go. Will delay play and is taking something from the integrity of the game

2. Ok, but hard to police.

3. As you say it rewards the big hail Mary kick when under pressure. And hard to police. Ref only needs to watch at 40, now needs to watch at 20....and why not a 30 30 if we are changing.



Just leave as is.

I think a 10/50 is the future!

I see a future rule of 0/0, which is an automatic try.

Number 2 was suggested by a fella on here a few years ago and was a brilliant idea in the way that he put it accross.

I don't like rule 3 at all.



Reward a team for their defensive efforts in pinning down an opposition instead of offering the attackers an escape route.