Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has slammed "self-interest" among his rivals and called on them to throw their weight behind a bold bid to make rugby league more attractive.
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The Raiders mentor has backed ARL Commission chairman Peter V'Landys' move to "make the game more attractive" and called on coaches to play their part.
Stuart says it is time for rival coaches to move on following the decision to scale back to one referee and implement a six-again rule for ruck infringements a fortnight out from the NRL's restart.
"The coaches will never have the good of the game as their first priority, it's always self-interest," Stuart told The Canberra Times.
"I'm glad the commission have shown strength and gone about making a decision for what they think is best for the game. They're trying to make the game more attractive. It's important for us to jump on board and do what we can in regards to the game itself.
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"There has been a lot of conversation about it, but it's important we just move forward and understand the decision has been made. We've got to move on now. I'm comfortable with just moving on with it."
A shift towards promoting free-flowing football looms as a major boost for spectators should lone referees manage to control the ruck and negate the wrestling tactics has seen rugby league "bogged down".
"If it's policed correctly, it will have quite a bearing on the ruck. You can see what the commission are trying to do, they're trying to speed the game up a little bit," Stuart said.
"They're trying to make it a more attacking, flowing game rather than a defensive style of game where the game is getting bogged down a bit at the moment, with the wrestle and defensive side.
"It negates the attack. It's the same for everybody, it's happening at the same time for everyone. It's not going to be fairer on one team or another.
"We've got to understand the change and work towards it."
The NRL is set to unveil the first two weeks of a revamped fixture on Friday leading up to round three on May 28, which effectively feels like another season launch.
Doubt had swirled over the availability of key trio Josh Papalii, Sia Soliola and Joe Tapine should the Raiders be forced to play games in Queensland, after the group signed waivers instead of opting for a flu vaccination.
It sparked talks about keeping all Raiders matches in Sydney when the competition resumes, but that is unlikely to be a concern after Gold Coast Titan Bryce Cartwright was granted an exemption by Queensland's chief medical officer.
The Raiders have returned to training at their $19 million Braddon base with Stuart rapt with the way his side approached training in isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"I'm really happy with the way they've all returned to training. It's nice to be able to get them all back in good condition," Stuart said.
Caden Helmers
Caden Helmers is a sports writer for The Canberra Times.
Caden Helmers is a sports writer for The Canberra Times.
