Ricky Stuart believes recently announced tweaks to the NRL laws will encourage more attacking rugby league when the changes are implemented next season.
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The Raiders coach was part of a rules committee formed at the end of this season to assess feedback about the game from fans and broadcasters, and implement possible changes to the NRL laws.
Multiple premiership-winning Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy was also on the committee alongside NSW Blues duo Damien Cook and Luke Keary, Balmain Tigers great and NRL commissioner Wayne Pearce, referee Matt Cecchin, chief executive Andrew Abdo, ARLC chairman Peter V'Landys and head of football Graham Annesley.
Stuart said changes to the rules were based on making the game more attractive for fans, while trying to attract new viewers to the NRL.
"Our purpose was to consider the results that we had from the surveys from our fans and our broadcasters," Stuart said.
"We were asked to enhance the fan experience and attract new fans to our game."
Minor adjustments to the laws will include the two-point field goal for drop kicks landed from more than 40m out, and a play the ball restart after a player or ball finds touch.
Ten-metre infringements will now trigger an automatic six again, although referees retain the discretion to blow a penalty or sin bin an offending player.
Incorrect play the balls will now result in a handover while scrums have also been amended. Players will not be permitted to leave a scrum until the ball is cleared, and the referee calls break.
"There'll be certain bits of coaching that'll change in regards to some of the changes," Stuart said.
"Now there's going to be a play the ball off kicking the ball into touch, there'll be coaches who will find a reason why they want to keep the ball in play or actually then want to start from a set piece with a full line of defence.
"When you've got a full line of defence you've also got 13 behind the football to attack from play one. I don't think you're just going to take a hit up.
"Coaches now will move away and look at different ways to want to attack under the new interpretations."
The changes come off the back of a largely successful NRL season, during which V'Landys introduced several adjustments to speed up the flow of the game.
Upon the competition restart after COVID-19, the league reverted back to just one referee.
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And the game's most significant change in years was also implemented after the virus-enforced lockdown, when referees were given the power to signal six again for a ruck infringement, rather than having to blow a penalty.
"There's always going to be a lot of discussion points around and there will be people who agree and people who don't agree," Stuart said.
"Last year I don't remember many people to agreeing to one referee but Peter [Vlandy's] had the courage to make that decision and there's a lot of people now who think it was a very good idea."
Senior Raiders players go back to training on December 21, while the club's representative return early in the new year.
James Buckley
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
