NRL hit the mark with Arrow, but kick-off change went out on the full

August 31, 2026 — 3:30pm

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The pragmatic, let’s-give-anything-a-try nature of the NRL under Peter V’landys showed its two sides in round 26.

On Thursday, the ad hoc trial of a new kick-off rule, with the option given to the team that has conceded a try, did not seem so much a bad idea as a pointless one.

The Broncos, who enjoyed eight opportunities to choose whether to kick or receive, did not seem to know what to do. The Storm’s Harry Grant and Cameron Munster didn’t like it, saying their team was disadvantaged.

Maybe 46 points weren’t enough for them.

The trial looks like it might go the way of the two-referee system.

On the other hand, the damn-the-torpedoes idea of giving Jai Arrow run-ons so he can become the 67th 100-game Rabbitoh was warmly and rightly applauded.

Other codes might send such a proposal away to a year of subcommittees and lawyers debating “justice” and “principle”, but after South Sydney’s request, the NRL just went ahead and did it, creating the image of the year: Wayne Bennett putting Arrow’s socks on before the game.

Beautiful initiatives and experimenting with rules show a........

© The Age