NRL Notepad: Round 4 Preview

What's on the watchlist this week?

• Another Crackdown…

• That Cleary Kick

• Team List Notes

• Content Offloads

Another Crackdown…

“The NRL has clearly put a focus on calling escort penalties and we saw four called in this game alone. While I’ve seen a few questionable decisions across the first three rounds, they were all fairly obvious in this one. Teams need to be smarter, and I expect they will be in the coming weeks.” - Round 3 Review

“While players are permitted to move towards the ball and take up a position, this does not override the clear obligation all players have under the international laws of the game to not obstruct an opponent who is not in possession of the ball.

“Consequently, if in the opinion of match officials, one or more players take up positions with the intent to interfere with an opponent’s ability to compete for the ball or attempt a tackle, such action will be deemed obstruction, as it would be in any other aspect of general play where a player is obstructed while not in possession.” - NRL head of football elite competition, Graham Annesley

This will be interesting…

Players getting back around a catcher is nothing new. It just took a comical photo on social media of the Parramatta Eels using one poorly thoughtout interpretation to bring about another.

It’s now up to officials, at speed and under pressure, to determine what a player is thinking as they turn and track to the ball.

Hopefully nothing changes from Round 3. While escort penalties are up, there haven’t been many called that are shockers. If anything, they’ve still missed a few. But those were genuine escorts - changing lines and obstructing the kick chase.

Is a player who runs straight back to the ball before stopping to allow his teammate to catch it an obstruction?

Does the refocus on the rule only apply to the occassions two or three players - whether they run straight back or not - stand close together to form a wall?

Everybody will be learning the new standard in Round 4, whatever it is…

That Cleary Kick

It flew under the radar on the day as Brian To’o couldn’t reel the kick in, but it won’t be the last time we see Nathan Cleary attempt this kick…

Subscribe to Premium to read the rest.