Richie Barnett: Full speed ahead for NRL after rules change

NZ Warriors Chad Townsend. Photo / Getty Images

The NRL is heading in the right direction with their efforts to speed up the game.

Despite all the worries around the rule changes and interpretations before the season started, it looks like things are on the right track after round one.

During the pre-season there were a lot of penalties - probably too many - as referees tried to lay down a marker.

If they get the balance right it will be a good thing for our game. It's quite exciting and looks like the possibilities within a match have started to expand a bit more, especially for the play-makers.

Over the past few years we have become used to four or five hit-ups, before a team will try something - a planned move, a set play, a chip kick etc. Now it seems like it is possible any time during the set of six, because there is a bit more space around the ruck and the players at first and second receiver should get the ball with a bit more time. That's got to be positive.

The NRL initiative is also important from a player welfare point of view. We have seen all too often defensive players holding the ball carrier up, intentionally not wanting to put him on the ground, before a third or fourth tackler comes in to effect more damage. It's bloody dangerous. And there is nothing good about wrestling.

Pioneered by Melbourne, and copied by everyone, it's frustrating to watch for players and fans alike.

However, it's also important that dominant, effective tackles are still rewarded - if you win the tackle, then you also win the right to a few more seconds for your defensive line to get into shape.

Last week it was also interesting to note that completions don't seem the be-all and end-all. Many of the teams that won had inferior completion rates to their opponents but they got good yardage when it matters and used the ball wisely.

That was one thing that let the Warriors down last week - the decision-making just wasn't good enough. It all got a bit frantic in the second half and no one was able to step back and have the vision to construct sets and plays. Shaun Johnson and Chad Townsend have been criticised for their second half displays and that's fair enough. There was a platform for the game to be won and the play-makers couldn't deliver, though they weren't the only ones.

But there was also a lot to like from the Auckland team. The forwards were impressive, and the ability across the team to put "effort upon effort" stood out. They look fitter than last year and will win more games than they lose if they can keep their intensity high.

Sunday's game in Canberra is vital, though it's a big call to ask Tui Lolohea to slot in at centre, one of the hardest defensive positions on the field.