NRL: Warriors ready for rule change

It is expected the amount of interchanges will be reduced from the current limit of 10 once the rule changes are implemented. Photo / Getty Images

The Warriors have already planned for the NRL to implement changes to the numbers of interchanges and the composition of the bench before the start of next season.

The NRL yesterday announced a review of the interchange rules, throughout all associated competitions including the UK Super League, aimed at making the game safer and more entertaining.

It is expected the amount of interchanges will be reduced from the current limit of 10, to reduce the number of potentially dangerous collisions involving fresh players while also promoting a less structured style of play.

Chief executive Jim Doyle explained the Warriors have been pre-empting changes to the interchange rules and altering their recruitment plans to target durable 80 minute campaigners rather than big-bodied impact players.

"That's something that's been in discussion for a little while.

"I think that will inevitably change, so it's just a case of timing," Doyle said.

"We've been conscious, and Cappy [coach Andrew McFadden] and I had a discussion late last year that that's likely to change.

"And therefore you can see with recent recruits with people like Ryan Hoffman and Bodene Thompson, you're bringing in people that can play 80 minutes. That's really important if you've got a lot of big guys that can only play a short period of time you're going to have to adjust."

The Warriors have been relying on their back-row trio of Thompson, Hoffman and captain Simon Mannering to get through big minutes and free-up tactical interchanges for coach Andrew McFadden. All three players have completed 80 minutes in each of the three outings so far this year, bar Thompson, who was replaced after 69 minutes against Canberra in round two.

Doyle says this is merely a pointer to what is to come.

"Definitely, as you can see in the first three games, our guys have been playing a lot of minutes to allow the interchanges to have a bigger effect, knowing that [at] some point in time the quantity will change."

Doyle also weighed in on the debate over whether independent doctors should be introduced to oversee the diagnosis and treatment of players suspected of suffering concussion, urging the NRL to tread carefully when considering new legislation.

Amid growing concerns around players being allowed to return to the field when they shouldn't, Doyle believes faith should be shown in the club doctors to make the correct decisions and fears their individual reputations could be at risk if a third party is introduced.

"Actually it's not something the NRL can take lightly because if they put an independent doctor in for every single game then in some aspects are they questioning the integrity of professional doctors?

"At the end of the day each club needs to make sure that they have a doctor who knows that his own individual reputation is on the line ..."

Doyle would not comment when asked if he believed some clubs exerted more pressure on their medical staff to pass concussed players as fit.

He reiterated the point that Warriors team doctor Doc Mayhew is the one and only decision maker when it comes to assessing players' health.

"I just know from our club we are very, very clear that we would put no pressure on our doctor at all. He'd be the person that will make the decision and if a player isn't capable of coming back on he won't come back on."