NRL to announce interchange overhaul

The NRL will announce an overhaul of the interchange system for the 2016 season in the coming days, with the number of substitutions to be cut to eight.

The rule change require the approval of the ARL Commission and is expected to be ticked off over the next week and a half.

The NRL has wrapped up a review of the interchange rules and considered bringing down the number of rotations to as few as six.

It will be the first change to the interchange rules since 2008, when the governing body reduced the number of replacements from 12 to 10.

The change is aimed at bringing the little man back into the game, making the game more exciting and reducing the number of injuries.

Critics of modern rugby league argue that because of the increased aerobic capacity of players and the proliferation of wrestling techniques, the game has become too predictable.

The NRL sought to address the issue this year when it changed interpretations of the ruck aimed at speeding up the play the ball.

By reducing the number of interchanges by two to eight, it is hoping to open up the game to smaller, faster players in the dying stages who could take advantage of tiring forwards.

The move has been welcomed by several NRL players, big and small alike.

Sydney Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves questioned whether the changes went far enough and encouraged the NRL to reduce it even further.

“I love it,” Waerea-Hargreaves said.

“They can take it down to six if they want.

“I’m really excited about the idea and it enables you to stay out on the field a little bit longer and play a bit more footy.”

South Sydney hooker Issac Luke said it would change the role of dummy halves.

“I wish they’d done it a couple of years ago when I was fast,” Luke said.

“You’d see a lot more smaller dummy halves.

“The nippy ones are going to love it.”

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