Canterbury skipper Michael Ennis says he would welcome the introduction of a captain’s challenge to the NRL as long as such a system was properly trialled first.

Under the instruction of the Rules Advisory Committee, the NRL will trial an NFL-based system in the round 26 National Youth Cup match between Manly and Gold Coast in which captains will be permitted to challenge a referee’s decision they believe to be incorrect.

Ennis said the introduction of such a system had merit.

“It will be interesting to see how it works,” Ennis said.

“I would want to get it right because Dessie (coach Des Hasler) would be up me if I got it wrong, it would be about picking the time. I haven’t really seen it through too many codes.

“I don’t doubt at some stage the coach will race a trainer out there for the challenge.

“I have heard arguments that people don’t want to slow the game down more. But on the other side of things we see so many controversial things each week about calls and referees, people probably want to get them right so it will give you an opportunity to get that right.”

Under the proposed system each team will be permitted one incorrect challenge per half, but there will be no limit on the number of occasions a captain can query a referee’s decision if the challenge is proven correct.

The Rules Advisory Committee which includes ARL Commission general manager of football Nathan McGuirk, ARL commissioner Wayne Pearce, NRL coaches Brian Smith and Ivan Cleary, former coaches Daniel Anderson and John Lang and former Australia captain Darren Lockyer, gave the green light to the trial on Tuesday.

Ennis said if the system proved to reduce refereeing errors it was worth implementing.

“They have to go through the right process,” Ennis said.

“I think throwing it straight into the competition without giving it a good run through like the trials or somewhere when there isn’t two points riding on it that is probably the best way to do it and that looks like what they are going to do.

“They have been pretty open about it by saying that they are going to give it a go in round 26 and by no means are they thinking of throwing it in straight away.

“They are just testing the waters at the moment.

“I don’t know how it is going to work, but they are willing to give it a shot and if it proves successful in the Toyota Cup, then maybe have a shot at it in the trials (next year) and see how it pans out.”