Reduce interchange, reduce wrestle: Johns

Former Kangaroo Matthew Johns believes the NRL should reduce the amount of interchanges in order to cut down on wrestling in the game.

Former Kangaroo Matthew Johns believes reducing the amount of interchanges will help eliminate what will no doubt be a hot topic at NRL headquarters this week - wrestling.

All 16 NRL mentors attended the NRL coaches conference for the first time in Sydney on Monday ahead of a two-day rules committee summit.

The NRL coaches conference touched on several ways of improving play next year.

But Johns believed limiting the amount of interchanges from 10 to six would be an encouraging start.

Under Johns' model, once a player left the field he could not return.

He said there would be fewer in tackles as the game wore on and allow the "cream to rise to the top".

"When you fatigue the players, the game really opens up," he told Triple M Sydney's Grill Team.

"This will eliminate getting lots of players in tackles and will really go a long way to eliminating the wrestle out of the game."

The NRL said one of the possible innovations for the future discussed at the coaches conference was a standardised time-keeping system for broadcasters, stadia and coaches boxes.

It also reviewed 2014 changes including the concussion rule and those that clamped down on cannonball and lifting tackles, the referees' performance and the match review committee.


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