“My view is that ‘you score, we score’ doesn’t fool anyone,” he said.
However, at the end of the season, the statistics indicated that the new rule had not made much difference.
In 96 Super League matches, 692 tries were scored, or 7.2 per game. In 141 ARL games, 959 tries were scored (6.8 per game). The average score in the Super League was 28–15. The ARL’s average score was 25-13.
So hindsight would suggest that it evened out, but when the two leagues re-merged to form the NRL at the end of 1997, tradition took over and the shootout was consigned to the dustbin.
Until now.
Barely a month before the first pre-season trials, the kicker is among four changes the NRL has asked clubs to consider. Others are an increase in matchday players from 17 to 19, set restarts instead of penalties outside the 20m line and six tackles instead of seven for the defending team if their opponents run over the tryline.
Of these changes, the most significant and likely to cause controversy is the striker’s kick – recommended by a highly qualified panel of coaches comprising Wayne Bennett, Craig Bellamy, Ricky Stuart, Ivan Cleary and Craig Fitzgibbon.
Coaches Craig Bellamy, Ricky Stuart and Craig Fitzgibbon at NRL headquarters after a meeting last month to discuss possible rule changes. Credit: Sam Mooy
In an email sent to clubs, NRL CEO Andrew Abdo explained that the kicker’s kick would be optional as the team that tried it would also have the option to kick instead of receiving the ball.
Abdo said it would introduce “a new tactical element to the game, where the captain can decide whether possession or fielding is more important based on the circumstances of the game”.
Bennett, who coached Brisbane to the Super League title in 1997, is clearly a fan of the concept, arguing that in the modern game, especially since the advent of the interchange and more recently restarts, momentum swings have become increasingly difficult to counter.
Kicking a kicker would theoretically give teams some respite when they are on the back foot, keeping them in the game and reducing the likelihood of a score being thrown out.
‘It was a disaster’: Phil Gould says the kick-off rule change didn’t work for Super League and won’t work now.Credit: Getty
“It’s fair,” the game’s most experienced coach said last month. “You have the same opportunity with the ball. Ball control has always been important in the game, but it’s skewed because you can score and then come back and get the ball back.”
Others are skeptical.
Canterbury boss Phil Gould has been the most outspoken critic, taking to social media to say: “Whoever it was who rubbished the concept of kicking a scoring team in the NRL should be publicly flogged. Please… they tried that crap years ago and it was a disaster.”
Cleary looks doubtful, pointing out that Penrith (2023) and Brisbane (2025) have won grand finals after launching mid-game comebacks. Such recoveries depend on getting the ball back from the kick-off.
Could Reece Walsh and the Broncos have produced their grand final comeback with the changed kick-off rule?Credit: Getty Images
Manly coach Anthony Seibold also has concerns. He played during the Super League era and did not forget that “there were still big scores and big swings”.
He was wary of “change for change’s sake” and recommended a trial period to assess the impact of the striker’s kick.
“Some coaches and players see the potential for the added tactical element, but others believe this change changes the dynamic of the game,” says Seibold.
“Tactically, I feel the short kick rules already provide a tactical option for the team that didn’t score.
“Our club’s interest is based on how tactics are communicated and what it does to the game, as this can increase the number of stoppages if teams need to change their positions once a decision is made.
“Clubs also need more details on the process and communication of the rule.
“We think the rule will be tested before implementation. So can we see how the rule changes the dynamics of the game and/or makes the game better to watch and a better game for the players?”
Knights coach Justin Holbrook said some of the proposed rule changes were “awesome” and would improve the game, but he wasn’t convinced about the kicker kick.
“I’m not sure if it’s going to be put in,” he says. “It’s just a recommendation at this point.
“Until it’s confirmed, I’m not really going to look into it too much…if it is, we’ll adjust accordingly.
“If you suddenly have a choice.” [to kick off or receive the ball]it all depends on the position.
“If you’re behind, you want the ball back. If you’re not, you’re going to kick long and stuff. If that happens, it’s all about the game situation.”
Almost three decades after his “you score, we score” comment, Waite is still involved in rugby league, as chairman of Runaway Bay Junior Club on the Gold Coast and as an adviser to the Melbourne Storm’s travel system.
He enjoys the modern game but insists he must maintain a “balance” between attack and defence.
He said the shooting kick could potentially “rock the swing a bit” but the NRL’s top coaches would soon adapt.
“I’m not against change and looking at new ideas,” says Waite. “Obviously the game is still about possession and fielding. It’s a war of attrition.”
“It will add some fascination to see how the coaches approach it.
He predicted that most teams would opt to win the ball after a try rather than a kick-off.
“Although if they drop a kick or turn the ball over for two or three, they might wish they had made a different decision,” he says.
Warren Ryan, pictured with Greg Alexander and Andrew Johns, changed the game in the 1980s with his innovative coaching.Credit: NRL photos
He felt it was “really healthy for the game” that the NRL was willing to seek advice from experienced coaches to hopefully create an improved product.
Waite served his coaching apprenticeship at Canterbury in the mid-1980s under Warren Ryan, whose famous ‘umbrella’ defensive system proved so effective that it prompted officials to introduce the 10-metre rule, doubling the distance between the attacking team and the opposition’s defensive line.
Ryan, one of the greatest coaches of all time, believes the kick from the kicker makes sense.
“It’s in keeping with the concept of a shared possession game,” says Ryan. “We scored a goal, now you get the ball from the kick-off and let’s see if you can score.
“I think it’s reasonable for the side he’s scored against to have possession if he wants it. I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”
Ryan noted that the rules of rugby league have been tweaked several times over the years, usually to improve the code.
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“There’s not much wrong with the game as it is,” says Ryan. “The game has generally evolved for good reasons. I don’t think they should interfere too much with it.”
“But it’s supposed to be a shared possession game. That’s why they got rid of unlimited moves and originally went to four and then six.
“People wanted their team to get a fair share of the ball and this is in line with that philosophy.
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