NRL great’s “concerns” with NRL rule change

NRL great Ryan Hoffman has expressed major concern with the new interchange rules which will take force at the start of the 2026 season.

The premiership-winner, who was one of the toughest players of his time, has taken exception to the change - one of a handful this year - suggesting there will be more problems than solutions.

Speaking on the Loose Carry Podcast, Hoffmann expressed his concerns surrounding the conditioning and development of players on the fringes of selection.

"There's going to be a lot more problems than solutions that are coming out of this six-man bench. I really do," he said on the show.

"It concerns me for the development of a lot of players, especially that utility factor. Just the fact of being on the bench on the off chance you might be used. It really concerns me.

"All these players are under injury clouds. So we better keep him here, and then he doesn't play for four or five weeks. Then, probably the one week you do send him back, you then need him. It's going to make coaches even more gun-shy."

Hoffman said the changes would alter the fabric of the game, with players no longer needing to play out of position once specialist outside backs are carried on the bench.

He pointed at the 2025 grand final as a great example of where the game would be changed.

"A great example was the grand final last year with the Melbourne Storm losing Jack Howarth to injury, and then putting in Tyran Wishart, who was their utility on the bench. Unfortunately for Tyran, it was probably the worst position for him to go to on the field in terms of effectiveness.

"They're saying give opportunity for players to have a specialist outside backs as part of the six on that off chance that you do need them. I think it's taken away a bit from the fabric of the game.

"It's so attritional now, you're losing a lot of players. They're making the game faster, but they're also giving us more reasons to take players off the field with head injury assessment, which is important. But a reason we're getting so many of these head injury assessments is because the games are getting so much faster.

"Just because you're making the game faster doesn't mean we're making the game better."

Watch this week's full Loose Carry episode with Ryan Hoffman, Lee Addison, Darren Parkin and host Phoenix Trinidad here.