The NRL will trial a major change in the NRLW during the final round of the season by testing a smaller ball in one game.
Code Sports reported that on Saturday, the Cronulla Sharks NRLW and the St George Illawarra Dragons NRLW will battle for the wooden spoon at Allianz Stadium in the final round of the season. The loser of the match will be last place and receive the wooden spoon.
A smaller Steeden will be tested in this game after the players were given the new, modified ball at training this week.
It will be introduced and tested in an NRLW match for the first time after a lot of discourse on the topic has been established in the women's rugby league space.
The ball traditionally used in the women's competitions is a standard size 5, as well as the NRL and all the men's senior competitions.
However, a modified ball that is 2 centimetres shorter while weighing 20-30 grams less will be tested.
The experiment will gather data around the Sharks and Dragons performance to see if a modified ball will be a future addition in the NRL.
With a smaller ball, there is hope that ball control, kicking, and passing can improve and build confidence within areas of the game that have been criticised significantly.
Across different female sports like the AFLW and cricket, they use a different size ball compared to the men's competitions.
On the Say Less With Millie, Keeley & Liv podcast in seasons past, Millie Elliott highlighted that the size 5 ball hinders ball control in the women's game, particuarly when it is late in game and players are fatigued.
Some players are open to the idea of a smaller ball being used, while others would rather use the same ball as the NRL.
Cronulla and St George NRLW sides will play the wooden spoon match at Allianz Stadium first prior to the North Queesland Cowboys and Cronulla Sharks in the NRL playing their elimination final.
