Oh, the mind games have started ahead of the finals!
As we head into the finals, there is a fascinating debate taking place around the game's expanded six-again system.
Forget the superstar players. There is a chance the 2026 NRL premiership could be decided by something far less glamorous.
The rules.
More specifically, which teams understand how the rules are going to be applied - and which teams are capable of adapting to them fastest.
I think we are potentially looking at one of the most important tactical issues of the entire final's series.
Not because I believe referees are going to decide who wins the premiership.
But because the teams that deal with the referees and the rules best may have a significant advantage.
The six-again rule was introduced in 2020 to deal with what was widely seen as one of rugby league's great problems - the wrestle.
The wrestle was brought in by coaches to dominate what is widely seen as the centre of the rugby league universe.
The ruck.
Instead of stopping play every time there was a ruck infringement, the referee could simply restart the tackle count and let the game continue. It was designed to keep the game moving.
And originally, it worked.
But, as coaches inevitably do, teams adapted.
The rule was expanded, then it was wound back. Then the NRL changed the geographical area in which it applied.
In 2026, that zone was extended again - from the 40-metre line to the 20-metre line.
The history of the six-again rule is essentially the history of the NRL trying to stay one step ahead of coaches who are constantly trying to find ways to exploit whatever rules they are given.
And it's all focused on the policing of the centre of the rugby league universe.
And that's why the mind games ahead of this year's finals are so interesting.
Players are (all of a sudden) telling us they aren't completely comfortable with it.
Harry Grant has questioned whether players always know what constitutes a fast or slow play-the-ball.
James Tedesco has said he has sometimes been unsure why six-agains are being awarded.
Cameron McInnes has made the point that supporters watching at home can sometimes see a restart without understanding what has actually happened.
Those aren't comments from people sitting in the grandstand. They're coming from some of the highest profiled players who are actually involved regularly in the ruck.
Peter V'landys has strongly rejected the suggestion that players don't understand the rules, arguing that the data shows the ruck speed is essentially where the NRL wants it.
And then, after the initial confrontation with the Rugby League Players Association (RLPA), V'landys appeared to soften his position, saying the NRL would remain open-minded and welcome player feedback at the end of the season.
That's significant because it tells us this argument isn't going away.
I'd like to add where I think coaches should be looking, and I dare say they already are.
Coaches should be asking the question “How do we make sure it doesn't hurt us?”
Because you can't control the referee.
You can't control whether the official standing behind the ruck interprets something differently to the official you had last week. But you can control how your team responds.
And this is where the best coaching departments should be earning their money.
Studying referees, identifying trends and preparing their players for the things officials are most likely to penalise.
Asking questions like
- “What is this referee looking for at the ruck?”
- “How aggressively is he policing the ten metres?”
- “What most regularly constitutes an infringement in his interpretation?”
- “Which players in our team are most likely to get caught?”
- “What do we need to change defensively?”
And, perhaps most importantly...
“How do we exploit the interpretation without crossing the line ourselves?”
Because you can guarantee that if clubs are complaining about refereeing, they will also be preparing for it.
The numbers make this even more interesting. The amount of set restarts hasn't simply followed a nice, predictable pattern throughout 2026.
According to data cited in the current debate, the average dropped to around 6.5 per game between rounds 14 and 23 - more than 25 per cent lower than the opening part of the season.
Then, over the final four rounds, it jumped back up to 8.4 per game.
That's a massive difference when you're talking about a game decided by tiny margins.
And it means teams have had to adapt to different levels of intervention throughout the season.
The RLPA survey cited in the debate found 84 per cent of leading players believed referees were having more influence on results than they did in 2025, while 96 per cent believed the overall match speed had increased or significantly increased.
Whether you agree with those numbers or not, they tell you something important.
That the players feel the game has changed. And finals football magnifies everything.
During Round 8, conceding a six-again might be frustrating. In a qualifying final, it could be catastrophic.
Imagine a game locked at 12-all with two minutes remaining.
Your team is defending 30 metres from its own line.
A referee calls six-again.
Suddenly the opposition has another six tackles.
They suddenly have another six opportunities to attack.
They eventually score.
Your season is over.
It will be remembered as the moment that changed the game.
That's the brutal reality of finals football.
The NRL needs to make sure the game isn't becoming so complicated that players, coaches and supporters are confused.
The best coaches in this final's series won't waste too much time fighting reality. They identify the reality and adjust.
If the referee is going to call something, stop doing it. If the opposition is getting rewarded for a particular tactic, work out how to counter it.
If the ruck is being policed differently, prepare your players differently.
That's the real finals advantage
What began as an attempt to eliminate the wrestle has evolved through multiple versions because coaches and players continually find new ways to respond.
And, in a final's series where the margins between winning and losing are microscopic, the smartest team may not necessarily just be the one that plays the best footy.
It might be the one that understands the version of rugby league being played on the day.
Lee Addison is a former club coach at Sea Eagles and Panthers and the founder of rugbyleaguecoach.com.au. He is a Coach Mentor and his programmes for coaches and clubs can be found HERE.
