Crabtree embraces need to improve his fitness

IN A move which will please many, the endurance levels of rugby league forwards are set to be tested more vigorously after the game decided to revert closer to its traditional values.

The Rugby Football League yesterday confirmed that the number of substitutions during matches will be reduced from 12 to 10 from next season.

It may seem only a minor adjustment which will have little impact on the way games evolve.

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However, it is designed to make players work harder, especially props who are often ‘spelled’, and the hope is that increased fatigue in defences will create extra space for attacking players to exploit.

Clubs will still have four players on the bench but, in 2012, coaches must re-assess how best to utilise those options.

Many employ front-rows for stints of as little as 10 minutes to make as sizeable an impact as possible before giving them a rest and returning them later.

But such players may now find themselves being asked to stay on the field longer, knowing they could be targeted as a weak link if their fitness is not up to scratch.

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The robust Huddersfield Giants and England prop Eorl Crabtree has carved out a niche as just such a performer and he realises he may need to make significant alterations to his own game.

“Firstly, I think this decision will be good for the sport,” he told the Yorkshire Post.

“It is going to make some of the guys like me get fitter so we can last longer out there.

“Sides already tend to target the bigger fellas defensively and that will happen more if they think we’re tiring even more.

“At Huddersfield, I sometimes do three separate stints.

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“I might start the first 15 minutes of the game, being told to go out all guns blazing to try and give the lads as good a start as possible.

“Then I’d come off and go back on just before half-time, perhaps play another 10 or 15 minutes at the start of the second period before another rest, and then finally coming on for the last spell.

“But if our coach (Nathan Brown) wants to do that next season he may have to change the way the whole team plays.

“He’s got to find the right blend but I know I have a challenge now to get fitter and faster in case I need to be out there longer.

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“I’m just coming back from injury and have lost some weight.

“If I can keep that off, hopefully I can play a lot more minutes next season but we’ll have to see how Nathan approaches it.

“I know the faster lads will be pleased as forwards will be given less chance for a break and they will be able to exploit quick play-the-balls more often.”

RFL chief executive Nigel Wood admitted the rule change – one of a number announced yesterday – was initiated in order to encourage more attacking play and examine endurance.

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“The concept is that if there are fewer interchanges it means we’re asking some of our athletes to stop longer out on the field,” he said.

“That means fatigue is a bigger factor and we’d like to think some of the game’s quicker players will then make a difference.

“Rugby league prides itself on being a fast-paced, entertaining sport and these amendments will ensure that remains the case.”

Many critics believe the introduction of so many replacements – there were just two substitutions allowed until the early 1990s – has diluted the game given there is now little reward for teams being superior in fitness.

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If a side is tiring, the option of bringing on a fresh replacement negates that advantage.

The sport is never likely to return to two substitutions but this step is a nod in the right direction.

It is already in use in Australia’s National Rugby League and will now become part of international law.

The RFL’s Laws Committee, a body comprising past and present players, coaches and administrators that was formed earlier this year, proposed the change, which was approved by the RFL council.

Other new rules have also been passed.

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One states that players in possession who come into contact with the corner flag during general play will no longer be deemed to be in touch, a pleasing announcement for wingers attempting to squeeze in at the corner and one which clearly gives benefit to attackers.

Another sees players allowed to drop-kick for goal when taking conversion attempts, something which could be utilised when a chasing side is perhaps trying to re-start quickly in the latter stages of a game.

Common sense has also finally prevailed when it comes to those annoying instances when referees penalise players who carry on playing after unfortunately failing to hear their shout of ‘held’.

Rather than deliver a harsh penalty, officials have been told to show more leniency and instead allow the player to go back and play the ball.

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“The objectives of the changes are to ensure that rugby league retains its place as the most exciting team sport in the country,” said Wood.

“The Laws Committee was set up with precisely this idea in mind and will continue to analyse the rules and discuss ways in which we can improve the current system to make the game the most entertaining spectacle it can be.

“I am confident that the 2012 season will be one of the most exciting seasons to date.”