Hetherington calls for game to tackle coaches' negative tactics

Hetherington believes that some Super League coaches are proving too clever for the administrators by perfecting tactics which, while not illegal, stifle the opposition and make life difficult for referees.

The Rhinos chief stopped short of naming the culprits but, in echoing the fears expressed this season by Wakefield's former England boss John Kear and Hull head coach Richard Agar, he is clearly pointing the finger at Australian coaches such as Wigan's Michael Maguire and Huddersfield's Nathan Brown, who have succeeded in slowing down the play-the-ball to give their teams more time to set their defences.

"A hundred years ago the game's administrators started to change the rules of rugby to make the game a better spectacle and this process has continued ever since," he said.

"But in the past decade any new initiative has been introduced by clever coaches and, with the exception of the 40-20 rule, every one has had a negative effect.

"Tackle technique to wrestle and grapple, slowing down the ruck, kicking to the corner and goal-line, ball stripping and the interchange rule have all changed the look of the game and we now need to introduce changes focused solely on improving the spectacle.

"These changes should challenge the coaches to improve their teams' offence. We should reward risk and creative play and penalise negative tactics.

"All the game's stakeholders should have a say – the players, referees, fans, both on the terrace and TV, and coaches too – but it is the top administrators who now have to grasp the nettle and take control."

Bradford Bulls' James Donaldson will find out today the extent of the knee injury he sustained in Sunday's Carnegie Challenge Cup tie against Warrington.