No guarantees golden try will excite: NRL

Posted August 08, 2011 21:50:38

NRL officials do not buy the argument that a golden try extra-time period would ensure more excitement than the current golden point system.

The golden try concept was again the subject of heated debate over the weekend, most notably with former premiership-winning coach Warren Ryan pushing for a trial.

Ryan believes sides desperate for a try to win a match would create more excitement than teams looking for a field goal, perhaps with both reduced to 12 men during an extra 10 minutes to increase the chances of a four-pointer.

It was speculated a trial could even happen in the final rounds of the regular season in matches with no bearing on the top eight.

NRL director of football operations Nathan McGuirk has ruled that option out, adding there was no guarantee golden try would result in a more electrifying finish than golden point.

"That's very debatable, I think," he said.

"The theory amongst some coaches with that is that we won't have teams striving to get up the field within field goal range as much.

"They'll just hit it up then kick and then you may have the opposite come the other way as well.

"I don't think there's any guarantee that golden try will offer any more excitement than what we currently have with golden point.

"All these options have been discussed. They've been looked at by clubs, by our previous board, and each time when it has been discussed, golden point has always been supported."

The NRL has been told it could potentially increase its broadcast revenue by tinkering with the game to make it more appealing to advertisers

Nine Network chief executive David Gyngell has said stoppages for ad breaks at scrums and goal line drop-outs could help the NRL match AFL's $1 billion-plus deal from 2013.

McGuirk says he is unaware of whether broadcasters have a preference for golden try over golden point.

"I'm sure they would love any excitement towards the back end of games, particularly with golden point," he said.

"That's what people want to see. They want to see close games - they want to see results.

"I'm sure they would like the concept of getting a result."

The NRL argues the extra period is designed to achieve a result and golden point is more likely to do that than golden try.

The league is also concerned about player welfare.

"There's the argument also that you are changing the fundamentals of the game," McGuirk said.

"You can't have penalty goals and you can't have field goals - you're changing the actual game itself."

But McGuirk admits the idea is likely to be discussed again at the NRL's end-of-season conference.

"We're always happy to discuss any issues like that at the end of the season with our clubs," he said.

"We just believe that these types of important changes need to be discussed and, if needed, implemented at the end of the season."


Topics: nrl, rugby-league, sport