'I know what I want': Raiders coach Ricky Stuart weighs in on six-again drama as NRL cops criticism
The new six-again ruling has only been in effect for two rounds and it has already copped heat, with pundits and fans fearing the game is being over-officiated.
But Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has no issue with the way six-agains are being called.
The definition of what determines a six-again ruling was revised over the off-season, with the NRL changing the call in a bid to keep the ball in play for longer during games.
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As per the revised guidelines, a six-again can now be called for ruck infringements and offside defenders beyond the 20-metre line instead of the 40-metre line.
The change has proven costly for any team stuck in defence as players' fatigue takes its toll. The Eels were on the wrong side of this when they were thrashed 52-4 by the Storm in round one, with several critics pointing to the lopsided scoreboard that formed as a result of set restarts.
Bulldogs great Josh Morris has led the criticism, claiming that the game no longer rewards defence.
"They say defence wins competitions ... now pretty much it is whoever can stop momentum wins competitions," he said on The Continuous Call Team's Offload podcast.
Stuart has been vocal about his dislike for some rules in the past, but he has recognised and accepted that the NRL is evolving to fit a specific fast-paced style of football.
"Peter V'landys has made it very clear to us all that the business we are in is an entertainment business," Stuart told reporters on Wednesday.
"You can see that the [ARL] Commission want it to be fast, you can see the Commission want it to be attractive for our fans and they want tries scored.
"Speeding up the game is one way of doing that. Eliminating the penalties from the 20-metre to the 40-metre zone is going to speed the game up and have more ball in play.
"You can see the nature of what the Commission want."
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart reacts. Getty
Stuart then gave critics of the revised six-again ruling two options, to continue watching players wrestle or let the game play on with no major interference.
"You've got to make a decision yourself as a fan," he added.
"Would you like to be a fan of an opposition team where you've got a team that just wants to keep on wrestling and wear the referee out to the stage where the referee just doesn't give any more penalties? Or would you rather it just be play-on with the six-again?
"You make the decision yourself as a fan. I know what I want.
"I want to eliminate wrestle, I want to have speed in the game, and if the six-again is the way to go then that is the way to go. We've got to have that."
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Ethan Sanders of the Raiders celebrates his try with Joseph Tapine. Getty
Stuart could not fault any major rulings against the Raiders so far this season but he did make it clear that he expects the NRL to ensure officiating is consistent for all players.
"I don't think we want to see the wrestle and the ugliness on the ground. I think that's a blight on our game," the 59-year-old added.
"Testing skill and testing defence in regards to the speed of the game is probably what the fans want to see.
"I don't enjoy getting six-agains against our team but we're doing everything we can to have a cleaner ground and get the execution correct so we're not giving it away.
"As a coach, as long as the referees are consistent with the six-agains and they are also coming down on high-profile players in regards to six-agains, I'm comfortable with it."