2026 NRL – The Prospector’s Pickaxe: The Gradual Release of Responsibility

 

 “Prospector, do you want a ‘thick ear’”?

 

Here I was, Year 8 Geography, and I had the school Enforcer, whose job it was to soften up the year 8s, going to work on me. “No, Sir,” I replied, like an Army Private at basic training. It was to no avail. My ear was grabbed and twisted as I was lifted out of my chair. It was the first of many times that it happened. Honestly, I did not know the difference between a ‘valley’ and a ‘spur’. I had no interest in Contour maps and haven’t seen one since.  The “thick ear” was his signature move, like the “Killer Karl Cox”, “Brain Buster”, or the Tiger Singh “Cobra”. I had this teacher every year of high school and by the end I had sore hands and very thick ears. By year 12, however, he was different. He had done his job and was relatively personable. Grudgingly, I understood the process. I see similarities in what is happening in the NRL.

 

 

Did you see all those penalties last weekend for all the attacking players challenging the bombs last weekend? No, neither did I. There weren’t many, if any. Yet the week, before it was all the talk from the coaches and the media. What happened?

 

 

Do you remember the outcry during “Magic Round” a couple of years ago, when the “Contact to the Head” rule was introduced?  Or as it is called now, a “crackdown”. Mass hysteria. What has this great game become? The old hard men, Spudd, Blocker and company, were incredulous. How many head contact decisions were disputed in the round just gone? Not many.

 

 

Do you remember the first few rounds of the season, when the bell was ringing ‘ad nauseum’, and the call from the fans and the coaches and the media was that set restarts were ruining Rugby League? Did you hear anything about it in the last 2 days since the end of the round? I haven’t. 

 

 

How many “obstruction” calls did the bunker get wrong this round? Probably one or two, but it is not a plague on the game like it was a couple of years ago. I cannot remember a bad miss from the bunker regarding obstruction. So, what is going on?

 

 

This is my theory. The NRL bring in a new rule and enforce it to the absolute letter of the law. This sparks outrage from fans, coaches and media. The NRL hold the line and refuse to budge. This is the “I do” phase.

 

 

Coaches and players scramble to adjust to the new rule. They plead confusion. “We don’t understand the rule,” they say. Eventually they do and they adjust and enforcement backs off.  This is the “we do” phase.

 

 

The referees pull back on the enforcement of the new rule. Coaches and players have worked it out. Everybody lives happily ever after. The problem is solved and we move on to the next blight on the game. The “you do” phase.

 

 

I must say, the NRL have done a pretty good job in this regard. There is some short-term pain, but some long- term gain. The game moves on. 

 

 

If there was a contour map of the NRL, maybe I did learn something after all, the low point, at least in terms of scoring, was the mid 1980’s. Canterbury 6, Parramatta 4 in 1984, Canterbury 7, St George 6 in 1985 and Parramatta 4, Canterbury 2, the try less grand final of 1986. The high point on the map would be 2026, the way things are progressing. The common element in the mid-1980s was the Bulldogs, a ruthless, defensive machine using the blueprint of master coach Warren “the Wok” Ryan. There was plenty of exciting football, great matches and great players, but the “Wok” had worked out the solution to the problem of how to stop teams scoring. The rules need to be changed to open the game. The most obvious example was the introduction of the 10m rule in 1993. This year, with the Parramatta 1986 premiership team in attendance, the Eels downed the Bulldogs, 38 to 20, an unthinkable scoreline between the teams in the 1980s. It is a personal preference which is better. I would love to see Sterling, Kenny, Ella, Cronin and Grothe playing under the modern rules. That would be something to behold.

 

 

SOO1 is on this week for the women. Go the Maroons. I did see Millie Elliot interviewed on Fox Sports the other night. The banner running across the bottom of the screen read, “Elliot to return after giving birth in Origin 1”. Dear oh dear, what is going on in the world of journalism these days. I shudder to think what would have happened to me at the Christian Brothers school if I had written something that poorly. 

 

 

Well readers, I am having a couple of weeks off. I am heading, to quote the great Johnny Horton, “Way up north (north to Alaska). We go north; the rush is on.” I am looking forward to seeing how the prospectors of old did things up the Klondike way. I dare say they would have done it pretty tough. Then again, with the price of gold at $US 4500 an ounce, I might hire myself some gear and have a bit of a poke around.  Hopefully I can manage to stay in contact with what is going on in the world of Rugby League. Enjoy the footy.

To read more by Mark Shannon click here.

 

To read our library of rugby league stories click HERE.

To return to our Footy Almanac home page click HERE.

To see the full 2026 season draw for the NRL click HERE.

To see the full 2026 season draw for the NRLW click HERE.

 To see the details for State of Origin in 2026 click HERE.

 

 

Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.

 

 

Do you enjoy the Almanac concept?

And want to ensure it continues in its current form, and better? To help things keep ticking over please consider making your own contribution.

Become an Almanac (annual) member – CLICK HERE.