Greg Alexander calls out glaring flaw after details emerge about NRL kick-off rule change

Penrith legend Greg Alexander has questioned the proposed new kick-off rule change, suggesting it might not have the desired impact the NRL expects in 2025. Reports on Tuesday claimed the NRL was looking to bring in a new kick-off rule, which would see teams concede a seven-tackle set if the ball does not bounce before passing the 20-metre line.

Teams can still go for a shorter kick-off, but if they want to go long they would need the ball to bounce before entering the 20-metre zone before the try-line. The rule change comes after a number of concussions occurred during tackles off kick-offs in 2024.

The most recent was in the NRL finals when Nelson Asofa-Solomona collected Lindsay Collins high off the kick-of, which saw the Roosters prop knocked out and ruled out for the clash. Collins would have been ineligible to play in the NRL grand final if the Roosters had won because of the game's protocols around concussion and stand-down periods.

Debate has been raging over proposed changes with the NFL already taking measures to change how their game is started with the kick-off. "We are trying to reduce the chance of collision," Andrew Voss stated on SEN radio on Tuesday morning.

Penrith great Alexander was all for the rule change and claimed something needed to be done for the kick-off after a horror year of concussions. "We've seen the short drop-out become popular...the kick-off not so much," he said.

"The short kick-off hasn't become what the drop-out has. And to change it the NRL has thought they need to bring in some sort of penalty...The kick-off is a problem. The collision in a kick-off is a problem for the game. There seemed to be a spate of them very early on...I think this is inevitable to try and reduce the amount of injuries from the kick off that they needed to bring in something to make the teams kick short."

Will teams concede seven tackles and kick long anyway?

While many support a change to reduce the chances of concussion when two players are running at each other at full speed, Voss does not feel all teams will see it as a big deterrent. "My first reaction is I don't think it will change the mentality. If you want to kick deep, you will do that because you you might force error. You want the team running it off their line, to put pressure on them," Voss said.

Alexander agreed it might not eliminate the long kick-off from the game because the deterrent isn't harsh enough. However, it is a step in the right direction by the NRL and he supported the rule change for next year.

"Not entirely (will it change things)," he said. "I agree there will be times where teams will think, 'we are willing to take this risk of the extra tackle'. It will be interesting to see if that will be enough of a deterrent by the NRL to bring in the extra tackle to not kick long."

Lee Hagipantelis talks about NRL's duty of care

Off the back of the kick-off debate, lawyer Lee Hagipantelis claimed the NRL need to be seen doing everything they can to reduce the risk of concussion in the game. Although Haginpantelis admitted this is very hard in a contact sport.

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"The bringing of a class action is probably inevitable...now the NRL and the clubs as an effective employer of these players has the highest duty of care to ensure their safety," Haginpantelis added on SEN Radio.

"The NRL has experts available, biomechanical experts, medical experts and they go through this with a fine tooth comb to see what they can do about changing the rules to minimise the risk. But no matter what they do there will always be an element of risk given it is a contact sport.

"The NRL has to be conscious of trying to do what they can to minimise, if not negate, the risk entirely. Can that be done? Who knows. Only time will tell. The NRL is particularly conscious of a class action being contemplated and how it would be defended."

Graham Annesley admits change is coming

When the debate erupted earlier this year, NRL head of elite football Graham Annesley claimed fans needed to understand the game was changing and the long kick-off could be up for review. And the rules might need to change to get in line with the modern times.

“Never say never about anything, because the game evolves, and the game is a different game now than what it was 20 years ago or 100 years ago,” Annesley said. “Player safety is a high priority for the [Australian Rugby League] Commission, it’s a high priority for the administration.”