Fans "have overwhelmingly backed moves" to expand the National Rugby League to an 18-team competition rather than relocate or dump longstanding Sydney clubs, according to Phil Rothfield of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. In a poll on www.telegraph.com.au, 75% of supporters "favoured an 18-team competition." The polls "were part of fan feedback on Monday’s revelation that the NRL’s competition and rules committee had floated the radical idea of playing 100-minute games over four 25-minute quarters in a shortened season." Surprisingly, "support from fans for such drastic change got reasonable support." While the majority of fans were against the proposal, 35% said that "they liked the idea." Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy said that the proposal "deserves further consideration." Bellamy: “I’m a bit each way because I’m a traditionalist who likes two halves. However if it means reducing the season to 18 games, which would reduce the burnout on players, then I like it" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 12/9). In Sydney, Matthew Elkerton wrote the NRL "has introduced a new shot clock to the Auckland Nines competition to be used while teams take conversions and drop-outs." To quicken the pace of the game, "teams will be given 25 seconds to complete a conversion after a try is scored." If they fail to take the conversion within the 25 seconds "it will be deemed a missed kick." Also, defending teams "will be limited to 20 seconds to complete a goal line dropout." Teams "will be penalised if they fail to complete the dropout in time" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 12/8).
