NRL Coaches Threaten To Boycott Next Conference In Protest Of Late Rule Change

Angry National Rugby League coaches are "threatening to boycott their next conference with the NRL in protest of a late rule change they fear will cause confusion" at the start of the '15 season, according to Paul Crawley of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. Coaches "are furious that the NRL rushed through a change to the 'interpretation' of the release of the tackle player rule" just two days before Christmas -- and "without their collective consultation." Coaches said that while the NRL will sell this as only an "interpretation" change, it is "in fact a significant rule change and it will be impossible to police consistently." On Sunday, coaches "were reluctant to speak publicly about their concerns given the heavy-handed fines the NRL dished out last year." But they were "adamant it was a waste of time going to last December's coaches conference in Sydney, which ironically was the first time in recent history every NRL coach was in attendance" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 1/19).