Concerns rise over NRL's six-again rule, with fears it disrupts competitiveness and increases defensive fatigue amid rising scores.
Rising concerns are emerging around the NRL's six-again rule, with Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart now warning the game may have "lost the fabric" of what makes it competitive, amid growing debate over whether increased speed is driving blowout scorelines and defensive fatigue.
Introduced to reduce stoppages and encourage attacking football, the rule is now under renewed scrutiny, with questions being raised about whether it is genuinely improving the spectacle or simply overloading defensive systems.
According to NRL data, there have been more tries scored from a tackle set starting with a six-again this season, rising to 22 per cent compared to 18 per cent last year.
The numbers also point to a significant spike in game restarts early in the 2026 season. There was a 35 per cent increase in set restarts in Round 1. The average set restarts in 2025 were (5.87), and in Round 1, 2025 was (4.63). That jumped to an average of 8.14 in Round 1 of the 2026 season.