The NRL says there will be "no rule changes" implemented in 2025 but don't let the wording of the statement fool you, one of the most polarising elements of the game will look very different this season.
The obstruction rule has long been a bug bear for NRL fans, with interpretation changes designed at fixing a grey area announced more than once over the past decade.
And yet another tweak will be noticeable this season, with officials encouraged to stamp out milking from defenders who have become skilful at seeking contact from decoy runners for the dual purpose of stopping a try and gaining a penalty for their team to get them out of trouble.
"We have provided clarity on some key principles in relation to the refereeing of obstruction as well as the considerations for match officials in applying those principles," the NRL's head of football Graham Annesley said in a statement released on Tuesday afternoon.
Annesley said that the new guidelines would aim to achieve a better balance between rewarding the tactical use of lead-runners to deceive the defence, and ensuring defensive structures are afforded a fair opportunity to adjust, while also minimising the incentive for players to 'play for' penalties.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the 17 clubs were further informed that: "A try will be awarded, if in the opinion of match officials, any contact between a lead runner and a defender would not have prevented the try from being scored."
If the defender initiates the contact and is deemed to have played for a penalty it is likely that the attacking team will get the benefit of the doubt.
There has been countless obstruction calls resulting in tries being overturned in recent seasons that have enraged players, coaches, commentators and fans.
Among the most recent examples was a moment in last year's preliminary final clash between the Panthers and the Sharks, with Ivan Cleary describing a decision to rule out a Penrith try as "terrible". He added that officials had "no understanding" of the play that led to a poor defensive read from Cronulla.
Siosifa Talakai received a penalty for this obstruction. Nine
That same play would almost certainly be ruled a try in 2025.
While the obstruction interpretation tweak will draw most of the headlines, the NRL also said it would be focusing on the play-the-ball as well as compliance of the 10-metre offside line.
"There are some areas of the game where standards have started to drop and other areas that required additional clarity around the way the game is officiated," Annesley said.
" … Last season we saw too many examples of players not making a genuine attempt to play-the-ball, so our match officials will be looking at that closely and we've also tweaked the way the referee will manage the 10 metres to ensure more consistency when defenders are allowed to advance."
