I SEE the NRL is likely to test a potential new rule in some of the remaining matches of the season that won’t affect the battle for the play-offs.

In particular they are going to test out a new kick-off rule after a try has been scored.

The idea is that the team that has conceded a try can decide whether it wants to kick off or receive a kick-off from the scoring side.

I’m ambivalent about this, but I will be interested to see how it works.

Looking closer to home, I wonder why we don’t do the same thing with some rule changes that we perhaps believe might benefit the game.

Three changes I have long recommended is a rule that says when a ball is kicked into the air and a player from each side competes to catch it, there should be no knock-on until the ball hits the ground. If the ball bobbles between the players without falling to the ground, the player who comes away with the ball shouldn’t be ruled to have knocked it on.

I would also like to see the double movement rule abolished and I would like to see five points being awarded for a try that began with a play-the-ball in a team’s own half.

Those suggested rule changes shouldn’t be hard to test and I think they would add some interest to matches at the end of the season where otherwise there would be nothing at stake.