FORMER Super League stalwart Sam Tomkins wants to see an unlimited amount of substitutions to be allowed in rugby league.
Speaking on Sky Sports: The Bench podcast, Tomkins was asked what he would like to ‘bench’ – or get rid of – in rugby league.
After being asked, the ex-Catalans Dragons fullback, who retired at the end of the 2023 Super League season, replied:
“I’d like to see a restricted a number of substitutions (on the bench). I can’t see the benefit of having four subs,” Tomkins said on Sky Sports: The Bench podcast.
“You should be able to, if you have 32 players fit, get them all kitted up and let them sit in the stands. Then if you lose a halfback after two minutes, rather than the game getting lost or win, we go right: who is our next half?
“We want the best product possible and to have that you need fresh people on the field as much as you possibly can.
“Why do we only have four subs? The amount of interchanges has been changed over the years so let’s have as many fit and fresh players on the pitch as possible.”
Back in 2003, the RFL increased the amount of interchanges allowed during a game from six to 12.
For the 2012 Super League season, this figure was reduced to ten and then for 2019, the number was reduced to eight. In effect, we are almost back to square one.
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