The controversial NRL rule fans and coaches want to see SCRAPPED before it ruins the game

NRL fans are up in arms over the dramatic rise in set restarts this season, with furious supporters calling for the controversial rule to be scrapped.

The first four rounds of the 2025 season has seen a surge in six-again calls, with the average per game jumping from 4.7 last year to 6.

Over the first four rounds, this has resulted in a staggering 192 set restarts, leaving fans and coaches fuming.

The biggest increase has come from ruck infringements, which are up 30 per cent compared to last season.

The problem is particularly bad inside the defending team’s 20-metre zone, where infringements have nearly doubled from 30 in 2024 to 59 this year.

Offside penalties in this area have also spiked, rising from 17 to 25, meaning teams are now deliberately conceding repeat sets near their own try line in a bid to disrupt attacking momentum.

Furious fans have slammed the NRL’s six-again rule as ruck infringements soar across opening rounds

Set restarts have exploded to 192 in four rounds, sparking outrage among NRL coaches and supporters

Outraged fans have taken to social media to vent their frustration, demanding changes to a rule they claim is ruining the sport.

‘Watching the NRL after two Super League games, and the difference in ruck infringements is night and day,’ one fan fumed.

‘We need refs to be stricter and give more offside and ruck penalties. The play-the-ball is so much cleaner and better on the eye! I’d rather see more penalties than the mess we have.’

Others slammed the rule outright.

‘Ruck infringements are ruining the game,’ one fan raged, while another declared, ‘The six-again rule is the dumbest, the worst thing ever brought into Rugby League. It ruined the last World Cup and destroys so many matches.’

Many supporters believe referees are using six-agains to manipulate the flow of matches.

‘The six-again rule is the way they control games and teams’ momentum,’ one frustrated fan wrote.

‘They used to do it via the second referee. The game formerly known as Rugby League has become boring and predictable under V’landys.’

Ruck infringements have spiked 30 per cent, with deliberate penalties near try lines infuriating fans

Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has previously added fuel to the fire, blasting the officiating and calling out inconsistencies in how set restarts are awarded.

‘I see six-agains that go against my poor buggers, I see those tackles every week by certain teams, and nothing is done,’ Stuart raged after the Raiders lost to Manly.

The veteran coach pointed to statistics where Canberra was hit with 10 penalties compared to just four for their opponents. Worse still, the Raiders copped six ruck infringements, while Manly was only pinged once.

NRL bosses have refused to back down, insisting the rule is here to stay.

Officials claim the six-again call is designed to speed up play and encourage attacking rugby, but critics argue it’s doing the exact opposite, with teams now tactically conceding penalties to slow down opposition attacks.

Bulldogs boss Phil Gould has also previously slammed the six-again rule, warning that it disrupts the natural rhythm of the game and leaves both players and fans frustrated.

But not everyone agrees. Former player and commentator Matty Johns has backed the rule, arguing that teams simply need to be better disciplined in the ruck.

He insists the six-again rule forces teams to take responsibility for their defensive structures and makes the game fairer.