THE NRL is set to trial captain’s challenge in round 26, with the system that has been in place in the under 20s given the green light.

The initiative will be used in Saturday’s match between St George Illawarra and Newcastle at Jubilee Oval as well as upcoming NYC finals.

The challenge system was brought in for the NYC competition in 2012 and has been used in that competition ever since.

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Using the same video review technology currently called upon at the discretion of the on-field referees when a try is scored, the captain’s challenge system allows the skipper of both teams to call for a review of any on-field call.

Under the rules used in the Holden Cup, the captain of each side gets one challenge per half.

It’s a system that has its supporters at NRL level, with former Broncos skipper Justin Hodges encouraging the NRL to bring it in at the start of last year.

“It works well in the NFL with the coach’s challenge and I have seen it work in the 20s in our game with the captain’s challenge,” Hodges said.

“I like it. It can only help the referees and us.

“Especially in semi-finals and grand finals when you are talking about decisions that can either win or lose you the game.

Referees will be kept on their toes by skippers during the captain’s challenge trial. Source: News Corp Australia

“It helps the referees. The challenge system gives them more time to get it right.”

While captain’s challenges would seem most useful in resolving decisions regarding tries, the challenges have also been used to review 50-50 calls, such as strips.

Under the trial rules, each captain will be allowed to challenge the referee’s decision in relation to tries only.

In the Dragons v Knights trial, the bunker will continue to be used for 40/20 rulings, goal line drop outs and 20 metre restarts, reportable foul play, double knock-on rulings and to determine which team touched the ball last before going over the touchline.

In the NYC Finals, the bunker will only be used to determine whether a challenge to a try scoring decision is valid.

The call to introduce captain’s challenge at the end of a season where it hasn’t previously been used, was made at today’s club CEOs conference, held at NRL House.

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CEO Todd Greenberg said the NRL had been considering a captain’s challenge system for several years but did not previously have the technology to be confident the correct decision would be delivered.

“However, the bunker gives us the opportunity to trial the captain’s challenge with state of the art technology to help determine whether a try has been scored,” Greenberg said.

“We will assess the trial to determine if there is scope to use the captain’s challenge more widely in the future.”

Head of Football, Brian Canavan thanked the Dragons and Knights for agreeing to trial the captain’s challenge.

“This will give us a chance to evaluate the captain’s challenge in a live NRL game where teams are still playing for two competition points,” he said.

HOW THE TRIAL WILL WORK

- Can only be used to challenge a try or no-try ruling

- Captains will have 20 seconds following a try/no-try decision to challenge the decision.

- No replays either at normal speed or in slow motion, will be shown on a big screen at the ground until the time allowed for requesting of a captain’s challenge has elapsed.

- A captain may request a review of any try/point-scoring decision made by an on-field official in relation to: groundings, knock-ons, obstruction, double movement, offside, touchline/touch-in-goal/dead-in-goal, tackle in the air, steals involving two or more defenders, foul play, as well as goals and field goals.

- Captains will get one incorrect challenge per half - allowing for multiple challenges as long as the review overturns the on-field call.

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