Leeds Rhinos hooker Matt Parcell not a big fan of Golden Point change

Super League is set to scrap the free play rule, limit the time taken over scrums, drop outs and conversions, reduce substitutions from 10 to eight and introduce sudden-death extra time at the end of drawn games.

The ex-Brisbane Broncos and Manly Sea Eagles man played under those rules in the NRL before joining Leeds Rhinos ahead of the 2017 season and has mixed feelings over the proposals.

“I definitely think the shot clock should be introduced,” Parcell said of the time limit on stoppages in play which was introduced for the 2016 NRL campaign. “Last year there was a lot of time wasting, especially at drop outs.

“I think that ruins the game, especially if you’re the attacking team. If you force a drop out I think you should get the ball back quickly to take that advantage. The advantage sort of goes if a team gets a minute or two break then they’re ready to go again.”

Teams will be allowed two fewer changes next term, three years after the NRL went to eight interchanges. Parcell said: “It will introduce a bit more fatigue. For me that’s a good thing. I think that’s the way it’s going, everyone wants an entertaining product and more fatigue equals more tries.

“That and the shot clock will probably change the game a lot.”

But Parcell admitted he is not a fan of golden point, which will lead to teams playing two extra periods of five minutes at the end of drawn games with the next score winning the match.

The system was brought into the NRL in 2003 and he warned: “Personally I think it makes the game become a dropgoalathon and teams stop trying to score tries. Teams obviously want to either win or lose and maybe they should introduce a golden try. It takes a bit away from the game when everybody starts trying to kick field goals and stops actually trying to play.”

Parcell reported back to begin pre-season training at Leeds yesterday, along with Adam Cuthbertson, Carl Ablett, Brad Singleton, Brett Ferres and Tom Briscoe.

The hooker is one of the players Rhinos’ management are believed to have been willing to let leave if an offer came up elsewhere, but he stressed: “I missed a lot of that, [it was] only when Garbs [Mitch Garbutt] moved to Hull KR I caught up on what was going on.

“From me personally there was nothing about leaving. Obviously Dave [Furner, Rhinos’ new coach] is here now which is exciting and I am keen to work with him.

“I never got told anything, I was always coming back and I’m back at training now.”

Parcell reckons Rhinos are set for a better year in 2019, after finishing ninth last season. He said: “Everyone was really disappointed with how last year went, but it is a new season, there’s a lot of new things going on and a real freshness. Dave has come in and I think he will be really, really good. I am excited about the year ahead.”