Rugby league needs scrums - Why Wakefield Trinity coach backs only temporary axe

Chester represents coaches on the Rugby Football League’s laws committee which this week agreed to recommend a number of changes for the resumption of the 2020 season at all levels of the game in this country.

The most radical of those would see the removal of scrums from all fixtures for the rest of this year, pending further clarification from Public Health England.

Health experts believe that will reduce the risk of exposure to and transmission of Covid-19 between players during matches, but Chester is against it becoming a permanent move.

“Scrums have been in our game since day dot and we do need them in there,” Chester insisted.

“If we don’t, then we might as well not have front-row forwards; you might as well play with big, athletic back-rowers in the middle of the field as everything will be really, really quick around the middle.”

Explaining the need for scrums to be sidelined while coronavirus remains a threat, Chester said: "Let’s say Kyle Wood tested positive the day after a game for Covid, then everyone in that scrum could potentially have to self-isolate for 14 days as he’s come into close proximity of the five players on his side and other six on the opposite side.

"We got medical advice and we just have to follow that advice. If it gets us back playing and back playing quicker then happy days."

Other recommendations included adopting the NRL’s new ‘six again’ law under which the majority of ruck infringements are penalised by a restart of the tackle count, rather than a penalty.

NRL rule changes introduced earlier in 2020 are also being considered.

These are: When a team kicks out on the full, play will be restarted by a play-the-ball rather than a scrum; the same following a mutual infringement - such as the ball hitting the referee or a trainer - and restrictions on the legal point of contact for a third defender in an upright tackle, which must now be above the knee.

Chester said: “There’ll be further discussion with regards to about six again.

“With the coaches meeting we held before, we felt we needed a little bit more time on gauging what effect it has had and is having on the NRL.”

Chester described the restrictions on third-man tackles as “a pretty obvious one” and insisted: “That’s the ugly part of our game.

“Every single Super League coach and some of the Championship coaches [who attended a phone conference last week] was behind that.”

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