NRL fans may find themselves doing a double take this season when tuning into post-match press conferences.
NewsCorp has announced that the tradition of featuring both the coach and team captain will no longer continue.
For over a decade, it has been customary to see the captain and coach together, providing leadership, perspective, and insights from the field.
However, the league has decided to assign the responsibility of addressing the media solely to coaches after games.
In recent years, the captains have rarely been asked questions by the diminishing number of reporters present.
Under this new rule, captains will not be present at all.
While fans can still look forward to interviews and other media engagements featuring captains, the post-match press conferences will now be dedicated exclusively to coaches.