LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
Sharks star Addin Fonua-Blake has expressed significant concerns regarding the NRL, specifically that recent rule changes may deter big-bodied players from continuing in rugby league.
With NRL officials Peter V'Landys and Andrew Abdo focused on creating a faster-paced game and reducing stoppages, rules like the six-again have been implemented to promote more fluid play for fans. While this shift benefits smaller, quicker athletes, Fonua-Blake warns that it could drive larger players away from the sport.
"I feel like they [the NRL] changed the rules so many times to accommodate the smaller player, but it's starting to rub out the bigger players," Fonua-Blake stated in an interview with foxsports.com.au. He added, "Whilst the game is interesting when it's faster, the fans do love seeing the big boys running straight or doing those collisions."
Fonua-Blake emphasized that the current direction of the game poses challenges for players like him, particularly front-rowers. "The way they are making the game at the moment, it's very hard for blokes like us to stay in the game," he explained. "They're taking the collisions out, so in a few more years, there probably won't be a need for bigger bodies like us in their game."
His remarks come in light of Nelson Asofa-Solomona's recent decision to leave the NRL for boxing, citing his size as a disadvantage in rugby league. Fonua-Blake has urged the NRL to engage in discussions with players to re-evaluate the rules to ensure that the sport doesn't alienate the next generation of larger athletes.