Six again rule will make a better spectacle, says Joe Philbin

Drew Darbyshire

Warrington forward Joe Philbin says he is all for the six again rule, and believes it will turn rugby league into an even better product.

Super League has introduced the six again rule since the competition’s restart on August 2, which has been brought in to make the game more entertaining.

Under the six again rule, any offence in the tackle other than foul play would lead to the referee re-setting the six tackle count back to zero instead of giving a penalty.

Philbin said: “We’ve been replicating it in training and when you give a penalty away on the fourth or fifth tackle and you’ve got to defend again then it is really tough.

“You are going to have to be highly tuned to be able to cope with that and you’ve got to be very clean in the ruck.

“I think it is going to be a fit man’s game now, and I think it was already going that way. I’ve been watching the games in Australia and it looks very quick.

“It is going to speed the game up and I think it is going to be a better spectacle for the fans. I’m all for the six again rule to be honest and I think the more attractive we make our game then the more we sell it to people.

“We’ve got a great product in rugby league that we need to market better. With the product looking better now, hopefully people take notice.”

Listen to The Final Hooter podcast, featuring exclusive interviews, every week. SUBSCRIBE to Love Rugby League on Apple Podcasts.