Power play to cut back All Stars

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GOLD COAST, Qld, Feb 3 AAP – Indigenous All Stars coach Laurie Daley admits his side’s preparations have not focused too heavily on the experimental rules that will feature in Saturday’s encounter with the NRL All Stars on the Gold Coast.

As in previous years, the match will see some tweaks to the rules like the inclusion of 50-20 kicks as well as changes to penalties in the ruck area, where holding down or pulling a leg will see a player immediately sanctioned.

However, it is the left-field idea of a power play for each side in either half that has generated the most interest.

The power play will allow a team to reduce their opponents to 11 men for five minutes.

Both sides cannot take their power play at the same time and should the team with 13 players score a try, it ends immediately and the two players, who’ll be nominated by their coach, return to the field.

There will also be unlimited interchanges during the game.

Daley said he still was yet to get his head fully around the power plays but was interested to see how they impact upon the game.

“It is a case of working out when to take them,” Daley said.

“It hasn’t been a big focus for us. We have touched on it, but I was more interested in other things.

“It is an exciting initiative, but we have probably looked more at the rucking penalties and working on that.”

Although the new NRL season gets underway in another month, Daley said he’d not been put under pressure from any club coaches to go easy on their players.

“I’ve had no contact and to be honest, I probably wouldn’t take their advice,” he said.

“But the coaches wouldn’t do that. They know how much this game means to these guys.

“If they did, then I would simply tell them that they could tell the players not to rip in.”

Despite a star-studded backline, doubts have been expressed about the Indigenous side’s power in the forwards.

The All Stars team has a fearsome looking interchange bench that includes Adam Blair, Anthony Watmough, Frank Pritchard and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.

This is in addition to Paul Gallen, Luke Bailey, Dave Taylor and Nathan Hindmarsh, who will all start the game.

However, Sam Thaiday believes the Indigenous side have the manpower to take on their opponents.

“Me and Greg Bird are 80-minute players for our clubs, and George Rose, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs are big boppers too,” Thaiday said.

“It is up to us to lay the platform for the backs to shine and show their magic.”

Daley has also named Jamal Idris in the back row alongside Cronulla’s powerful new recruit Andrew Fifita and although he has faith in his players, he acknowledged the difficulties the forwards faced.

“It’s a good challenge for those guys to see where they are at,” Daley said.

“They are going to have to work hard together because at some stage they will be struggling, they will need to find a way to keep going.”

Publisher: AAPNewswire

03 Feb 7:27 PM