The Agenda Setters Rugby League on Channel 7 NRL Head of Football Graham Annesley discusses the Disruptor – Last night on The Agenda Setters: Rugby League Corey Parker (CP), David Riccio (DR), Aaron Woods (AW) and Luke Keary (LK) discuss the biggest topics of Rugby League, including;
- NRL Head of Football Graham Annesley clarifies what a Disruptor is, after contentious new rule
- Adam Doueihi joins the panel, and discusses; the Tigers and coach Benji Marshall

“We can’t go back to open season” NRL Head of Football Graham Annesley on ‘the disruptor’
CP: “The Disruptor call is proving to be as clear as mud. The rule to protect the player from being unfairly taken out without the opportunity to contest the ball is what ‘the disruptor’ was brought in for. Can you give some clarity on the rule and where it is at right now?”
GA: “The disruptor is all about obstruction and interference with players who don’t have the ball. It’s about trying to ensure the is a fair contest for the ball when the ball goes in the air.”
We don’t want to go back to a situation where kick-chases has no intentions to try and enter a contest. Their sole objective was to try and take a receiver out, so he would either spill the ball, or he’d be taken out before he had the chance to receive the ball.” “We can’t do that, we can’t go back to open season”
“If there is a genuine contest and a player spills the ball, that’s okay, but it needs to be a genuine contest.”
Aaron Woods confronts NRL Head of Football Graham Annesley on new ‘six again’ rules
AW: “You’re very staunch on the new rules for the first few rounds, and then we’ve seen in the last two rounds after the first 15, 20 minutes it’s gone. I don’t understand why we are trying to fix these rules; if something ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
GA: “It’s an objective that we get the required level of compliance from teams on the field in relations to rucks an 10 metres, and do that in a way that’s not constantly interrupting the game.”
Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater given permission to negotiate with rival clubs
DR: “This just breaking, Scott Drinkwater has been given permission to negotiate with rival clubs. The Perth Bears are circling, but I don’t think they’re willing to go to the money that St George Illawarra are prepared to go to.”
LK: “Does that mean the Cowboys have said ‘we’re done with you’.”
DR: “Well in 4-5 years time, who are the two most influential players at the club? I would say Tom Dearden and Jaxon Purdue. You can’t keep Jaxon, if you’re keeping Scott Drinkwater on close to 1 million bucks.”
LK: “So the dragons are looking to buy another player who is being discarded?”
DR: “He’s a pretty good player…”
Brisbane Broncos giant Ben Te Kura has gone on a 6 week loan deal to the NFL.
AW: “Ben Te Kura has been granted a 6 week load deal to the NFL, to follow his dream.”
CP: “Six weeks for Ben Te Kura. It’s a training camp, which has been a show of good faith by the club. If you want to chase your dream at the NFL, by all means go do it. If you succeed, we will accommodate you in that area. If you don’t, come back and nothing is lost in that regards.”
Paramatta in pain after another historic loss.
CP: “In the history of being a club the Gold Coast titans, they have only ever put up 50 twice. Paramatta have conceded by more than 50 twice in the opening 6 rounds of the competition.”
DR: “It’s alarming, absolutely alarming. There is no chance Paramatta fans would have thought they would be in this position at this point of the competition. There was so much hope and optimism, and being smashed by 50 points in two occasions. What must be said, Josh Hannay didn’t have six forwards, he had two injured, so the Titans weren’t at full strength.”
DR: “I had some major concerns about the Paramatta roster at the start of the season, namely in their outside backs. The Eels are currently scouring the rest of the NRL to try and find some replenishments as far as their playing roster is immediately concerned – maybe loan players. But I want to come back to my point, my concerns were with their outside backs. They let go the NSW State of Origin winger Zac Lomax earlier this year and it was the story of the Summer. Has it blown up in their face?”
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The Agenda Setters Rugby League on Channel 7 NRL Head of Football Graham Annesley discusses the Disruptor























