Taken from sky sports

Australia's National Rugby League (NRL) will introduce two-point drop goals for shots outside of 40 metres as part of sweeping rule changes aimed at encouraging attacking play.

Drop goals, also known as field goals in the NRL, have previously been worth only one point so are the least-preferred method of scoring.

Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V'landys hopes the new two-point rule will accelerate play.
Providing the opportunity for a two-point play will give teams incentive to make attacking plays to get into field goal range at the end of a half," he said.

"It will also ensure teams who are down by one or two points in the dying moments of a match have a better opportunity to win a game or go to golden point."

The NRL will also introduce the 'six again' rule for ruck infringements, which gives the attacking team a set of six new tackles if the defending team strays offside. Scrums will also be more strictly policed by referees, while teams will be able to play the ball from the restart if it is kicked or carried into touch rather than have to pack scrums among other rule changes.
The message from the fans and our broadcasters has been clear; the game became too predictable and the balance between attack and defence had gone too far in favour of defence," V'landys added.

"Our changes last year were successful in addressing some of those challenges and the changes announced today will take the element of unpredictability and entertainment a step further."

NRL rule changes for 2021 season

Introduction of a two-point field goal for kicks taken from more than 40 metres out
'Six-again' to be called for 10-metre infringements
Penalties for teams if they leave a scrum before a referee calls 'break'
A play-the-ball restart if the ball or player with the ball goes over the sideline
Video referees to review replays after an on-field referee awards a try but a conversion attempt will not be allowed until it gets the green light
Injured players will be interchanged if a trainer ask for play to be stopped
When a captain's challenge is inconclusive a team will not be docked for an unsuccessful attempt
A handover will be ordered when a player does not make a genuine attempt to play the ball correctly with their foot

A handover will be ordered when a player does not make a genuine attempt to play the ball correctly with their foot

This last paragraph means, if a game is refereed correctly, there’s going to be a lot of handovers, although it might just slow down play the ball for those team that normally just roll the ball backwards, for a quick play the ball.

I’m all for speeding up the game and the latest changes regarding hand overs and set restarts have grown on me but the incorrect play the ball, like you say DS is reffed correctly, the ref will either need a new pea for his whistle or the play the ball will be a bit slower.

we could start by teaching the modern player the correct way to do it

Totally agree Snowie mate, been saying it for seasons now, certain teams with incorrect play of the ball and the defending team getting punished with either interference or not square.

We'd better get rid of Ffffffffffffifita then

Those rules only apply to the NRL (at the moment !!)

Interesting one, the two-pointer. I'm not sure what I think. I don't want games to be a kick-fest but, on the other hand, there's more skill in a long-range drop goal than in a penalty won from the back of dubious play or reffing.

Like you, I cant decide if this is a positive move or not.
If you were trailing by a point going into the last few minutes, surely, it's better to go for a "safe" 1 point drop goal and then go again, rather than gamble the house on a 40 yard DG attempt, which would be maybe a 1 in 5 chance ?

But what if the play-the-ball was on the twenty metre line and the hooker can boom it back to someone 45 metres out? The players charging down the kick will start more than thirty metres away. It makes for some interesting dynamics.

JD doesn't think it will be utilised much. Most will go wide, leading to a seven-tackle set starting on the twenty, which could be game-ending with five minutes to go, where the other side have seven tackles to get it down field and play it down there, and even put themselves in a one-point scenario to take it away from the long drop goal option when two ahead.

I reckon in reality it will be one of those last gasp thrillers to tie a game. If a team is only one-point ahead, they have clearly got a drop goal at some point, so if they can win due to a twenty-yard drop goal, why can't someone win it with a fifty yard one?

As I type, it's growing on me.

How do you get a 1 point scenario? And a team is 1 point ahead?

Rugby league is the only sport I have followed all my life, therefore I’m ignorant of rules for most other sports. I know Australian NRL have some rules different to RFL, so is our game the only sport worldwide, that play to a different set of rules, depending which part of the world you play in?