Wakefield Trinity begin innovative approach to improving youngsters' skills

The Belle Vue club have agreed with four other clubs – Salford Red Devils, Bradford Bulls, Hull KR and Hull FC – to play fixtures under modified rules, with the first of the matches against Salford last week.

The games are featuring 10 players a team and are played in three periods of 30 minutes (each with a short half-time break after 15), with each club allowed to select from an unlimited number of players, allowing all fit players from their squads to have a decent amount of time on the pitch.

In addition, the rules are amended with the onside retreat reduced to seven metres, a maximum of two defenders in a tackle, no scrums, no conversions and 20-metre tap restarts rather than kick-offs after tries – all to increase the focus on core skills and tackling technique.

“I think Wakefield Trinity and especially their head of youth Ben Lazenby deserve recognition and congratulations for such an innovative approach – and also the other clubs who have agreed to trial these rules in their fixtures against Wakefield,” said Paul Anderson, the RFL’s head of England Pathways.

“The priority at scholarship level should always be on the development of skills, good habits and also enjoyment. We’ll be really interested to see what impact these changes have.”

Ben Lazenby said: “Last season I introduced this playing format to provide something different for the scholarship players to what they are regularly exposed to and becoming over-familiar with. We trialled two scholarship games and learnt so much about our players by challenging them in a different way.

“The format we devised is a very pure version of Rugby League that amplifies skill, speed and vision. With more space and adapted tackle scenarios it really exposes game understanding, emphasises the importance of quality contact in the tackle area and accuracy of execution of skill."

The first of the modified rules games saw Salford take the first game 28-24 then Trinity won game two 48-4 and game three 40-32.

The next game under the new rules will be at Bradford on June 25 before Trinity host Hull KR on July 9 and are away to Hull FC on July 23.