SAINTS coach Paul Wellens has welcomed rugby league’s new directive to clean up the rucks following last week’s announcement on rules around the messy play the ball area and punishments for deliberately slowing down play.

The package of measures includes a change from ‘set restart’ to a penalty for infringements within the opposition’s 40m zone to deter teams from conceding six-agains early in count to gain a tactical advantage.

Around the ruck match officials will police and sanction more stringently flops, hands on the ball, making sure markers are square and ensuring ball carriers regain their feet on the mark and make a genuine attempt to play the ball with the foot.

Wellens accepts that there may be some short-term pain to hammer home the message but the change is for the good of the game.

And he stressed that it was the responsibility of the coaches and players – not simply the match officials - to make this work.

Wellens said: “I think it is a no brainer for the sport.

“It has become a huge frustration for players, coaches, supporters and I think even officials at times because there’s just been a real grey area over what is or isn’t a penalty or a six again. I don’t think anyone can tell for sure.

“The effort the game has made to clean the area up will have a big impact on how the game looks as a product.

“People want to see a quick game, an exciting game – they want to see tries scored and the more entertaining players being given time and space with the ball to do things.

“And that’s not me, that is fans of every club who turn up every weekend and want to watch a spectacle that is exciting and cleaning up the ruck is, in my opinion, is a must if that is going to happen.”

Ideally Super League wants to replicate the NRL when it comes to cleaner rucks and develop a more attractive spectacle for the supporters.

Wellens in the past has referenced how much quicker the game was when they played Penrith in the World Club Challenge.

“I think in the NRL the clubs, players and coaches are all a bit more compliant in terms of making the product clean and we have to take responsibility there as coaches to make sure that we are doing all that we can to clean up the game as well.

“Off the back that, if the rules are in place the only way that you effect change is by enforcing the rules properly.

“If that means that one weekend there are 21 six-agains – and nobody wants to see that – then so be it.

“That might be the only way to stop proceedings being slowed down by punishing that behaviour when it does happen.

“There will be some short term pain, but I do think it’s necessary. The game is being damaged by the game being as slow as it is so making sure that isn’t the case moving forward, I think will improve the sport.

“We all have to play a part in in that – players and coaches - not just officials,” Wellens said.