Arabic version: برونكوس وستورم يختبران قاعدة جديدة لركلة البداية في دوري NRL

According to ABC News, Brisbane and Melbourne began their round 26 NRL match at Lang Park with the Broncos captain Adam Reynolds sidelined and a new kick-off rule being trialled. Both teams are out of finals contention, leaving pride as the stated stake in a late-season meeting between two major clubs.

The trial allows the side that concedes a try to choose whether to kick off or receive the ball after the score. ABC News said the NRL was using games involving non-finals teams to test the change, which had been floated before the season and then withdrawn. The league’s live coverage described the rule as bringing the game closer to American football.

Reynolds, who confirmed before the season that 2026 would be his final year, has been out since suffering a concussion in round 22. ABC News reported that he will miss Brisbane’s final two games, against Melbourne at Lang Park and Parramatta in Sydney, after two calf strains. Reynolds said he felt OK after a training run on Monday, but coach Michael Maguire and medical staff concluded that playing would not be in his best interests.

The 15-season NRL player has appeared in 323 games and scored 2,598 points, the second-highest total in history, according to the live blog. His achievements include premierships with South Sydney in 2014 and Brisbane in 2025, as well as two State of Origin appearances.

Melbourne welcomed back Jahrome Hughes and replaced injured player Jack Howarth with Tyran Wishart, while Brisbane was unchanged from the side that beat Canberra the previous week. Early in the match, the Broncos had two set restarts for ruck infringements but could not break the Storm defensive line, with Moses Leo cleaning up a Ben Hunt grubber.