Kallum Watkins welcomes new attitude among RL players after concerns over new rules

KALLUM Watkins can now say he has seen something new in his long playing career: rugby league stars being given a voice and being listened to.

The Salford captain was among a group of notable names to express their dissatisfaction to the Rugby Football League over the new head contact rules.

And he was surprised that the governing body was willing to take their concerns to heart.

As much as the fact that those entering the field, who never really did their thing in the past, have found a common voice.

Watkins said: “It’s definitely a welcome change.

“It was a very good conversation. As players we felt like things weren’t consistent and we wanted clarity.

“The most important thing, however, was that the players had a voice. We have a good core group and if everyone believes in it, we can have a voice and help improve the game.

“At the end of the day, we’re out there playing and we can take it day in and day out. What else do you need in terms of voices?

“And the fact that we are proactive and work together, where the teams also agree, is something great. It can bring clarity to the sport.

“The Rugby Football League now has people who are willing to listen, which is great. We don’t want to be against each other. We all want the best for rugby league.

“There have been times in the past where we tried to build something, but sometimes it was due to a lack of communication.

“Things would be decided, but the players wouldn’t know about it. If we can communicate more together, we can make good decisions that we can all agree on.

“Long may this continue. We will sit down with them again in a few weeks to discuss other issues.”

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The players’ concerns even led to talk of possible strike action. Although SunSport understands that that was never really a serious proposal.

One thing former England star Watkins believes they have in their hands is the power to make rule changes work and understand how referees see things.

The 32-year-old added ahead of tonight’s trip to St Helens: “If anything new comes in, for me it will always be implemented strictly early in the season.

“The referees also have to get used to it. They will also interpret things differently, they will not all see things the same way.

“We have to get used to that and be proactive in what we do so that no penalties are imposed.”