Brisbane prop Jarrod Wallace believes the new interchange rule will benefit his style of play throughout the 2016 season.
The number of interchanges has been reduced this year from 10 to eight in a bid to put a greater emphasis on endurance and conditioning.
Wallace is capable of playing big minutes – a trait that has seen him become an integral part of Brisbane’s 17-man squad.
The 24-year-old is currently with the Broncos squad in London as the team prepares for their World Club Series match against the Wigan Warriors on Saturday, February 20.
He believes the new rule will give the fitter forwards a chance to play more minutes and amass more metres up the middle.
"I think that with the reduction of changes I might get a little bit more game time," said Wallace.
"With the lesser changes it means us forwards will probably get a bit more time on the park with each stint.
"This means I might get a few more minutes so the rule will probably benefit me in the long run– it will be good for my game."
Wallace had a rocky start to his career at the Broncos under former coach Anthony Griffin.
Griffin had a tendency to pick Wallace on the bench and not play him at all during the 80 minutes – a ploy that sapped the confidence of the young forward.
The return of Wayne Bennett to Brisbane in 2015 resulted in Wallace having a breakout year as he was finally given his chance.
Wallace went from averaging a meagre 26 run metres per game in 2014 to a solid 87 metres in 2015 – a number which looks to grow in 2016.
Brisbane’s forward pack continues to go from strength to strength with Samoa international Josh McGuire returning from injury – bolstering their already impressive line-up.
This depth is creating a competition for spots – something that players like Wallace are thriving on as they discover an increased hunger to perform.
Although it may be tough for Wallace to crack the starting line-up this year, he says coming off the bench inspires him to work harder and make the most of his time on the field.
"As a player you want to make sure that you are doing your job," said Wallace.
"Coming off the bench you just want to keep the momentum going that the other boys have started off with. You just need to keep that going for them because obviously you don’t want to get on there and end up changing the momentum and getting on the back foot.
"I’m just glad that I have been given this opportunity to play for Brisbane and amass some minutes – it has been good for me."
