BALMAIN Outlet GREAT'S CRITICAL ASSESSMENT OF NEW RULES

Former Balmain hard man Paul Sironen has suggested the faster pace of NRL this season has led to players being over-coached and as a result have lost their creativity.

The first few rounds of the NRL season has shown a gulf in class between the top and bottom teams in terms of attacking prowess.

Front-running teams like the Penrith Panthers have managed to accumulate over 100 points in their first four matches, whereas lowly teams like the Canterbury Bulldogs haven’t even managed to score above 0 for their last three matches.

Speaking on SEN’s NRL Crunch Time, Sironen agreed that different sides had a different mentality when it came to creating opportunities with the ball.

“It’s something I struggle with too, I reckon the footy’s coached out of it,” Sironen said.

“There’s some really talented footballers, and coaches say well you know we don’t want to risk passing or do this because if you do make an error it’s super critical.

“It’s a fine line, (but) I think if you’ve got the skill level and you can back yourself, then go for it.”

Sironen said he didn’t know if the gap between the top and bottom teams was “good for the competition", but he figured it will “work itself out".

“It’s round four, let’s wait and see,” he added.

“Things might even up.”