The top comment on an Instagram video from six weeks ago said it succinctly. The vision showed the uncanny ability of Melbourne Storm’s towering winger Xavier Coates to leap into the air and catch the ball over his opponent, then put it down for a try. “NRL needs to patch this glitch,” one user said.
The NRL changed the rules in 2020 to penalise a defender tackling a player who caught a ball in the air in the name of safety. In recent years the accurate kick to the corner towards a flying winger has become a staple of the sport.
