Isaah Yeo believes it is too soon to write off the NRL's new set-restart changes, with Australia's Test captain downplaying fears more fatigue will prompt an increase in foul play.
A 67 per cent increase in set restarts on the first three rounds from last year has caused growing fears over the impacts of fatigue, with Parramatta coach Jason Ryles sounding the alarm last weekend.
In the past fortnight alone a set restart has been blown every 27 play-the-balls, at a time when the average margin of games has grown to 18 points over the first three rounds.
Ryles claimed on Sunday more players would be victims of hip-drop tackles from tired defenders, after Eels lock J'maine Hopgood had his ACL ruptured in one from Ryan Couchman.
That in itself bore similarities to 2021, when the set-restart rule was last at its peak and the players' union sounded similar concerns through a sharp uptick in high tackles.
But Yeo, who has one of the most powerful voices in the game as Penrith, NSW and Kangaroos Test captain, believes the situation will likely remedy itself within months.
"I love J'maine and you hate to see that for anyone, but whether it was a fatigue thing or just a desperation tackle trying to bring him down, I don't know," Yeo said.
"But I just feel like as the season goes, you normally adjust to it. Everyone gets that match fitness under their belt.
"It probably fixed itself with the high tackles (in 2021) as well and just players adjusting to the speed or the rule changes as well."
The increases in set restarts comes with ruck infringements and offsides now triggering them rather than penalty stoppages between the 20 and 40-metre lines as teams come out of their own end.
If those changes suit anyone, it is Yeo's undefeated Panthers.
Penrith reached five straight grand finals after the introduction of the rule in 2020, and had a 24-4 record in 2021, when set restarts were last at their peak.
In three games this year, the Panthers have conceded just 10 points.
Yeo said that in part had been due to Penrith's fitness, as well as the Panthers' ability to adapt quickly to the rule change in the pre-season.
And while he believed some teams were deliberately slowing the play-the-ball after giving away a set restart, the Penrith lock denied suggestions his side purposely offended to reset their line.
"I saw someone saying that we're giving them away on purpose. That's certainly not the case," he said.
"Because as soon as you give one away, you lose all field position.
"But the whole NRL will be fitter now in a month's time anyway. It's the start of the season. This is always when you're probably most fatigued.
"We've known for a long time that this is what was going to be implemented, so I feel like teams need to make adjustments to it."
