The ARLC has overhauled the charges and penalties system, meaning every player will begin the 2022 season with a clean slate.

Under the new changes, which will become effective from Round 1, player records will reset on a rolling 12-month period since their last offence.

All Grade 1 offences will carry a fine, except reckless high tackles which will be treated as starting at Grade 4, in line with careless high tackles.

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Offences have been streamlined into eight categories, and players who enter early guilty pleas will be able to have their potential suspensions reduced by one week.

“The changes will add more diverse experience to the decision making panels, simplify sanctions and reduce anomalies where players received significantly different penalties for similar offences because of carry over points,” the NRL said in a statement.

“In particular, to ensure consistency, a decision tree with video examples will be used for each type of offence by the Match Review Committee.

“The process will be easier to understand and more transparent.”

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Players such as Tevita Pangai Junior, Jack Hetherington and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves will breathe a sigh of relief after having their prior records removed, meaning harsher penalties are less likely to be enforced due to previous incidents.

As well as the complete overhaul of the charges and penalties system, the judiciary will also be expended with former players, coaches and referees now eligible to be members.

The judiciary chairman will observe the whole panel’s decision making process before casting a vote as to whether the decision is unanimous.

The Match Review Committee Members will also be expanded with former coaches and referees joining former players as members.

The MRC will remain independent, meaning the NRL CEO and ARL Commission can refer matters to it that have previously gone uncharged.

MRC manager and former player Luke Patten will have the final vote on whether a charge is issued when there is a deadlock.