During high-intensity simulation sessions at training, clubs aim to get players covering 85-95 metres per minute.

“The speed of the first half, they reckoned it was around 95 metres per minute, which is pretty high,” Eels coach Brad Arthur said. “Gutho [Clint Gutherson] was 120 metres per minute in the first 20 minutes, so it was very fast.

“I think both teams were real tired at stages and the quality of the shape was off at times, but I think that was because of the speed of the game. It’s just going to take a bit of getting used to. We had a plan to get the players off a lot earlier than we did but I thought they needed the match fitness.”

The NRL’s rule changes have focused on minimising stoppages, increasing the amount of time the ball is in play and, ultimately, raising the fatigue factor to ramp up the entertainment value of the sport.

It had the opposite impact on Saturday night, with the rule changes - coupled with a high completion rate - leaving players too tired to penetrate in attack. “F--- these new rules,” one Eels player told the Herald as he left the ground. “I couldn’t breathe.”

The most significant rule changes include adding inside-the-10 infringements to the six-again rule, as well as play-the-ball restarts for the ball or players going into touch.

Eels halfback Mitchell Moses even asked Panthers counterpart Nathan Cleary during the match if he was struggling to keep up with the pace, to which Cleary recognised the high speed of the game.

Parramatta players privately admitted the first half was tougher than any match they played last year, forcing them to place a greater emphasis on fitness heading into the opening round in 10 days’ time.

Loading

“The objective of the rules-changes is to reduce stoppages, increase the amount of time the ball is in play, and make the game as exciting as possible for fans,” NRL head of football Graham Annesley said.

“It’s always difficult to gauge the full impact of rule changes in trial matches, as it’s not until two points are on the line in the the opening rounds of the competition that the changes will be properly stress-tested.

“I’m not getting carried away at this early stage, but what I saw over the weekend was certainly encouraging.”