Revolutionary ball idea could change the face of rugby league

Melbourne smashed Sydney 46-0 earlier on today, but one major talking point during and after the game was how slippery the ball was in wet conditions.

Pundit and former halfback Andrew Johns then delivered a challenge – the Age has revealed – to ball-makers Steeden, outlining why there should be a ball to help players be more effective in the wet.

“The ball they played with today is perfect for a day ball and if you look at the ripples around the edge, they are quite small,” Johns said.

“During the day you can catch it and throw it and it doesn’t sound much but it gives you that fraction of a second and as a halfback it means you can scan and make decisions.

“When it’s slippery at night, you catch the ball to your chest and it doesn’t give you enough time.

“My idea is to have a different ball at night with more pronounced ripples where you can grab hold of the ball and it sticks to your hand.

“We should challenge Steeden to come up with something – a water polo ball you can get hold of it no matter how slippery it is.

“I think it’s something we should look at and experiment with.”