Hull KR skipper Elliot Minchella has backed calls for changes to Super League’s Captain’s Challenge after frustrations reached tipping point over the weekend.
Wakefield head coach Daryl Powell called for the challenge system to be scrapped after watching his side edge Hull KR in a tightly contested match that stretched beyond the two-hour mark – the latest lengthy Super League fixture in which Captain’s Challenge reviews played a significant role.
Minchella has now become the latest high-profile figure – and the first current captain – to weigh in on the rule, which was introduced ahead of the 2025 season in a bid to mirror the NRL’s version.
“I’ve probably got mixed emotions on it,” the loose forward admitted.
“The Captain’s Challenge is great when it’s on your side – but I sympathise with Daryl at the weekend, I can see why they got frustrated with their challenges.
“For me, I had one where I won and we got that one. It depends which side of the fence you sit on – if you get the challenge, you’re probably in favour of it in that game, and if you don’t, I understand the frustration.”
However, Minchella joined growing calls for measures to speed up the review process, suggesting the introduction of a shot-clock system.
“I think the thing that needs addressing is the time it takes to make these decisions,” the Rovers captain continued.
“It’s fair to say they do last a bit too long, and it can kill the game – atmosphere, momentum et cetera. We’ve been on the end of some and you don’t agree, and then on the end of some and you do agree. It’s obviously an area that needs looking at in the game.
“It needs cleaning up and speeding up, maybe a shot clock type-thing. It’s getting messy, and probably needs looking at.”
Hull KR head coach Willie Peters voiced his support for the rule, although he agreed improvements are needed.
“At the moment, I do like it,” Peters said. “There are a lot of calls in certain games at the moment where if a decision wasn’t challenged, it’d stand and you’re looking at thinking, ‘How?’
“There’s certainly a place for it, but there are a few things to it.
“The amount of time being spent on it is way too long, there’s no doubt about that.
“The angles we have here, there’s not a great deal, which then means there’s a lot of inconclusive decisions made. It’d be an interesting statistic to see how heavy the inconclusive decisions are here compared to the NRL.
“It’s a good argument to have, we want to replicate what they’ve got over there, but is it the right thing if you don’t have the resources to be able to look at all angles and get a better decision?
“It’s there now, and I’m okay for it to be there, we support that. But we need to have quicker decisions – we need the game flowing more.”