Millie Boyle says NRLW players are disadvantaged because the footballs they use are too big

Women’s rugby league champion Millie Boyle has reignited the call for smaller Steedens to be used in the NRLW while also proposing a major rule change for the competition.

At present, women and men use the same-sized Steeden in the NRL and NRLW, a 37cm version of the iconic ball.

A smaller version exists at 34cm, but players – including Boyle – want Steeden to create a unique variant for women’s competition.

Boyle was part of a Q&A session with fans on the Upfront Podcast, which features women’s football players regularly.

Boyle was answering questions from fans on the Upfront Podcast when she was asked about the the size of the Steedens used in the NRLW

‘Do you think a slightly smaller ball could help reduce the handling errors?’ one fan asked.

‘I love that,’ Boyle replied.

‘You see guys running down the sideline with one hand [on the ball], trust me, we try.

‘We put the ball in one hand, we’re doing our grip strength, our hands are just not as strong or as big.

‘We want equality, we want to be taken seriously, we want all that, but to make the game a better product I genuinely think a smaller ball would do that.

‘Imagine scoring a try with a one-handed put-down? It just does not happen, it is very rare if it happens in our game.’

Men’s players like Tyrone Munro of the South Sydney Rabbitohs regularly carry the ball in one hand and score with one-handed put-downs

While the one-handed try does happen in the NRLW, it is far from common and Boyle believes that a slightly smaller ball would make the game more entertaining

Boyle said a smaller ball would be one of two innovations she would like to see in the women’s game, with full 40 minute halves in the NRLW the other.

‘Our halves are only 35 minutes, I think we are ready to take it to 40 minutes halves,’ she said.

‘We play international games at 40 minute halves, we play 80 minute games.

‘If there is any adaptation in the women’s game, personally I would love to see 40 minute halves and a slightly smaller ball.’

It is not the first time a call has been made to slightly reduce the size of the ball in the NRLW.

New South Wales coach Brad Fittler said the move to use a smaller ball would not be a detriment to the women’s game, it would just make it fairer

Former Australian captain Ruan Sims pointed out that there is a big gap between the 34cm Steeden and the 37cm version, so a new variant would need to be created

New South Wales Blues State of Origin coach Brad Fittler has also previously made the suggestion.

‘Just generally, women are smaller than men and the one thing I’ve found is the offloading,’ he said.

‘Obviously the men from carrying the ball and practising carrying the ball with one hand – I don’t think women’s hands are as big as men’s, would that be right?

‘I’m not sure what the women think of that but I just think it makes sense.

‘It doesn’t make the competition any different, it just makes it fairer.’

 Retired NRL star and former Jillaroos captain Ruan Sims agreed.

‘They’ve got the larger size at 37cm and then they’ve got a size at 34,’ she said.

‘So if Steeden could come up with a ball at 35.5cm – rugby union has that size ball… then I think it is a valid point.

‘There’s some top flight competitions that use a smaller ball for the women.’