The NRL looks set to use two referees for premiership matches next season after the idea received a positive response from club bosses at their annual conference in Coffs Harbour on Tuesday.

The proposal for dual referees is yet to be formally accepted but NRL chief executive David Gallop said the signs were it would go ahead.

"It is something that has been debated many times and there is a strong view that we need to try it and to see if it does in fact lead to the outcomes we all want which is greater consistency and a better flowing game," Gallop said.

"If it doesn't add value or if it is not proving effective then we would review it and make further changes if and when necessary."

The two referees idea would be applied to the premiership only, with one referee to oversee the play- the-ball while another would be based on the 10-metre line.

The referee on the 10-metre line would be the one with the power to rule on stoppages and penalties while his counterpart would communicate directly to him.

Referees could alternate between the roles during the match.

The idea was backed by coaches, players, media and game representatives at a conference in Sydney earlier this year and will now be taken to the NRL board on December 11.

But Gallop said the backing of many of the executives seemed to suggest acceptance of the idea was a mere formality.

"The proposal is still to be adopted by the board but it's significant that a number of board members were here today and certainly we are looking at this as part of a significant investment in further raising the standards of on-field decisions," he said.

CEOs also agreed with an NRL recommendation that video referees would no longer be allowed to determine penalties for stripping of the ball during tackles.

The video referee will still be allowed to notify the referee on foul play only if the matter is serious enough for the player to be placed on report.

Other items of discussion at Tuesday's meeting were the introduction of a specific judiciary category for the controversial grapple tackle and wrestling and a minor amendment to prevent time wasting around scrums.

Under existing guidelines the referee will blow time off when one side forms a scrum but he will signal time on the moment those players disengage to change roles with other players.

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