There’s nothing like a bit of good news. And for NRL supporters, the better tidings seem to be coming via forecasts of a mid year resumption of the 2020 Premiership.
Logistics around venues and social isolation have brought forward possibilities such as NRL Island or something resembling an NRL kibbutz in the nation’s capital. But as the NRL Innovations Committee work around staging issues and begin the task of formulating the draw for the rest of the season, I hope they don’t miss seeing the wood for the trees.
The hard part will be staging the games. The easy part should be who plays who.
Phil Gould once wrote, “rugby league is a simple game, complicated by people who should know better.” I hope that this won’t be applicable to what lies ahead.
Given the football pedigree of the people on the Innovations Committee, we should be able to trust that any solutions to the 2020 NRL Premiership draw won’t veer too far off the rugby league commonsense track.
The recommendations put to Peter V’landys and the ARLC should be based on what makes our game the greatest of them all – it’s simplicity. So, Keep It Simple Stupid. It’s an old principle but it’s golden.
To that end, let’s immediately put a thick red line through ideas such as a Wild Card finals weekend or a three match grand final series. They’ve only been raised in the media, so it’s difficult to determine the veracity regarding the consideration of these suggestions. Hopefully they aren’t in the mix, because such concepts have no part in rugby league.
In fact, if the NRL deliver a 10 team final series, with a Wild Card Weekend, and culminating in a three match grand final, they should just call the whole shebang “It’s A Knockout – Rugby League Edition” and be done with it.
Reasoning such as providing an extra couple of weeks of broadcast contract content via extra finals matches shouldn’t factor.
If the NRL is only able to fit 13 more full rounds of football into the calendar, with every team playing each other once, this will be the simplest and fairest draw.
Obviously, this scenario loses 9 full rounds (or 72 matches) of content. Unquestionably, therein lies the motivation behind the mangling of the integrity of the standard finals format.
Peter V’landys
But let’s consider whether more finals helps broadcast content in any significant way.
If there are a few extra weeks, the contracted content won’t be satisfied by a couple of additional finals matches. Playing more “grand finals” only provides two extra matches at best, whilst diluting the big match status of grand final day.
The same applies to a top 10. A weekend featuring teams 7 to 10 playing off only provides two additional matches for broadcast.
Therefore, any suggestion that such extra matches will assist in increasing content is nothing more than a furphy. You’d get an extra four matches at best – a drop in the ocean against the lost 72 matches. And in doing so, the 2020 Premiership would become an asterisk marked novelty. I’d go so far as to say that any NRL decision maker who’d suggest a three match grand final series should be kept in rugby league’s equivalent of a permanent lockdown.
A Premiership won after every team plays each other once, followed by a standard finals series, would retain much of its credibility. Indeed, there would be an element of extra kudos for holding the trophy aloft in such a challenging year.
Wayne Pearce will be heading the Innovations Committee.
Should the NRL Premiership restart much earlier than expected, with four or more weekends available, then the Innovations Committee can examine whether those weekends could feature full rounds with a draw that is fair. Every full round delivers eight matches towards the broadcast contract. Putting any energy into manufacturing a handful of extra matches in finals is, in comparison, absurd.
Every follower of the NRL wants footy back on their weekend schedule as soon as possible. There are numerous obstacles and challenges ahead, just to get the players back on the field, or onto an island as the case may be.
What we don’t need is some convoluted premiership and finals draw that diverts our game away from everything that makes it great.
When the game returns, the punters deserve a product of integrity.
Just give us a KISS.
Eels and NRL forever!
Sixties
Sixties forever, if the competition is limited to say 13-15 rounds, then all clubs should be made to play mid week to ensure everyone plays everyone once. TV win and the clubs would all be in the same boat and it would also allow clubs to bring in more players if needed.
The so called innovation committee is another NRL gem of an idea…..like the many before (tongue in cheek). Seriously all clubs would be faced in the same situation of having to play mid-week and i will not accept the excuse of the game being too hard / demanding considering the players ‘are meant to be partners’ in the game. If the clubs / nrl / players want the $$$ then they can look at this as a way to ensure the competition goes on without the mickey mouse ideas of this ridiculous committee.
I have heard some laughable thoughts in the media being the 3 GF; starting with origin (yeah Ch 9 would love this….) and the 2 pools – that would seem to have some clubs flying in / out of of states v often…..and more issues. The other one about relegation seems to be brought up again and people forget we have a small population / talent pool and it should end there. Sorry for being harsh.
Milo, it’s like the social isolation is already impacting people’s brains. If they get started by July, play each other once, play an 8 team finals, then play origin post season. If you get more weeks to play, play more rounds.
It’s not that hard is it?
As for mid week, I believe it’s a proviso in the NRL contracts that they can play them. You probably wouldn’t want it as a feature, rather as a way to squeeze in a couple of extra rounds if the start is later than July.
Sixties it is definitely not hard but they seem to think that ‘whacky ideas’ will make us forget the undoings of the NRL….it will not.
I think the chance to see some mid-week games would be good in terms of TV but depending on whether crowds could attend may make the grounds look empty but it is an option.
I am waiting on my local garbo to be asked by Fox for his best parra team…it seems everyone else is being asked.
Why not. I’ve got my Eels team list coming.
Sixties love your theme here. Keep it simple I agree is the best way to go.
It would seem that they are intent on playing SOO and I can understand that with the game so cash strapped after all that has happened
Thirteen rounds would take them to the end of August based on the most ambitious plan to begin first week of June. If you break that up with origin probably looking at the home and away season finishing end of September early October then finals series. However if they try to add extra rounds to get the extra content then they will be going deep into the pre season.
On the commission and while it is very early in his tenure as Chairman I like the way he has been handling this and he could end up as the best chairman we have had since the ARLC began.
It was interesting to see Wayne Pearce get the leadership role in the planning committee. He has been on the Commission since it’s inception and this is the first time that he has put his head up. Have always thought he was out of favour with some at the commission. I believe he was picked by Valandys so he must see something in him.
We are heading into interesting times. In hope it all works out for the Eels and the NRL community.
Further to my comments above, The best of three games to decide the GF is just dumb.
Of all the tradition that surrounds the game the GF is the pinnacle surely. Of all my time watching Rugby League it is always the GF that holds the mystique. Even when you team is not playing.
I am not sure when the GF began but it has been played a long time. to change it now would simply turn it into a novelty event.
My greatest GF 1981, the worst when we played the Dragons in the tied GF and then had the replay. The replay was awful and I would not like to go through that again.
Totally in agreement John re the drawn GF and mid week replay where the opposition got away with murder in order for them to win.
A three match grand final series is beyond awful as an idea. It stinks.
Imagine a three game grand final series and it’s one a piece after a dubious call in game two to send it to a decider!
Rocket we had a GF last season with some dubious calls from both ends. I wonder how players would get up for the GF 3 weeks in a row……not a fan of it.
Rocket and Milo, NRL grand final footy is a different beast. The players and the fans can’t get up for it in the same way over three weeks!
KISS, yes but leave the tongue out of it, and that is what is going on with all the suggestions about extra this and/or extra that.
From my perspective as a nutter in the ideas dept, I believe that whenever the starting date takes place, for me there is a need to basically have games that are pretty much continuation of the 2 rounds already played, enough rounds so that all teams play each other once for a complete season. To have that if a start takes place on June 1 then it means there is to be 12 rounds to play plus the finals. Enough games for all to be happy with
If there are spare rounds, then put the SOO on those weekends.
Play the finals as per the normal way its set.
For the TV audience, have an afternoon & early night game on Saturday and Sunday, a 5pm Thursday and Friday, followed by the 730/805 game.
Colin, I can’t believe that we would even consider some of these final series configurations. And as I keep saying, 3 grand finals – that will do me!
sixties, where am I saying 3 grand finals?. What I have said is play the remaining games scheduled to finish the season, then the standard finals & GF following on.
Colin, I’m not suggesting you are saying it! I’m just reiterating my comment.
Fair Nuff sixties.
I will go on record and say this. IF the return of the game does take place and the current talk is that there is consideration being given to split into two conferences and the teams that won in the opening rounds of this season are stripped of their points, there is no way I will support that, & will watch rehashed grade E repeat movies on the box rather than watch the game until it returns to how it should be.
Couldn’t agree more sixties. It’s sitting there staring at them…13 rounds and a finals series. Trick shots will look cheap. I know they are trying to maximise revenues but don’t turn the game into a performing circus, many out there make that claim anyway, and in current times NRL needs to be very careful about it’s actions. My guess is that many sponsors will want assurances about the detail of all this, particularly if a re-start prior to July 1 is pushed. Keep it simple. Not sure about Canterbury Cup, Flegg etc? I’m assuming only NRL will resume to raise revenue, in that case all 36 (30 + Dev) will be available so maybe this will assist if some compression of schedule is necessary.
Canterbury Cup and Flegg is gone for the year, so yes there will be 36 players available.
I can understand looking at revenues, but a couple of extra finals matches is a drop in the ocean.
Has it not dawned on anyone at NRL HQ that they are in trouble financially because they have waisted enormous money on ‘experiments’ that have been thought up by committees who have self interest and live in a pretend cooperate world.
We were told all these new things, like the integrity group, bunker, games development committee, refereeing coaches having assistant coaches, digital arm and department, expansion committee and finally taking up every single social justice issue and throwing money and resources at it would make the game better. It hasn’t and its only achievement is to waste money.
So instead of learning, the NRL goes and makes another committee to think about how they will get out of the trouble it finds itself in because they have no money, as the money they did have was waisted taking up recommendations formed by committees.
The answer is simply- play everyone once, play a normal finals series, if you can fit in origin great ( a normal origin with no new selection criteria).
Get what money you can and start afresh next year.
There you go NRL, it’s not that hard, no committee needed, in fact I would think forming a new committee is the last thing the ARL commission should let the NRL do. There track record is terrible.
Mmm…Origin. Overlaying Origin prep, camps etc on a shorter format when club coaches are going to have their work cut out operating on islands, in bubbles, under govt and medical overview will have its issues.Not to mention the players and families.Maybe a single game, to re-open the season, it’s then out of the way. The states can basically bid for the game, partner with their state govt and maximise the event, the sort of thing V’Landys seems good at.
No state is going to bid for a SOO with no crowds. The tourist dollar is what persuades states to fork out millions
Based on that they would be better off holding it at seasons end when there is a chance of spectators at the game
The other issue is that any season it takes teams time to get back in the rhythm of playing footy. Holding SOO at the beginning of the season would not produce the best football 🏈
Fist, Sixties has it down pat. 13 more rounds plus normal 8 team finals format. No novelty games. Not Rocket science.
Numerous other comments here, mostly rational and true to form from the writers.
In regards to the SOO series? Good analysis from John Eel on each and all possibilities with the potential to play these games in front of real crowds. I agree emphatically with John’s suggestion it be played post GF regardless of when we restart the NRL competition.
As for the Innovations Committee? I believe V’Landys has picked the right man to lead this cause. Wayne Pearce is a footyhead, no dunce either and no Rocket Scientist so he will not over complicate a simple task to rationalize the earliest possible re-start of NRL 2020.
Cheers Rowdy. I hope that Pearce just keeps it simple. Times are strange enough without complicating things.
I can see this article has brought out the purists. The world has changed, this does not isolate Rugby League from changing. Without broadcast rights, the income in the game goes down. I am sure players will still play the game, but if you can make more money stacking shelves at Coles than you can playing footy..???!!!!….No one can argue that all teams need to play each other once to make it fair and equitable, but will that be possible? if not, then what? throw all the teams into a hat and draw out the game? perhaps, perhaps not, but I will not go into the future with a closed mind. All options need to be out there. Worst and best case scenarios need to be planned with some funky ideas thrown in. I am sure 9 and Fox have a seat at a side table themselves, as their revenue is dependent on the game as well.
10 year, this is not a matter of purists objecting. There will need to be innovation around how and where games are staged, but once you get the strange finals arrangements, it will generate very little additional revenue. If you have spare weekends, stage your Origins. If you have numerous weekends available, schedule more regular rounds. You get more revenue for 8 match rounds than a couple of extra finals.
And if you get conferences, let’s play it, but don’t call it the premiership, because it won’t be that. Call it the 2020 tournament. I’ll watch it but it could never be called a premiership if every team doesn’t play each other at least once.
Its all these stupid hair brained ideas by the so called smart people that have got us to this point so no more , stick to footy ,stick to traditions , and most importantly stick greenberg , Crawford and weeks , curly larry and moe . No stupid 55,000 stadium for allianz , fix up traditional grounds leichardt ,Kogarah , etc , under this admin footy has run away from itself , but one thing for sure NO more bailing out clubs , if they cant stand for themselves through poor governance there gone , how much money has this admin wasted propping up basket cases at the expense of the functioning clubs , god weve wasted time and money under this commission , they all should go , they all voted and supported grant and beattie so they are all just as stupid !!!!!!
HIggsy i agree about the suburban grounds; imagine having a decent oval at Leichardt (with some decent parking….) and Kogarah too. 20000-30000 seat capacity like Parra. Simple but effective.
Agree about Allianz (SFS). It should be around the same size as Bankwest, as it rarely fills at 40K with its current tenants. And let’s leave ABZ as is for now.
Ironically both codes nrl and aru stuffed as is bulldogs for now , whats the common denominator , greenberg then castles both left mess at dogs now both have destroyed both codes under their charge but lets not forget the real culprits ,John Grant and Dave Smith and every member of the commission who backed their every move !!!!!!