How to fix NRL fixturing? Ditch the conference idea

Roar Guru

22nd April, 2015

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Dave Smith may not have been a rugby league man, but that was a strength. (AAP Image/Damian Shaw)

Wayne

Roar Guru

22nd April, 2015

Although this topic has been covered to death, I am drawn to the ongoing debate about the NRL fixture.

I am perplexed that the main go-to solution is a conference system. So, I’m putting my two cents in and proposing how to fix the NRL fixture.

First gripe to fix is that teams should not play against each other twice until at least ten weeks have passed. Why ten weeks? Why not. It’s more than two months, which is a long time in football, and allows for both teams to go away and change current run of form and injuries.

As someone who grew up on AFL, it is still a hard concept to grasp that Newcastle and Cowboys are playing each other for the second time in six rounds. Sure the marketing for the match is a square up for the way Newcastle treated JT, but it was literally a month ago.

The next major point isn’t really a big one, but altering the season to have 23 games played with three byes is the best option. These byes would coincide with State of Origin. This way there is still plenty of footy played between March and October, and the players do get some breaks in-between.

In my modelling, you would keep two Friday night games, Saturday day, Saturday twilight, Saturday night, Sunday early, Sunday day and Sunday twilight games. You could possibly alternate the Sunday early game with Monday night if broadcasters are so inclined.

My final talking point would be the way the double games are chosen. Since I have scheduled in seven extra matches after playing each opponent, I am again going to borrow from the AFL and have a tiered system based on ladder position of season before. Each team would play two games against teams that finished top four, positions 4-8, positions 9-12 and bottom four.

Since it takes the NRL a long time to develop a fixture (with broadcasters choosing games timeslots), the powers in charge would have time to develop a fairer fixture.

Now, why do I think my method is better than other methods? For one, I don’t disadvantage Melbourne, Canberra, Newcastle or New Zealand for not having eight teams within an hour’s drive of them. The selection criteria for who your double opponents are is based purely on last season’s performance, and not geographical location.

Another feature of using this method of choosing the opponents from a bracket of final placings, is that you keep it roughly even a fair. There will obviously be teams that get a fairer double up than others, but short of everyone playing everyone once or twice, it’s the nearest way to acheive common ground. Those who organise the draw can then make sure Roosters/Manly/Bulldogs/Rabbitohs have double up games against higher drawing opponents.

So what do you think Roarers? Besides whipping a dead horse, what are your thoughts on fixing the NRL fixtures without using conferences?

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