There is something missing from the NRL – a pre-season competition! That’s it! It’s a great way to start up the season. It could be 20 minutes a side or maybe 10 to make play interesting.
You can see more NRL than just watch the All Stars match and not wait a whole month for the actual comp to start.
Whatever they do they have to make it in a quick period of time as they got to avoid running over the World Club Challenge played in England.
Meanwhile, for the Charity Shield match between the Bunnies and the Dragons, those teams can play each other along with two other sides in a group contest.
My rules:
– 20 or 10 minute halves.
– 13-a-side with a squad of 25 players.
– Four groups with four teams each (but the teams need to be quite close to each other, e.g. Rabbitohs, Roosters, Bulldogs, Dragons).
– Top two teams from each group go through to the quarters.
– And pretty much the rest of the rules stay the same.
Here some advantages:
– The comp will attract more crowds.
– The shortened format will test player fitness before the NRL starts.
– And it will test the young guns at the game.
Some disadvantages:
– Due to the period of time it will be played during, it means that the World Club Challenge and All Stars match needs to be postponed.
– Fans need to travel some distance to see their team play although could still watch it on TV.
OzFootballSherrin
Roar Pro
Seriously - and from the AFL perspective, - it all sounds like a good idea, but, the season is long enough as is, and in real 'collision' sports (unlike say basketball or soccer) - you just can't keep adding more and more (semi-) serious games. NRL season length surely must be an issue already, esp when you through in SoO and the odd international. However, I'm a bit of a fan of 'lightning premiership' scenarios, I didn't mind the first round of the AFL NAB cup this year - however, I recall back in 1996 the AFL ran a single weekend lightning premiership out at Waverley and it piddled down and was cold and awful and stuff all people turned up and the AFL never went back to that well for water again!!! The reason I mention that '96 one is it failed on a key deliverable of the preseason - - and that is the trial games that go regional. The NRL does it, and the AFL does it with the losers out of the NAB Cup who play NAB Challenge games in places like Bunbury, Mt Gambier, Morwell, Albury, Coffs Harbour etc etc. Whatever happens in the pre-season - - I reckon this is the one thing to NOT lose for either the NRL or AFL.
Captain Kickass
Roar Rookie
I'm a fan of the pre-season concept. It has many virtues. * You could sell it off to other networks as a separate package (akin to the NAB cup). * The revenue from the winning bids funds the comp to an extent. * Players are no longer 'playing for nothing' ... especially if the sale of package I mentioned above is used for prizemoney. * Fringe players can earn more game payments as the comp goes on - This "may" wind up as an exclusion to Salary Cap earnings. * Use it as a tool for expansion : Fringe clubs and development areas can obtain profile and experience - Think "Combined West Aust" and "PNG" as possible inclusions along with any NSW/QLD cup teams who play trials alongside NRL teams. Formats can be worked on. NRL draws can be overhauled. More is more.
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
No, no, no, pre-season comps are rubbish, the fans dont care and the players care even less. Right now the NRL needs to look at reducing the amount of trials as well, it seems like they have been going on forever and the season is already 26 rounds long and then finals. I will be heading down to AAMI Park to see the Storm go around on saturday night, hopefully get off to a good start now that they are playing for points!
turbodewd
Guest
Sorry, bad idea. There is already too much NRL played. Season already way too long. I dont want to see stars injured in a mickey mouse competition.
TammyS
Guest
Ive always thought the Nrl should do more to promote women's rugby league. Have a womens rugby league competion during the off season and promote the hell out of it. The mens comp is over so the women will have the spotlight to itself plus it will give RL fans something to watch during the off season and it'll be a good way to get more women involved with the game(other than just carrying pom poms.) I reckon it'll be more popular than netball at least if we spend more time and effort promoting it. Just an idea
oikee
Guest
I agree with John.
John
Guest
The season runs for too long now. A pre-season comp would see players falling down with heat exhaustion.
Fez's are cool
Guest
No no no no no. The NRL needs an expanded rep schedule. It needs a break in the middle of the season for origin. We can: * expand the All Stars concept, * start the NRL season earlier, and have bye weeks around origin, * play City vs Country, NZ North vs South Origin, and other similar games during origin byes to provide TV content. If anything, trials should be scrapped. Make the Dragons v Rabbitohs regular season game the Charity Shield. The players don't get much out of it besides injuries, the coaches are generally against it, and they don't generate much if any revenue. None of that would change if you introduced a pre Season comp. The AFL is looking at ditching theirs for these very reasons (and also to extend their regular season to 24 home and away matches (just like the NRL)).
lopati
Guest
Eventually it will become a comp in it's own right, lets just stick with the pre-season trial matches which apart from showing some pre-season hit outs (even though a lot of stars are rested out) often also brings the game to small towns where the comp itself never goes, a good gesture for heartland type fans that could never make it to the cities for a normal match.
Ken
Guest
Apart from the rules changes (necessary for the weather? otherwise why?) what makes this different from the old pre-season comp we used to run that nobody cared about and was dumped because it was a waste of time? Don't get me wrong, I'm a hardcore fan and am absolutely hanging out for some regular footy again, I just don't think you've put forward why this would work.