Rugby League's standalone weekend is a mistake

Look, to answer your question, no, i would not follow other codes. I do like the Roar and will be watching them. I have not been a soccer fan for a long time, but the roar have a couple of decent players. What they are doing in Australia baffles me. Brisbane was lucky to get them. No, again, i never follow other codes. Also not long ago i said it myself, i said the game was near perfect. And i stand by this statem,ent, now the problem seems to be every body wanting to change the rules or game because they are complaining about it becoming boring. The only change that needs to be made is the Refs doing their jobs. As i said today on another blog, they have become complacent, it is obviopus and i whinge about this months, You must have heard me, players holding down, 3 men in the ruck, and Watmough and his knees and legs in the rucks, and i will throw Cherry Evans with his hand in the play the ball. If it happens once, its a accident, if it happens twice suspicion, if it happens 5 times, mate, it is on purpose. The refs have got to wake up, put their head back into the ruck like they did when we first introduced the 2 refs. I noticed this season that the second ref hardly got mentioned this year, have you noticed, he just stands around and does bugger all behind the play while the game was getting slower and slower. So, this is all we have to fix, when the game speeds up we wont have to make the interchange rule, like Matty Johns is calling for, 6 interchange instead of 10. If the game is faster we need 10, so lets fix the refs first, get them doing their jobs, once the game speeds up again, we wont need to change anything. Right, hope i put you on the right track, and no, i just get annoyed because league keeps shooting itself in the foot.

Did you watch last night's game? "New Zealand never pump themselves up for it and the only reason why people care slightly this year, is to see if James Tamou gets smashed by his real fellow countrymen." Not what I saw. Looked like a hell of a lot of passion on the field last night. Maybe you were watching a different game. "City v Country has never and will never be relevant. We have seen over the years even if you play out of your skin, you most likely still wont get selected." You from Sydney right? How about we stop talking about City v Country as a selection trial and start thinking of it as a stand alone game. After all when I watch a club game I don't think of it as a selection trial for Origin or the Test Match - I think of it as a game to be enjoyed. Why can't we afford CvC the same attitude? "You clown" How did you recognise me without my make-up....?

I don't know about you but I don't think the season is too long from a fans perspective. Was March too early for you to watch footy? Or by September are you bored? If so feel free to switch off your TV - no one's going to stop you (or care). The length of the season is only a problem in as the negative effect it has on the players. The Stand Alone Wekeend partially addresses this by providing a bye weekend early in the season for non-rep players.

Oikee the standalone weekend if to help club football as we seen it the past with origin crowds tend to go down little bit and it ensures full strength teams for next week. Now at times oikee you sound like a raving lunatic who makes no sense what so ever despite you passion for the game you need to give the ARLC time on everything. RL has been ran badly for a long long time now the verdict is still out for the ARLC give them a year or two oikees to make a formal judgement. I also question your passion for rugby league as at times it sounds like you be willing to jump at other codes just like that, now with you being a Broncos supporter and being immensely spoiled with success compare to say my club the Cowboys chances are if the Bronx when through what the Cowboys went through ever since there existence you be supporting the other codes wouldn't you.

Now this makes sense, the season is too long now, and they want standalone week-ends and make it longer. I honestly think the NRL has lost the plot, they are clutching at straws and dont have a clue what is going on. Example, 2 days ago i read Haragon said it was the coaches fault the players wrestled, they need to fix it up, then one day later, John Grant has given Haragon permission to cleabn it up, expect penalties left right and centre. Touch footy anyone. ? Yes touch footy, because the whistle will have the pee blown outta it, and fans will be looking to other codes because league has let them down badly,. You cant keep trying to fool the people all the time, look what happened to QLD labor, the backlash finally came.

Not complaining here, just more and more missed oppotunities for rugby league. Plus you would have thought now that they are bringing the under 20's into origin, they could have expanded the concept. Another lost oppotuntiy, but i have been told i complain to much, so it will just leave it alone. I am off to see the Wizard.

personally the RL season is too long as is. In a sense, those players unlucky enough to have to play these matches are the losers - missing out on a well deserved rest. Players are people - not machines. And, really, what matters more? this game in isolation - or the SoO for which all the top players need to be kept fit and healthy for?

Stand alone weekend is a great idea and here's why. Firstly it means that the Test Match and City v Country get all the attention from the Rugby League community for one week as they should. Secondly it means that players who don't make those rep squads get a rest weekend - which is helpful in the tough 26 round season. Thirdly the Test Match is important. Forthly regardless of what you city folk might think - City v Country still has a lot of relevance here in NSW Country. If you have a problem with it - simple solution - don't watch it. Fifthly - people are suddenly going to convert to AFL and Soccer fans because of one weekend? Puhlease...

I think Sunday night could be gold, its a timeslot where ppl are most likely to be home. Maybe a 7pm kick off? Ch9 would be happy to go straight from news to the ground. Bugger 60 Minutes for one week.

Saturday nights and sunday afternoon for SOO.

I actually applaud the NRL for finally putting in a standalone rep weekend. Too bad Channel 9 didn't come to the party.

Villa The bigger farce is that City vs Country is still being played, 25 years after it lost its relevance.

Any passionate nrl supporter isn't goin to switch to afl just because they miss a weekend of club footy, I love and look forward to watching footy every week and would never switch to another code, this is good for club footy at least the rep players won't miss club games. Always affects the mighty broncos! Just seems like its just another thing to winge about

The AFL starts later than the NRL and I believe they also have a rest weekend during the year. Pretty sure the EPL also takes off the weeks when internationals are played. If people stop supporting RL as it is not on for one week then you really need to question if they are genuine supporters to start with.

I like Rugby League’s standalone weekend it places more emphasis on NSW plight to beat QLD and the international game of rugby league. By the way whats an AFL i do not watch a variant of soccer.