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Optimal Planning Solutions, the company behind NFL and major world football leagues in France, Scotland and USA assumed responsibility for completing the 2013 NRL draw, which had to accommodate representative fixtures, broadcast demands and club requests.
‘Complex’ would be the best word used to describe the task at hand.
Rick Stone (not the Knights assistant coach) and Kirk Pinneo, who work for Optimal Planning Solutions, flew from Canada to Sydney to meet with the NRL over the organisation of the NRL schedule.
“The biggest change is the scheduling, it is a completely different approach to the draw this year,” Stone explained to NRL.com.
“No other sport puts such a priority on club requests.
“Instead of organizing the season draw by round, the NRL has had to organize 20 rounds into complete timeslots, which is a much more involved process consisting of a wide range of variables.”
With 192 individual events to schedule across venues that involve multiple hirers, while trying to match requests of the 16 clubs, it is an enormous logistical exercise.
With the NRL schedule now finalised for the first 20 rounds, assessing the positives and negatives by which NRL fans, clubs and corporate sponsors will feel vindicated or betrayed is the main agenda.
Friday night rugby league free-to-air (FTA)
For season 2012, our top eight consisted of Bulldogs, Storm, Rabbitohs, Manly, Cowboys, Sharks, Raiders and Broncos. When a new NRL season occurs, favourites are always enlisted but continuance in form from seasons prior is not always guaranteed nor is it always noticed from afar.
Sharks, Raiders, Rabbitohs and Bulldogs all had amazing seasons in which they shook up the top eight, with only four teams from the 2011 finals series remaining.
From a fanatical and corporate sponsorship point of view, Friday night rugby league is deemed the most important aspect to match scheduling. FTA provides increased exposure and free advertising for the teams playing, which is invaluable to the long term success of a club.
Teams may request specific times to play as fans may also deem a Saturday night time slot or Sunday evening more appealing to ensuring a healthy attendance, therefore some teams may play less than others on Friday nights.
In 2012, Brisbane Broncos were afforded 18 of a possible 24 Friday night live matches. To make matters even better, the first eight scheduled matches were on Friday nights, which also ensured stability and routine.
Most fans would not appreciate another display of this unjust and unfair match scheduling as teams like Cowboys, Sharks and Raiders, who in the 2012 season received a total of eight Friday night matches between them, finished fifth, sixth and seventh respectively, all higher than the eighth placed Broncos for 2012.
Although not as heavily weighted with the outcome of 18 of a possible 24 matches for the Broncos for 2013, a total of 11 Friday night matches out of 20 have been scheduled, with six rounds still left for scheduling.
What has been a slight improvement is the lack of routine the Broncos were afforded, as only a maximum of three Friday night games in a row will be played by Broncos throughout the season and an increase of one Monday night game to three.
Before other clubs are disheartened by the minimal scheduling or lack of for Friday nights, it needs to be noted that the Broncos have one of, if not the largest following in rugby league and are a massive viewing audience provider for Channel Nine, in which a contract of $1.025 billion was signed in partnership with Fox Sports.
Whether it be from a fanatical, club organisation or corporate sponsorship perspective, the apparent lack of Newcastle Knights and Penrith Panthers Friday night matches will become evident with a total of zero matches scheduled for Fridays.
What is quite surprising is the enormous drop in scheduled Friday night matches for the Knights, as 2012 saw a total of nine matches played on Friday nights, equal with St George Dragons and Canterbury Bulldogs.
Canberra Raiders have received the rough end of the stick once again, with a 2012 late season bloom and run to the finals still not worthy enough of continual Friday night game exposure. 2012 saw the nation’s capital receive one Friday night match and things will not change for at least the first 20 scheduled rounds, with one Friday night match received.
It would seem North Queensland Cowboys have received the most favourable draw thus far with a total of seven games on Saturday evenings, five Friday night matches – two of which are against the Broncos – two Monday night matches and six Sunday matches, with minimal short turnarounds.
The Bulldogs, who achieved an 2012 attendance rate of 23,572 and finished first during the regular season to only just be pipped by Melbourne Storm in the grand final, have been afforded nine Friday night matches for the 2013 season.
This is the same amount as the 2012 season, and with the likes of Ben Barba, who has scored 45 tries in two seasons, who wouldn’t want to be watching the Bulldogs work their magic?
The most amazing aspect of the Bulldogs play this season was the amount of tries scored from within their own half, which provided thrilling entertainment for even the away supporters, who would just sit in awe of the amazing skills of the energetic players.
Melbourne Storm will feel robbed of what should have been a fairer draw, considering they are the current champions. Throughout the whole season, barely any consistency is afforded to the Storm for a chance of becoming the first team to go back to back since Broncos 97 and 98 premiership winning teams.
Team totals for Friday nights – Broncos 11, Bulldogs nine, Tigers seven, Rabbitohs five, Cowboys five, Storm three, Sharks three, Eels three, Manly three, Dragons three, Roosters three, Warriors two, Titans two, Raiders one, Panthers and Knights zero.
Monday night matches
The NRL gives every team hosting a Monday evening game $40,000 in compensation for lost revenue – but clubs want more.
Not sure on whether requests were place by specific teams, i.e. Manly, but seven scheduled Monday night matches is quite amazing considering Cronulla Sharks had the most with six in the 2012 season.
Manly, on two occasions, will play three Monday night matches in a row which provides consistency in scheduling but only two of these matches are played at home, so does this affect the possible turn out for their club or the four other clubs which will have to face Manly?
The team who received the second most were the Wests Tigers with four, who did not perform up to the 2012 preseason expectations. Tigers also received the third most Friday night matches, with seven.
Team total for Monday nights – Manly seven, Tigers four, Cowboys three, Rabbits three, Storm three, Broncos three, Roosters three, Eels three, Dragons two, Sharks two, Warriors two, Knights two, Titans one, Panthers one, Raiders one, Bulldogs zero.
One thing that will be quite apparent is the extremely bizarre match scheduling system that has been utilized with only the first 20 rounds being scheduled.
The obvious reasons for doing so is to accommodate teams who are in form towards the back end of the season, which can help to boost these numbers.
But with 20 rounds already scheduled, some NRL teams will already feel duped and things could only get worse.
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