The ARL Commission has ignored calls to reduce the length of the representative season to combat player fatigue with State of Origin to again be played over eight weeks next season.
Melbourne Storm coach Craig Belllamy led calls this year for the duration of the interstate series to be reduced to limit the drain on players.
However, even though burnout was again a hot topic at the recent World Cup, there will again be a three-week gap between games in 2014, stretching the series out over eight NRL rounds.
Queensland’s chase for an unprecedented ninth successive series win will be boosted by two games in Brisbane next year with the first kicking off at Suncorp Stadium on May 28, as revealed in a sneak peak of the 2014 draw released by the NRL on Monday.
Game two will be played at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium on June 18 with the series returning to Suncorp for the third game on July 9.
There will again be a stand-alone representative weekend from May 2-4 with the traditional mid-year Test between Australia and New Zealand played on the Friday night.
The much-maligned City v Country fixture will be played on the Sunday at Apex Oval, Dubbo.
The 2014 premiership season is likely to begin on Thursday, March 6 with premiers the Sydney Roosters and South Sydney set to continue their bitter rivalry at ANZ Stadium.
That fixture is expected to be confirmed when the full draw is released on Wednesday.
In a bid to alleviate player distress in the warm early rounds, only one afternoon match will be played each round over the opening three rounds.
mushi
Guest
They don't play an extra 3 games a year. they swap three club games for three origin games
Food for thought
Guest
Leave it as it is these guys are supposed to be the Elite the best of the best,its what sets them apart from the average players in the game.Its like the Army you have the normal everyday soldiers and you have Specialized guys like the SAS or Green Berets they don't do what the normal soldiers do they have to go above and beyond what the normal guys do.There are things everyone who wants to be the best at what they do have to do,for $30000 a game Im sure the best would play 6 Origin games a year.If they cant play the extra 3 games a year they don't deserve to be playing with the best and the best know they have to put more in then anyone else because that's what it takes to be the best of the best.
Doggies Bro
Guest
Origin should be played over 3 week period. Played on Wednesday night team selected on Friday before the game. Once the 17 are selected no subs are allowed, so if a played is injuried after Friday it's to bad now you have 16 players. No regular games will be played the week before or after the Wednesday game. This would allow for international games and R&R for players as no backing up on the weekends and a weekend off after game 3
Johnny Ball
Guest
Fishes, as I have stated before, the new board is nothing but a self interest group and like a doctors surgery as long as someone is in the waiting room all is OK. Grant and Smith have set up a hierarchy to distance themselves from criticism and Greenberg is, well where is he? Gallop making them look very ordinary as suddenly soccer is having so much promotion in the media and looking almost interesting.
Storm Boy
Guest
"even though burnout was again a hot topic at the recent World Cup, there will again be a three-week gap between games in 2014, stretching the series out over eight NRL rounds." huh? Don't you realise if you shorten Origin period the players have to back up between the 3 Origin games over LESS time? Hullo!!! That would add to burnout!!!!i
mushi
Guest
Is it really though EJ. I would think it is more that the club is better served by a shorter origin period so Bellamy's views may not be entirely guided by player welfare
fishes
Guest
So the NRL remains stagnant while Gallop leads the A-League from strength to strength. I thought the new management said they were going to be proactive? what a joke that was. All they have done is maintain channel 9's interests and the status quo.
eagleJack
Guest
It's interesting that coach Bellamy, who would have an in-depth knowledge of the stress and fatigue his players experience during Origin, is at odds with the RLPA views on the subject. "Having consulted with the Origin players their concerns about reducing the Origin period centred on the physical and psychological toll taken by State of Origin football and the inadequate recovery time that would result from a condensed Series schedule," RLPA chief executive David Garnsey said.
jamesb
Guest
looks like nothings changed. it will probably remain that way until the current tv contract ends at the end of 2017.