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If the NRL format remains as it is, Greg Inglis will be left with a third of his hamstring, one kneecap and no arms by 2019.
Cameron Smith will have two prosthetic legs, one shoulder and a thumb by 2017. Sam Thaiday will be blind out of one eye and using a pacemaker as the 2016 finals series roll around.
Okay, these predictions may be slightly exaggerated, yet they are no more ludicrous in nature than the current season’s schedule in which our rugby league superstars are expected to compete in.
Some of the game’s most talented players may be forced to play in more than 30 physically demanding matches in 2015. Add onto this the two or three weekly gym and field sessions and it is clear that the NRL hierarchy could justifiably be accused of a multitude of cases related to grievous bodily harm. The solution?
Less is more.
Less pre-season matches is the first point of call. Trial games and the World Club Challenge tournament seem quite unnecessary while the highly popular All Stars fixture and NRL Nines competition remain in existence.
Furthermore, the searing heat of the early months of the year is not at all suitable for the sport of rugby league. Every individual club can and will run many training sessions between the different grades throughout the pre-season which can provide the opportunity for brand new combinations and game plans to be formed.
Less NRL matches is next on the cards. The current format of 26 rounds is far too much footy, it is clear that the quality of games drops significantly towards the end of the season as players battle injury and fatigue. This results in many fans losing interest as the use of the wrestle becomes more important than skill, speed and creativity.
A more sensible approach would involve something like 16 rounds with no byes, that way the fans remain engrossed in the competition throughout, similar to the highly successful NFL over in the U.S.
Stand-alone representative weekends should also go. There are three consecutive weekends of gripping representative footy involving a tri-series between New Zealand and a Pacific nations all-stars team, City and Country and, of course, NSW and Queensland.
This should be staged in the middle or at the end of the NRL season. I will also concede that we need to find a way to involve our English players during this period, otherwise we may well lose another Sam Burgess or two.
This reduced schedule would also allow a four nations tournament to be played yearly (except World Cup seasons) as it is essential that the game grows throughout the world. This would also help to deal with the current threat of rugby union poaching our superstars.
Although a lot of you may disagree with the above concept, we can all agree that the current NRL season is far too jam-packed and is clearly taking a heavy physical and mental toll on the players. Feel free to put forward your own ideas and suggestions.
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