Yesterday, CEO Todd Greenberg released the NRL draw to hundreds of fans, who came out to see when and where their team would be taking the field.
A talking point of the draw every year is the five-day turnaround.
While the draw will never be perfect, how it can be so lopsided for certain teams shows that the NRL only care about the money, and not player welfare.
With Todd Greenberg announcing that they have reduced the number of five-day turnarounds from 31 to 19, with rounds 21-26 still yet to be released, we could still see that number climb.
Let’s have a look over the teams, and the number of short turnarounds:
Rabbitohs: 4
Roosters: 3
Dragons, Eels, Warriors: 2
Broncos, Panthers, Canberra, Manly, Storm, Bulldogs: 1
Cowboys, Sharks, Titans, Tigers, Knights: 0
How can the draw be considered fair when you have a team facing four games with short turnarounds, and 11 teams facing one or less?
Not only that, if you look a bit closer and see when they have these games, it becomes even more shocking. The Rabbitohs will have to travel to Perth for a game against the Melbourne Storm, then travel home and face off against the Parramatta Eels. Throw in a game in Cairns in Round 19 against the Cowboys, only to have the long trip home and face the reigning Premiers five days later.
They are not the only team with a rough deal. The Roosters have three games with a short turnaround – two in the first four rounds. Then they also have to back up after Anzac Day and fly across the ditch against the Warriors.
The Dragons have two, including a trip to the Gold Coast. The Warriors face off against the Storm in Melbourne before travelling home against the Roosters. And the Eels have two, with a game away against the Dragons in Round 2, and then on the Gold Coast five days later.
How can the NRL continue to release these draws and expect the clubs, players, and fans to be happy? And how many players are going to leave, cut their career early, or be seriously injured for them to take notice?
3_Hats SSTID 2014
Roar Rookie
The bottom line is Souths playing in Cairns on a Sunday afternoon then having to fly all the way back to Sydney and to then play the Premiers AWAY only 5 days later is PATHETIC scheduling by the NRL. BOTH are Ch. 9 TV games!
Craig
Guest
I'm guessing if they have 4 x 5 day turnarounds, they must also have more longer turnarounds 8-9-10 days? Having consistent turnarounds of 7 days weekly is nice, but occasionally the longer turnaround is the difference. Look at the AFL, the dogs with an extra week off won the comp - its widely acknowledged without the extra week they would have really struggled. They may have players who are able to play in those weeks with longer turnarounds that may not have been able to play otherwise. Don't get me wrong, I don't think its a fair playing field. But its not as doom and gloom as its made out to be.
Gold Coast bunny
Guest
Regardless 11 other teams have either zero or one five day turn around. I find it hard to believe that the NRL cannot move a game to even this up. Also on the NRL site they analysed the difficulty of each teams draw. The bunnies have the most difficult and bulldogs easiest. I smell a rat with Greenberg in charge here.
Mike from tari
Guest
Redraw, redraw, NRL sucking up to Newscorp, get rid of Grant & Greenberg, Souths also have only 2 home games in the first 7 rounds as well, attacked from the rear by the NRL, I hope Souths make the GF then they'll be able to give the NRL & Newscorp the finger.
jim
Guest
Those games are booked in before the draw plus the NRL encourages them to take those games interstate
Magnus M. Østergaard
Roar Guru
Only Sydney clubs should have 5 day turnarounds and then they should be played both in the Sydney area, where they don't have to fly to games....... The AFL makes sure its not an issue, I don't understand why we can't do the same though, except I guess most of their stadiums they are the only ones playing in them.
Dutski
Roar Guru
Aren't the bunnies games in Perth and Cairns actually their home games that they've moved? Hard to complain about the travel when it's your own home game.