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The NRL preseason has become increasingly packed, now featuring a variety of novelty events ranging from the Auckland Nines and All Stars to the World Club Series. This is putting unnecessary strain on the players, risking injury before a ball has been kicked.
The NRL need to devise a balanced schedule, giving players necessary match fitness while also promoting the game to communities and spreading messages of well being.
A popular point of contention is the World Club Series. Since expansion of the World Club Challenge back in 2015, it has become a one-way affair – although we are starting to see this turn around after Warrington and Wigan beat both Brisbane and Cronulla respectively over the weekend.
Despite this, NRL teams are simply not interested in the format. It is time the RFL and NRL cut the series and instead revert back to the standalone World Club Challenge, shifting it to the postseason.
Given the two competitions align themselves, there is enough space to slot the match in before Test matches begin in late October. This allows the game to be played between the full premiership-winning teams, rewarding those who endured the entire season to finally lift up the trophy.
The venue for the fixture is up for debate, with Asia shaping as a possibility, providing a neutral venue in any of Dubai, Singapore or Hong Kong. While the Sol Mokdad incident still looms over rugby league in the United Arab Emirates, the RLIF can work in conjunction with the RFL and NRL to promote the game and give it every chance at becoming a success in that country.
Since its inception back in 2010, the annual NRL All Stars match has been lauded for its work in supporting Indigenous communities and promoting reconciliation. However, it has been debated recently as to who the Indigenous All Stars should play, after they gave the World All Stars a 34-8 hiding.
One popular proposal is a combined Pacific Islands team featuring players from countries such as Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and the Cook Islands. This concept has every chance to succeed if the NRL can provide a strong opponent for the Indigenous All Stars to play.
While it has been met with strong support in the cities of the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Newcastle over the years, the NRL must give back to the people of regional NSW and Queensland.
With City-Country now gone, the NRL should take the game on the road throughout regional areas, giving back to the communities. Towns that could host the All Stars over the coming years include Wagga Wagga, Tamworth, Dubbo, Orange and Lismore.
Allow the players to continue to run workshops in the lead-up to the match, and retain the Koori versus Murri Interstate Challenge fixture and Women’s All Stars as curtain raisers. By giving the Indigenous All Stars a meaningful opponent it will only increase the quality of the fixture. In addition, by gifting the people of regional NSW top-flight rugby league the game will maintain its relevance in these areas.
On the topic of taking games to the bush, the NRL have the opportunity to further spread the gospel through pre-season trials. Currently most teams play two trial matches, however this needs to be scaled back to one each. Players have the necessary conditioning and there is little need for trials.
The focus needs to be on engaging the community, with players becoming involved in workshops with local schools and rugby league clubs. Core matches such as the Charity Shield, Battle of the West and Community Cup can maintain their place while NRL teams should be encouraged to explore playing their trial against a team such as the Papua New Guinea Hunters to further spread the game and introduce themselves to new regions.
Matches should be streamed on NRL.com, or aired live on Fox Sports, and played throughout the weekend alongside the All Stars.
The other point of contention on the NRL pre-season is the Nines tournament. Currently held in Auckland, there have been talks to relocate the event to another city, Brisbane the favourite to take the rights. The Nines has booked its place on the calendar and deserves to stay, despite some teams not taking it seriously.
The NRL should consider including teams such as Samoa, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Tonga, or even invitational teams from the Queensland or New South Wales Cups, or Super League, to add more flavour.
A revamped pre-season will take pride in spreading the game to regional areas, while also encouraging players to partake in community events at schools and local rugby league clubs.
Roarers, is the NRL pre-season in need of a shakeup?
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