Wacky rules and experimental formats will breathe life back into the NRL if it’s cleared to return in 2020, according to Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson.
The three-time premiership winner, known as one of the greatest thinkers in the game, is part of the NRL’s innovation committee.
Led by Wayne Pearce, the committee is tasked with revamping the competition’s schedule in preparation for a restart after the coronavirus shutdown.
“If we’re going to get this competition on, it’s going to be a shortened season. Let’s experiment with stuff that we would never do, that we would never actually try,” Robinson told Fox League Live on Sunday night.
“Let’s offer a great product. Let’s get out there on the world stage and offer the game of rugby league.”
(AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
The committee will reconvene on Thursday and discuss a range of experimental ideas including playing in conferences, isolating the players in a bubble and moving the competition to an island.
Isolating teams in a bubble would require individuals to self-isolate for 14 days, and then teams to isolate for the same period in locked-down hotels.
Robinson is confident the competition can restart this year but, to do so, rugby league needs to work together and forget rivalries in the meantime.
“We have to stop worrying about our little cocoon of: ‘I wonder how the Roosters are going?’,” he said.
“I’ll get back to that when the competition gets decided but we all become rugby league people now.
“Let’s get this game back on as safely as possible and let’s experiment with conferences; let’s work out how the game looks.
“We’re going to have to go into bubbles anyway to do that.
“So how can we ignite some of the things we’ve talked about for probably two decades, the conference system?
“How do we light up people’s interest in the competition again in a different way but still 80 minutes of 13 on 13?”
Australian Rugby League chairman Peter V’landys is hell bent on restarting the NRL season in June or July, giving teams at least a month to complete a mini pre-season.
Robinson believes a fortnight is the minimum amount needed to prepare players.
“I reckon two weeks is the shortest amount of time that you could do,” he said.
“If we get going in six to seven weeks, you could do two weeks because they’ve been training for a long time to get ready for the season.
“If you’re talking about four months’ time, you might have to take it out to four to five weeks.
“If we get the opportunity to play and train together, I don’t think we’re going to waste too much time training and not playing.
“If we get the OK to train together and we’ve done the isolation period that we need to, let’s find the shortest possible way to get out there.”
TIGER
Roar Rookie
After the idea of taking away the corner post, this is possibly the next best idea. So many pluses can flow from it as I mentioned in response to your previous article.
mushi
Roar Guru
Make it 12 players. The game was designed with smaller, slower and less agile people playing. Athleticism has effectively shrunken the field of play to defend. Drop a player. Or hockey style sin binnings. Cynical penalty or Dangerous play is 10 in the bin or until a try is scored against the offending team. Professional foul is 10 regardless of scoring.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Lets go back to my artilce from the other day and the one unanimous rule, call six again for offsides and ruck infringments at least.
tauranga boy
Guest
How about scrapping the knock on. Sounds strange, but would speed up the game. After all the other team has the chance to gain possession. And eliminate the forward pass .. unless it's deliberately metres forward to someone offside. All flattish passes to be let go. I'm serious. Give it a go and see how much better the game might be!
Noosa Duck
Roar Rookie
How about this novelty idea for the NRL to try...Referees that actually know the rules and understand what actually constitutes a knock on or a forward pass.....that would be a real novelty.
Nat
Roar Guru
Unless the Warriors get special exemption to travel to Aust, unfortunately we may have to count them out. Seperate Conferences may work. It's possibly safer than all 16 teams at one place. One issue is the distribution of quality w/ 4/8 residing (inc Saints) at the bottom of the ladder last year. Storm, Raiders and Brisbane can only come down a notch where the Sydney Conf is (reasonably) equal spread.
Dayer
Roar Rookie
broncos,cows, titans, storm, knights, raiders and warriors (7) plus 1 outer Sydney like dragons and send them to Gladstone or Tangalooma island. the rest stay in Sydney at homebush. what do you think roarers.
Nat
Roar Guru
Was thinking the same. Maybe "every team has to play a backrower at Left Center'. I can see why the conf system would be attractive if he gets to remove all non-Sydney clubs. Then we have 7 (6 if they incorp the Raiders) teams spread between Melbourne and NQ to figure the rest out.
Paul
Roar Guru
As a non-Sydneysider, I'm wondering what "wacky rules" Robinson wants to introduce for this season? He's obviously a supporter of the conference system, but has he come out and suggested actual rule changes to the game?