The announcement felt rushed, but NRL fans around the world can rejoice because footy will be back in just seven weeks despite the coronavirus pandemic gripping the world.
While other nations continue to grapple with getting the bug under wraps, Australia seem to have done just that, and now one of the last sporting organisations to call it quits will be one of the first to get going again.
In saying all of that, seven weeks is a long time – and an absolute eternity in a pandemic – so who knows what the restrictions will look like by then and whether this plan will actually come to fruition.
It’s hardly a surprise the announcement of a season restart was pushed through at a rapid pace, though, given the game’s dire financial position and the enormous shot Channel Nine took at the NRL on Thursday morning.
The free-to-air broadcaster accused the NRL of financial mismanagement and wanted a complete renegotiation of their deal to broadcast the sport, which would more than likely have to happen anyway should the season be shortened.
(Matt King/Getty Images)
In short, the NRL have no intention of ending the season without more footy being played, but for that to happen there are many issues that need to be sorted.
Of course the biggest of them is borders being closed between not only Australia and the outside world but also New South Wales and Queensland.
The fact Wayne Pearce, head of the committee trying to get the competition restarted, couldn’t say with any certainty that the governments of Australia, New Zealand, New South Wales and Queensland had given support for teams that have to travel is a major cause for concern.
As it stands right now, New Zealand is in full lockdown, so even leaving the country will be a challenge, with the Warriors then having to spend two weeks in quarantine once they arrive in Australia. Seven weeks, once you start playing with those issues, isn’t going to be a lot of time.
The Queensland-based teams will also need to agree to the fact that, once they leave Queensland, that’s it. They won’t be getting back in as the current regulations read, so whether the Brisbane Broncos, North Queensland Cowboys and Gold Coast Titans are going to be happy with that scenario is another issue.
While the Victoria-New South Wales border isn’t closed, you might as well throw the Melbourne Storm into that mix as well given the government’s policies regarding travel.
Again, if infection numbers come down, that may change, but at this stage it would appear the only feasible option is to play the entire competition in the Sydney basin, putting in as many double and triple-headers as possible to save on costs of ground hire without crowds.
The draw being completely re-worked for the revamped competition will allow the NRL to do as they please on Sydney grounds, and it’s something they must take full advantage of. This becomes even more of an issue when you consider the NRL and their club’s financial positions.
Pearce acknowledged that teams may be away from their homes and families for extended periods of times, and it was the closest we got to having any sort of structure confirmed as he ruled out the idea of conferences.
If borders remain shut and teams can’t travel back home, then it has to be expected the season will be shortened back to a total of 15 weeks – another 13 rounds from the recommencement – with Origin and finals included and everything wrapping up in early October.
However, should borders reopen anytime soon, then there is a chance the NRL could push on with a full season and finish in November or December, which highlights a new problem: playing rugby league in 30-degree heat.
That could only add to more problems among the broadcasters given more night-time games would be required to escape the heat of the day, which would then clash with Nine’s broadcast of cricket’s T20 World Cup if that event isn’t cancelled.
(Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
It’s no secret that without broadcast revenue the NRL can essentially forget about life as it currently knows it. This pandemic has threatened to blow the doors off the competition, but if they can somehow get both Nine and Fox on board with the format that is eventually decided on, it will be a major coup for Peter V’landys and Todd Greenberg.
While a full-length season would still be the ideal outcome, the fact the NRL are still pushing for that with flu season on the way seems to be a head-in-the-sand moment.
Without wanting to go full code wars, the AFL were smart about how they did things, cutting five rounds from the season before they started. Simply put, they knew a shutdown was inevitable.
On the other hand, the NRL have still talked about full-length seasons and going into November or even December to get things finished. Given the game’s reliance on broadcast dollars, it’s not crazy talk, but at the same time it’s not very smart either.
What all those factors do is create the ultimate juggling act for the NRL now as they attempt to pick a structure that won’t put players and the 2021 season at risk but will keep the broadcasters happy at the same time.
It’s almost the impossible task, but the bottom line is that even as the committee work on restarting the game, there is absolutely no guarantee things will restart on 28 May.
And this announcement will have its doubters and its knockers. From extra testing to the flouting of regulations that apply to the rest of society, it’s not going to make everyone jump for joy.
But for now we can live in hope that ‘Project Apollo’ has delivered an outcome that will set the NRL up to be playing again in late May.
And with mental health beginning to come to the fore of this pandemic in the way the wider population are coping with it, Wayne Pearce may have summed it up at the back end of his press conference.
“I think there’s a lot of positives with the competition up and running again. The players, staff at clubs, services to clubs that will benefit. There’s a lot of people that will be happy with the decision to get the competition running again,” he said.
And it’s hard to disagree.
Long live the NRL.
bop
Roar Rookie
you have all ready got one clown taken to hospital for nutting out and punching walls wait until you have a couple of hundred of them all together for 6 months. out of the top 8, broken bones, cant see there familys going to be fun and games then. tab can open a book 1st player to be sent home, in court
Chase those Roos
Roar Rookie
But it is Minor. 21,000 tickets handed out to the "World" Cup last week to move them to look like people are interested in the tournament where 90% of the players come from the heartlands of 3 countries
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
yet you waste your time repeating yourself with simple little jibes on a sport that is apparently minor hey? Plus read your history little boy, the sport has had many more people than you in its way & I imagine with a lot more power than a keyboard
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
And Ian that is what Vlandy clearly stated in the beginning when he said things could change daily. Just because the NRL have come out with a plan & starting date doesn’t mean they go ahead if the govt says no. The NSW Premier said yesterday the NRL wasn’t even on the list of banned activities. It only had certain criteria placed upon it like the 500 crowd limit etc. The NRL are only following what the state & federal govts are telling them. They are forwarding a plan which will either be allowed or not. People are having false kittens over a belief the NRL are circumnavigating the rules & doing their own thing regardless. Of course the haters of the sport will excacerbate this.
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
you ignore the fact the Premier of NSW clearly stated the NRL was not a banned activity. Also the NRL stopped their comp not the state nor Federal govts and again it is clearly stated "if they adhere to the health rules". So the NRL are clearly doing what the advice/guidelines are allowing them to do & that is make plans. But I suppose people forget V'Landy clearly stated at the beginning this could change daily. People are having kittens thinking this is all set in stone. This is a plan not written in stone & if you think other sports aren't doing the same (which detractors of the NRL are delusionally thinking) planning then you're fooling yourself.
Ian_
Roar Rookie
The letter from the police commissioner becomes worth nothing if the health minister changes the rules, and in my view, it would be very reasonable of him to make a new rule that says activities involving a bunch of blokes wrestling, sweating and breathing all over each other are not regarded as essential.
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
The federal government has final say in this situation and are guiding the states, bringing a heap of ppl into the virus epicenter in Australia is not going to happen and any organisation involving body contact as it's business won't be starting anytime soon. But yeah that letter from the commish really weights it in the NRL favour. Your fan boying and not being logical, I think you should review all facts and aim a bit higher than being like the Kazakhstan soccer league.
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
Ah the comp is going to be NSW based, therefor any decision of an organisation basing their business in that state must deal with that state. Tell me has the federal govt been in charge of closing state borders for instance? Nope, state by state decision. You might wanna learn what the federal govt is in charge of. And for your info you have been opinionizing based on media releases .
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
More evidence at all this anti NRL nonsense: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6719677/nsw-government-letter-outlines-nrl-return/?cs=14274&fbclid=IwAR0SIWQgkzSkQiWW3VptgP7iGD46yh2p9f-LFHfq3M81xSJsHBp-qRHkaDo Plus with Foxtel in some $2 billion plus debt to creditors & Nine skimping over $130 million as though their life depended on it, the NRL may just take a path brought on by this virus & much sooner than may have been envisaged. https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/global-company-pitches-nrl-plan-to-save-tens-of-millions-on-broadcasts-20200411-p54j16.html
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
That's is the most here nor there statement I've heard to support your argument, oh wait "I got a letter from the police commissioner" is my fave, it won't happen but your all excited for some reason. The logistics of getting everything to standard and ultimately meeting what the federal govt will want is way more complex than a media release.
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
AR do you usually take the media 100% truthful? I know many of the sport’s detractors like to think its dumb but the facts are: Ch 9 two weeks prior announced they were not paying the instalment for the rest of the 2020 season= $130 million I believe. So tell me why should the NRL consult them for the rest of 2020 when they’ve reneged on their tv deal & stated they don’t want to cover the 2020 season if it continues? The NRL have spoken to govt & the NSW Premier’s conference as I posted quotes in an above comment suggests the NRL is in all its right to begin again because the govt didn’t shut it down in the first place. The NRL shut down on the advice of a health expert they hired! Getting the facts would be appreciated before your ramblings. Going by the Premier’s conference today the NRL are on the front foot & they have said all along things can change daily but atleast they are putting a plan & date forward. At this stage it is a plan & any organisation that wouldn’t be doing so is being a negligent business and I’m sure they all are (planning). So the NRL is actually being forward thinking here. Give them credit & don’t read so much into the news which is either Murdoch owned or Ch. 9 owned (Sydney Morning Herald incl) plus the AFL friendly Ch 7.
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
From the NSW Premier today: "Can I be very clear about this, a number of organisations & there are many out there if they are not listed as illegal to undertake activities can I stress its up to them to if they want to continue their operations, across any sphere....its up to those organisations to decide what their future is, they have to adhere to the current health rules" . The NRL shut down because of health advice by people they employed. The govt didn't shut them down. It sounds as though organisations like the NRL are able to make their own decisions on this or as the Premier stated "as long as they adhere to the current health rules" . She sounds vague in many respects, the NRL sounds definite & after her conference I'm sure lots of organisations will be scrambling to resume as normal business as they can. And please we're talking about a Health Minister who botched the cruise ships docking & allowed passengers off.
Diamond Jackie
Roar Rookie
And now we see NewsCorp papers quoting “unnamed sources” saying channel 9 is doing the wrong thing by the game. Surprise surprise.
Nick
Roar Guru
Surely you are smarter than that to ask a question that juvenile. You reckon NRL will just play and the money will magically appear?
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
When the footage is from govt press conferences over half of Wayne Pearce's head on FaceTime I'll go with the varied sources saying we've received no contact.
Chase those Roos
Roar Rookie
If Rugby League isn't a dull sport wouldn't it be cared about outside QLD and parts of NSW Cathar??
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
So add union, AFL & probably A league to the list of grubs? :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/120889329/super-rugby-restart-bestcase-scenario-is-june-with-australia-as-host
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/120889329/super-rugby-restart-bestcase-scenario-is-june-with-australia-as-host “Sanzaar is working quietly behind the scenes to possibly continue Super Rugby in some form as early as June – with the competition held solely in Australia.” “NRL and AFL administrators have already made public their contingency plans. ” So Paul, just because the media are at the NRL heals, seems the other codes are just as keen & have been planning, like the NRL, to relaunch May/June, but because the media can’t sell as many clicks or get the same level of outrage, does that mean its truy the only code putting itself before health & safety? I really want to understand the mentality of those supporting other codes who continuously overlook these FACTS but with a straight face believe the NRL is the only code on its own in this. I think the fact we are reading about the NRL is one, it gets the hatred up for its detractors, two, its just so much more interesting to talk about hence the sport with the most code war warriors at its heals needing a fix to legitimise their supporting of other dull codes (otherwise why would they be spending so much time & effort on something they don’t like) & don’t the media know this), and 3 again, its just so damn good to talk about, pure sport, pure theatre :stoked:
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
so you believe everything the media says? I guess Murdoch won :unhappy: