There are always a multitude of factors that affect how the draw for an NRL season is put together. Inevitably there are always compromises, especially when shoehorning a behemoth like State of Origin into the middle of it all.
At the end of the day, it is the star players that the fans come to watch to perform feats that most of us could only dream of. It is important the NRL looks after its players, as much as is possible in a contact sport.
There are two major milestones in the NRL season where I believe a few changes could make a great difference.
State of Origin
The success of State of Origin is a double edged sword for the NRL. It brings in enormous revenue and ratings and is rightly considered one of the showpieces of the game.
However, it also takes up a large period of time over the season, kills the momentum of the regular season, denies clubs access to their players for a considerable amount of matches and players often return a bit flat after an emotionally and physically exhausting series.
Reuben Cotter is tackled by Stephen Crichton. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
There has been talk from some at putting it at the end of the year, but that is probably not a good fit. There is also talk about stopping the NRL season and having it run over 3 weeks. Although this reduces the impact on the clubs, it would be difficult for players to maintain State of Origin intensity over such a short period. There would also be a lack of other NRL content. I would propose the following schedule:
Rounds 1 to 11: Normal NRL draw
Round 12: Half teams with byes (selected Origin squad cannot play) and NRLW Origin 1
Wednesday between Round 12 and Round 13: NRL Origin 1
Round 13: Half teams with byes (Origin players excluded)
Round 14: NRL Origin 2, NRLW Origin 2, Pacific and Junior Representative matches
Round 15: Half teams with byes (Origin players excluded)
Wednesday between Round 15 and 16: NRL Origin 3
Round 16: Half teams with byes (Origin players excluded), NRLW Origin 3
Round 17-27: Normal NRL draw resumes
At the most, clubs would only lose star players for only 2 matches, because the other 2 matches would be byes. The Origin period is shorter (3 matches over 4 weeks) with only 4 actual rounds affected. Origin players would have 10 to 11 day breaks before and after each Origin and be prevented from backing up at club level only a few days after an Origin match, maybe with an exception for the 18th man if they don’t play.
The weekend rep round would provide a mid-season break for a lot of players, as well as a better opportunity to promote an Origin match outside Queensland and NSW (for example NZ). Fans could actually make a weekend away of it. Maybe make it the trade window period as well. I know the weekend round has been trialled before, but it was still as part of a very spread out Origin period.
Kalyn Ponga celebrates a try. (Photo by Jenny Evans/Getty Images)
This concept allows a sharper focus to be maintained throughout the Origin period. The proposal also works well with the NRLW Origin series. Any slight reduction in the TV ratings from the moving of one Wednesday game would be worth it for the other benefits.
Following the Origin period, we then have an uninterrupted 11 rounds to the finals, with hopefully most players being still relatively fresh. I think there may be a need for greater flexibility with TV scheduling at this point. Maybe after round 11, the times for rounds 16 to 27 can be locked in.
You may want to work out what days matches are on and where for these rounds before the season starts, but have the ability to work out what time the match is on (e.g. be able to swap the 6pm Friday game for the 8pm Friday game). Fans and clubs will still have certainty over the days well in advance to plan trips and stadium bookings but the NRL and TV networks can maximise the ratings over this period.
I would also complement this with a greater number of FTA matches on Saturday nights.
The Finals
There has been some discussion about having a bye weekend at the start of the finals series. Although you get the occasional match where players are rested, this at the most is about 2 matches. Maybe if the reward for being minor premiers was greater, this may occur less.
Olivia Kernick is tackled. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
Also, this week is great for the NRL where there are no AFL matches on. I actually propose that the bye weekend be the week before the grand final. I would do this for several reasons. It allows both teams to come into the biggest game of the year refreshed as much as possible. Often a team comes into the grand final very flat due to a bruising preliminary final the week before, especially if they haven’t had a bye.
There is also a very real possibility a star player may get a concussion the week before the grand final and be ruled out due to mandatory 11 day stand down, despite feeling good to play. A 2 week break would allow a possible return if they have recovered. It would also allow the NRL to really promote the game over those weeks. I think if teams also knew they could get a bye before the grand final, they may also be less likely to rest too many players in the final round.
It wouldn’t just be a bye week, however, it would be an opportunity to make the weekend before the NRL grand final, the NRLW grand final weekend and give it maximum promotion. You could also move the NSW and QLD Cup grand finals to better times on that weekend – have NSW Cup Friday night, QLD Cup Saturday night, NRLW Grand Final Sunday night and the Dally M on Monday night.
Jessica Sergis. (Photo by Scott Gardiner/Getty Images)
The NRLW is a great product and deserves to be in the spotlight for its biggest match of the season. It would be great at a more boutique stadium initially with some decent Australian bands as entertainment and fireworks. I believe AFL will eventually look at having a bye before the grand final because of the concussion issue, but the NRL has the ability to offer other quality contests on that weekend that the AFL cannot do.
The NRL is in the entertainment industry and we want our stars on the field and close, well fought and skilful contests as much as possible.
On that basis I have a couple of final controversial suggestions which will no doubt upset the purists:
1. If a player receive a one-week ban that falls on grand final day or a ban where the last week of it is the grand final (e.g. week 3 of a 3 week ban), they should be allowed to play the grand final and serve a 2 week ban in its place at the start of the following season.
2. At the end of each half, the team with possession can continue to play after the siren until there is a change over. A change over will not occur where there is a penalty conceded, a mistake made by the defending team, a charge down is not regathered or a goal line drop-off is forced.
This will prevent sides winding down the clock unreasonably or engaging in cynical play and allow attacking teams the opportunity to try and construct a match winning play. This should apply throughout the season.
I know this seems a bit like rugby but to be honest, it is one of the few things in rugby I actually find exciting.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
I like the idea of a 20 games season, but it still seems ludicrous to have nearly 50% of teams playing in the finals. This first weekend is almost an extension of the regular season, except the really brumby teams are all getting over their Mad Mondays. The only winners are the NRL.
Jetka
Roar Rookie
The finals are the money spinners. I could definitely see them shortening the regular season though and I think that it would actually improve the comp. No more than 20 rounds would be ideal.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
"If there was an earlier bye before the start of the finals, I’m not sure what you would fill it with." This is exactly the problem the AFL has created for itself. It's fine of you like to watch repeats of Gilligan's Island but otherwise, it's hard work for most footy fans. In terms of the judiciary, 1 match bans can include careless high tackles, dangerous contact and contrary conduct, all at grade 2 level. These are a tad more serious than the sort of accidental instances you've mentioned. Guys playing knockout footy finals are super desperate, especially at this level and will do almost anything to help their teams win. Remember Billy Slater's shoulder charge a few years ago? He was desperate to stop a flying winger from scoring so shoulder charged him over the sideline which had huge potential for injury. He did that deliberately, rolled the dice and got away with it but if he did the same now, he'd get a week for sure and would rightly miss the grand final.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
In the next 5 years, player health and safety is going to be a much bigger issue than it currently is. I'm not only talking about mental health, but physical as well because the size and fitness of the current players is significantly more than it was even 10 years ago. I suspect the NRL will be forced into shortening the season, rather than making it longer, to try and keep star players (or all players for that matter) on the park. That means less regular season games and less finals.
Jetka
Roar Rookie
I don’t mind the top 8 as it keeps a lot more teams in contention for a lot longer. I think the top 4 was locked in a few weeks ago this year. I do think, however, that if the competition does expand to 18 or 20 teams, it should remain a top 8.
Jetka
Roar Rookie
You raise some good points, in relation to players be away from their clubs, I guess at the moment they are away for periods of 10 days before each match at the moment, but it is dragged over a longer period of time, which can be equally disruptive, with players coming in and out over a couple of months. Also, I don’t think players need to be completely removed from the club the whole time, just not get involved in any contact activity. In relation to the bye weekend, I actually think having the NSW and QLD Cup finals and the NRLW grand final would give you a good footy fix. If there was an earlier bye before the start of the finals, I’m not sure what you would fill it with. With the suspension proposal, I knew that would be quite divisive, but I would suggest that most acts that get you a week for these days, would tend to be careless at best, if not accidental. In terms of longer suspensions, often that is a result of some poor records and loading issues and I couldn’t imagine someone committing quite a serious act with the intention that the last week of that suspension would fall on grand final day. Maybe, certain grades of offences could be excluded. I certainly knew I would get some disagreement over it.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
IMO, a top 5 would work better. Coming first would give the top team a week off and it would be incentive to win the minor premiership
Andrew01
Roar Rookie
I like a lot of your suggestions and rationale. Origin is a bug bare of mine and as long as players are made unavailable to play for their clubs to play Origin, it will always be literally saying, 'the NRL is not the most important thing to us', and therefore by that definition, reducing the value. So why would fans invest? Only thing i can't agree with his suspended suspensions. I can't see how that is fair and reasonable. Do the rime, or do repeated crimes through the year that your loading leaves you vulnerable to suspension, that is part of the challenge of a season and why the premiership should go to the best squad, not just the team with the best two or three stars.
Redcap
Roar Guru
Hard no to suggestion one. I think the MRC and judiciary have shown some lenience when possible. I'd rather retain that on an informal basis than formalise something which could have some unfortunate unintended consequences. I don't really see the point of suggestion two. As you identify in the article, Origin is a (maybe the) priority for the NRL (unfortunately) and the league will probably always have to fit around it. I quite like your proposed schedule, but I'm not sure it would work with a 17 team comp (though, admittedly I haven't looked at it in detail).
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
You raise some interesting points that are certainly worth considering. I'm not sure I fully understand your suggestions for the SOO period but have a few questions. It seems to me you're suggesting the SOO coaches be allowed to take a squad of players out of the hands of the Clubs for the best part of a month and the Clubs will have no access to them at all. Bearing in mind coaches will want cover for injuries and/or make changes based on results, do you think that's practical? Also wondering how that will go down with the Clubs? Your suggestion about a bye week before the GF to help guys get past the concussion protocols makes a lot of sense. That said it would only work if you could still fill up the weekend with footy and good standard footy at that. I'm strongly opposed to suspended players being given an option to serve bans in the following season so they can play in the GF. In effect you're saying we have two sets of rules around foul play penalties, one for the rest of the season and one for the finals. Guys who want to do something illegal to help their team win a game must be punished asap and if that means missing out on a grand final - tough.
SSTID
Roar Rookie
I am not naive enough to believe what we have now is all about money, but a big bug bear for me is the finals season. 8 team finals is all about squeezing that little bit more juice out of the money pie. Really anything past 6 is 99% of the time just a waste of space and many arrive here with a negative for and against figure, so are we really seeing the top teams duke it out, or are we just waiting for the pointy end to start. Call me old fashion and I know it won't happen, but a 4 team final series. 1v4 and 2v3 in first week. Losers of 1st week play winners of 1st week in week 2 and GF in week 3. At least there is some reward for getting at or close to the top of the table by years end and it is more than likely that the top 4 will have a healthy for and against record over the seasons, which should also be a reward for consistent results.