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NRL will not force clubs to release players for Denver Test

Burns

First Grade
Messages
6,037
Link: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...t/news-story/1e048499aa6ef11f34fd983999186144


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CLUBS will not be compelled to release players for the Denver Test match between New Zealand and England after a joint letter signed by the NRL, the Rugby League Players Association and the NRL clubs said they would not support the match.

Although the group conceded the match would go as planned this year, it warned NRL players would not be released for the fixture if it goes ahead as scheduled in 2019 and 2020.

The NRL has ruled out sanctioning clubs who do not let their players play.

The Daily Telegraph has obtained a letter signed by NRL boss Todd Greenberg, his RLPA counterpart Ian Prendergast and South Sydney chief executive Blake Solly which was fired off to the respective New Zealand and England rugby league boards.

The letter was highly critical of the match being staged in Denver next month, declaring “we are not in a position to support the match”.

“We have no doubt that you will do everything in your control to provide for the safety and welfare of the players while under your care, but the simple reality remains that the extent of travel and (lack of) recovery time cannot be considered ‘best practice’,” the letter read.

“To support the match, there would need to be agreement from the Clubs to stand all participating players down for round 16. That is not a position that the clubs are willing to take, nor should they be required to take given the NRL season was determined well before this proposed test match was officially scheduled.”

Warriors coach Stephen Kearney has already indicated he would rest any player picked to play in Denver for the club’s match against Cronulla three days later.

St George Illawarra’s James Graham and South Sydney’s Sam Burgess have thrown their support behind the concept.

This letter follows up from last month’s chief executive meeting of all clubs.

“We accept that players may want to participate in 2018,” the letter read.

“If they wish to participate they will not be prevented from doing so. However, we will not compel clubs to release players for the match. The RLPA has advised that they will not discourage players from participating but will ensure players are fully informed in order to make a decision about their availability.

“One area we would like (the respective boards) to consider is the removal of the three-week excess period that applies to insurance cover to insulate clubs from the financial impact of player injury.”

The letter also hit back at plans for the match to be played around the same time for the next three years. Only this year’s game had received sanctioned from the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF), with the letter declaring their support for the match to be played at the end of the NRL season.

“A post-season match would also guarantee that the quality of teams representing England and New Zealand will be better and the match will be a stronger promotional vehicle for the sport in the US,” the letter read.

“The Rugby Football League confirmed it will make no money from the game in 2018. Given the match will deliver little or no commercial benefit to the competing countries it seems that the driver behind the match is the strategic opportunity of expansion in the US. We support this opportunity but we don’t understand the choice of Denver.

“If RLIF was to sanction a test match in Denver in June beyond 2018, there is little prospect that NRL players will be released to participate in the match.”

The 16 NRL clubs received the letter on Monday morning.

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While everyone is looking at State of Origin, the NRL (lol at South Sydney especially) have made their move against the Denver Test because they know that no one cares about it.

I am very convinced that Shaun Johnson and RTS will not play for NZ due to their injuries.
 

Coastbloke

Bench
Messages
4,051
Best thing they can hope for is getting the best teams on the park and forgetting 2019 and 20. Pretty sure England is touring Australasia in 2019 anyway so even trying to hold the Test post season isn't going to happen.

At the end of the day, NZ really should have been playing Tonga in Auckland or Hamilton and England should have been playing France, while Samoa, PNG, Fiji and Cooks should have been playing each other..

The RLIF really does need to decide who actually runs the game. The rules clearly state that players selected and denied a release have to drop a club game. The RLIF needs to get onto this to save some face..
 

BuderusIsaBeast

Juniors
Messages
554
Disappointing but not surprising.

They really should have scheduled the test for the end of the year as opposed to mid season

Between 17 hours and 22 hours to fly from Auckland to Denver. It is a massive travel load
 

siv

First Grade
Messages
6,546
A reason why you need a fortnight for international rep rounds ie 2 weekends

But mid season tests if only one weekend need to be played locally in their hemisphere - not cross hemispheres

We should restrict this for post season

Any whats this 3 weeks insurance excess thing about ?
 

adamkungl

Immortal
Messages
42,955
England should have just played Ireland in Denver.
A full strength Irish team won't be far off the half-arsed one NZ is gonna send over.

IF I was organising things, I'd keep mid-season tests in the same hemisphere.
BUT
I understand that my way is not the only way. There are great reasons to stage a US test the way this one has been planned.
1. a top tier RL international must have one of Australia or NZ.
2. which means a top tier test in the US has to cross hemispheres
3. to escape the overwhelming coverage of NFL and NBA, it has to be md-season.
 

TheFrog

Coach
Messages
14,300
Would the NFL stage an exhibition match featuring topline players in central Australia during the middle of their season? I'm guessing not.
 

franklin2323

Immortal
Messages
33,546
f**k off

'Lack of recovery time' says the organisations who have let players back up a day after the ANZAC Test for years and 2 days after Origin.

They don't spend a day on the plane though.

The players will play if they want and the clubs will just cop it. They will fix the schedule up next year to get it longer recovery time and all this will be forgotten
 

IntRLEnthusiast

Juniors
Messages
127
In hindsight, what was maybe a better move knowing that there was always going to be this issue about the Denver Test, it may have been better to Play NZ vs Tonga in NZ and look for a post season test in the US. But this should be more than doable and RL should just get behind it. If it is successful then the inconvenience is totally worth it. This Test could be a game changer. My hope is that it is really successful this year and that the NRL and the Clubs and the RLPA are forced to backflip and support it. Much like the way everybody is now talking about the importance of Tonga and equal pay.
 
Messages
14,172
Just remember if the clubs have their way there wouldn't be any SOO. With this step we are on our way to seeing an end to SOO and look who heads the players union, why Ian Prendergast, and what is his background, AFL.
AFL house will be laughing their socks of this morning as they know this is the beginning of the end of SOO, and Australia playing international Rugby League.
The fox is in the hen house and the NRL/AFL can't see it. of choose not too.
 

Pommy

Coach
Messages
14,657
Best thing they can hope for is getting the best teams on the park and forgetting 2019 and 20. Pretty sure England is touring Australasia in 2019 anyway so even trying to hold the Test post season isn't going to happen.

At the end of the day, NZ really should have been playing Tonga in Auckland or Hamilton and England should have been playing France, while Samoa, PNG, Fiji and Cooks should have been playing each other..

The RLIF really does need to decide who actually runs the game. The rules clearly state that players selected and denied a release have to drop a club game. The RLIF needs to get onto this to save some face..

But France don’t want to play mid season and there’s no other side who is really going to give the English a test plus a good number of the team play in Australia.
The England side managed ok flying out here to play Samoa mid season last year.

Would the NFL stage an exhibition match featuring topline players in central Australia during the middle of their season? I'm guessing not.

Maybe not but the superlwague played a game here mid season this year.
 

Springs09

Juniors
Messages
1,903
They don't spend a day on the plane though.

The players will play if they want and the clubs will just cop it. They will fix the schedule up next year to get it longer recovery time and all this will be forgotten

Yeah I know how the hell are they supposed to recover from sitting down for a day to play 2 days later? That's much rougher than playing for your NRL side on Saturday after playing for Australia or NZ the night before in the ANZAC Test like what happened for 15 years.
 
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