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My Mid-Season break concept!

Disco

Bench
Messages
2,701
Ok so we hear people complaining about early season player transfers, also people complain about teams losing players to Origin and players whinging about player fatigue late in the season.


So i have a concept that i think will address some of the issues


The NRL has a mid season 3 week (2 weekend) break!

Okay so i hear people hating this already but hear me out.


So the NRL concludes on a Sunday night (Monday game shifted that week) and then the next two weekends are NRL free.

During this 2 week period players can negotiate and sign with other clubs (for the following year). If deals are not concluded during this period then the window re-opens the Tuesday after the GF

State of Origin is played on the 3 consecutive Wednesdays during this period meaning it gains full attention and does not disrupt teams seasons (players would miss the weekend before game 1 and back up after game 3 but hey, nothings perfect)

City v Country and the NRL All Stars match (minus SOO players) are played on one of the weekends each during this period. With the possibilty a NZ v England/France match as well.

I really think this would work


Obviously there are the drawbacks

A) missing our NRL for two weekends - But think it makes the Season 2 weeks longer meaning the off season is shorter. Plus its not like we would be sitting idle, with a frenzy of footy activity happening.

B) Origin players would find it hard to negotiate deals - Tough imo, they can do it after the season

Overall though i think the positives outweigh any small drawbacks, what does everyone think?
 

Disco

Bench
Messages
2,701
It's downright stupid is what I think. How can players negotiate if they're in camp for origin?


The whole comp is not in camp for Origin

Those who are can negotiate at the end of the year.

And dont give me that "its not enough time" nonsense.

Footballers (soccer) negotiate and sign deals in days and they are at training with new teams the following week.
 
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AuDragon

Juniors
Messages
2,253
Get ready for Loudtard's wrath. This messes with his comfort zone!
He'll start pulling Sheldon's faces, but unlike the former, he won't be able to formulate a logical, albeit deprived of common sense reasoning, so he'll just insult you...
 

Disco

Bench
Messages
2,701
Origin players wouldn't be able to negotiate.
Mid-season break is a momentum killer for leading teams.

If season fatigue is an issue, make the season shorter, it's pretty simple.


True it could be a momentum killer but Origin is that anyway (your Dragons got hit by it last year)

On the flipside the extra two weeks does allow injured players that little but more recovery
 

Firey_Dragon

Coach
Messages
12,099
True it could be a momentum killer but Origin is that anyway (your Dragons got hit by it last year)

On the flipside the extra two weeks does allow injured players that little but more recovery

Except you didn't address the fact that origin players whilst in camp can't be handling contract negotiations.

Origin is a momentum killer with or without a break, it takes the star players at least a month or two to get back to their best form post-origin. Adding a 3 week consecutive break just ensures the rest of the players in a team will also be rusty.

Your idea isn't thought out well on a number of levels. Ideally I'd prefer a 20 round regular season, with origin to be played after the finals. I couldn't care less about origin though, I appreciate the fact that it garners interest for the casual fan, but it's an infamous destroyer of seasons no matter which way you look at it.
 

eozsmiles

Bench
Messages
3,392
Origin players wouldn't be able to negotiate.
Mid-season break is a momentum killer for leading teams.

If season fatigue is an issue, make the season shorter, it's pretty simple.


Good idea. We'll get less money from the media and then we can drop the salary cap and NRL club grant.

That should help the game move forward.
 

Firey_Dragon

Coach
Messages
12,099
Good idea. We'll get less money from the media and then we can drop the salary cap and NRL club grant.

That should help the game move forward.

Where did I say it should be done? 'If season fatigue is an issue', I never said it was....

The reason we get less from the media is because the NRL has been historically poor at negotiating deals. Origin 1,2 and 3 should all be auctioned off separately to all networks. Same with any rep game, same with the finals.

They really should be looking at how the NFL handles their network negotiations. Maybe teams should play 52 games a year, that'll get them more money. What people don't understand is that by having more games, you actually dilute your product. How many people can say they still dedicate their weekends to watching league between rounds 10-18 ? The early season novelty wears off and viewing numbers die down until they start to ramp up for the finals.
 
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Disco

Bench
Messages
2,701
Except you didn't address the fact that origin players whilst in camp can't be handling contract negotiations.

Origin is a momentum killer with or without a break, it takes the star players at least a month or two to get back to their best form post-origin. Adding a 3 week consecutive break just ensures the rest of the players in a team will also be rusty.

Your idea isn't thought out well on a number of levels. Ideally I'd prefer a 20 round regular season, with origin to be played after the finals. I couldn't care less about origin though, I appreciate the fact that it garners interest for the casual fan, but it's an infamous destroyer of seasons no matter which way you look at it.

I addressed it in the 6th post.

Origin players would can negotiate at the end of the season, there is plenty of time then!

And if The origin players take 3 weeks to gear up again and all the others are rusty doesnt that even up the playing field so some teams are not disadvantaged?
 

Firey_Dragon

Coach
Messages
12,099
I addressed it in the 6th post.

Origin players would can negotiate at the end of the season, there is plenty of time then!

And if The origin players take 3 weeks to gear up again and all the others are rusty doesnt that even up the playing field so some teams are not disadvantaged?

Sorry missed it. And we all know that origin players aren't the ones who leave their futures up in the air for the conclusion of a season. They utilise the most cap space as such, planning is required much earlier in the year. It simply wouldn't work. Teams don't leave the off-season with 1 million in cap space in the hope that they can land a star player, it puts all your contract negotiations on hold.
 

Disco

Bench
Messages
2,701
Sorry missed it. And we all know that origin players aren't the ones who leave their futures up in the air for the conclusion of a season. They utilise the most cap space as such, planning is required much earlier in the year. It simply wouldn't work. Teams don't leave the off-season with 1 million in cap space in the hope that they can land a star player, it puts all your contract negotiations on hold.


That just means that more clubs are likely to do deals in the off season which is not bad thing.
 

Firey_Dragon

Coach
Messages
12,099
That just means that more clubs are likely to do deals in the off season which is not bad thing.

No it means no team will be able to negotiate in the proposed period you're talking about. Doing deals in the off-season is not a good thing, it's absolutely impossible to plan for the upcoming year when you literally have a 2-4 week window to initiate negotiations, sign a contract and begin the pre-season. How do you think clubs would go signing up to 10 players in that period?

The more you try and justify your idea, the worse it sounds.
 

Disco

Bench
Messages
2,701
Nonsense

The EPL transfer window runs into the start of there season and they manage fine.


Pre-season training starts in Nov, That gives clubs a month, a world of time.


Things only drag on atm as they are allowed too

On a side note im impressed that so far its just been a discussion based on the merits of the idea rather than simple name calling
 

Firey_Dragon

Coach
Messages
12,099
Nonsense

The EPL transfer window runs into the start of there season and they manage fine.


Pre-season training starts in Nov, That gives clubs a month, a world of time.


Things only drag on atm as they are allowed too

On a side note im impressed that so far its just been a discussion based on the merits of the idea rather than simple name calling

The EPL doesn't operate with a salary cap, teams don't need to be as cost prudent for purchases... And no it isn't a world of time... Week 1, you'd negotiate with stars, competing with other teams, if you sign them within 2-3 weeks you're doing damn well. Then you barely have a week to negotiate with lesser talents (if they're even still around) to fit around that cost.

Cap management takes months of planning. Even sports who operate with a cap and small transfer windows (ie the NBA) have been designed in a way that you can go over the cap but get punished financially. It simply isn't feasible in the NRL.

Compare apples with apples.
 

Eels Dude

Coach
Messages
19,065
The whole comp is not in camp for Origin

Those who are can negotiate at the end of the year.

And dont give me that "its not enough time" nonsense.

Footballers (soccer) negotiate and sign deals in days and they are at training with new teams the following week.

So clubs have to wait until the end of season to negotiate with the best players once they have no money left, yet they can sign the average and crap ones mid season?
 

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