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'Wildcard Weekend' Finals Proposal for 2020

merahputih

Juniors
Messages
922
What does everyone think about this idea, floated by the NRL for next year ? In theory a team finishing 10th could go all the way and take out the Grand Final, although the odds would be like winning Lotto. I suspect it is just a ploy to milk more from the TV cash cow.
 

possm

Coach
Messages
15,587
What does everyone think about this idea, floated by the NRL for next year ? In theory a team finishing 10th could go all the way and take out the Grand Final, although the odds would be like winning Lotto. I suspect it is just a ploy to milk more from the TV cash cow.

I'd rather see a top 8 fight it our for the Shield and the bottom 8 fight it out for a trophy.
 

Dragonslayer

First Grade
Messages
7,679
I'd rather see a top 8 fight it our for the Shield and the bottom 8 fight it out for a trophy.

This is really the only sensible approach.
Failing that a playoff for each ladder position would be the only other way eg: 15 v 16 for the spoon 14 v 13 etc

A top 10 concept is ludicrous.
 

silverex

Bench
Messages
3,247
Over the years some pretty stupid ideas have come out of NRL headquarters but this would have to be the absolute worst.

There have been numerous polls conducted on Twitter about this proposal with the results generally about 10% for - 90% against.

I tend to go the other way - have no finals. First past the post has been the best team all year so should be the champions.
 

Slippery Morris

First Grade
Messages
7,395
Personally I think it should be opposite and make it less teams like a top 4. Play semi's (1v4 and 2v3) over 2 legs and play the GF over 3 games like Origin. Teams finishing top 4 should be in the GF not 10th.
 

typicalfan

Coach
Messages
15,430
Over the years some pretty stupid ideas have come out of NRL headquarters but this would have to be the absolute worst.

There have been numerous polls conducted on Twitter about this proposal with the results generally about 10% for - 90% against.

I tend to go the other way - have no finals. First past the post has been the best team all year so should be the champions.
I disagree that it is the worst, at least there is some logic behind the idea of having a pre finals playoff. What it means is you need to be top 6 to guarantee a finals spot which is a positive, it would be a good idea if we had more teams.

Rugby league has a way of attacking itself where any new idea will get shot down so Twitter don't mean too much. Any other code would lap this up.
 

grouch

First Grade
Messages
8,393
I disagree that it is the worst, at least there is some logic behind the idea of having a pre finals playoff. What it means is you need to be top 6 to guarantee a finals spot which is a positive, it would be a good idea if we had more teams.

Rugby league has a way of attacking itself where any new idea will get shot down so Twitter don't mean too much. Any other code would lap this up.
If it was truly about that they should let the 5-8 play in the wildcard round, so only the top 4 are safe. But it's not truly about that.

If they expand the comp this might have some merit. At present, it's a revenue raiser only. Or a smokescreen for the various scandals
 

Walpole

Juniors
Messages
2,418
First we started creating artificial results with the farce of golden point. Now this stupidity.
Next thing we know McGregor will get his wish for 98 metre fields.
Yeah, but you know the first time we came up short he'd be lamenting the fact they weren't 96m...
 

Frank Facer

First Grade
Messages
5,069
I think a top 4 is the best idea with
week 1
1 v 2
3 v 4
The winner of 1 v 2 gets a week off and goes straight into the grand final and the loser of 1 v 2 has a home final against the winner of 3 v 4 to see who meets the winner of 3 v 4.

I think one should have to finish in the top 4 to be worthy of a chance to win the comp. If we have the old top 5 system, then if the minor premiership winner wins their first game after having a bye the first week of the finals, they will be going into the grand final only having played one game in 28 days or so.

I will say that I much prefer the current system to the McIntyre system. Can you believe that the AFL has changed their system from what our's currently is to the McIntyre system? Does McIntyre get any royalties for sports using his system?
 

LINESPEED

Juniors
Messages
1,551
Yeah, but you know the first time we came up short he'd be lamenting the fact they weren't 96m...

And his excuses when he goes 2-8 will be:
1 JDB’s absence & its distraction
2 Ah Mau’s loss.
3 Sims’ suspension.
4 Blooding new forwards
5 Inconsistent centre performances again
6 Having to change our spine to bring in our Xfactor
7 Our new ‘D’ combinations
8 Our inexperienced wingers
9 Didn’t get the rub of the green in the first 8 rounds and the ball’s the wrong shape anyway
10 New spine needs a few months to settle
11 It’s not the Chinese Year of the Dragon ( buckle up folks, that’s 2024)
12 Cam passed poorly & gave away a few too many penalties in crucial early games.
13 Reece is still settling in
14 Corey’s still working on his combo with Benny & vice versa
15 Euan is still perfecting his passing game. Bloody hell I’ve backed that kid for so long
16 Jordan’s still bulking up to stop being ragdolled
17 Timmy’s working on his ratio of 1-3 good to bog ordinary games
18 My jetski ran aground at the Tantric Beach Day event & lotus flowers aren’t agreeing with me anyway ... I think
19 Foxsports aren’t giving me a free ride anymore with puff piece interviews
20 Plan B is coming along beautifully - it’s a knockout! Josh is sending it from Toronto
21 My shrink says I gotta stop reading The Forum
22 Well our plan was to go 2-6 then come home strong
23 The players have to play - I can’t tackle for them. I’m not on the paddock FFS
24 Mars is not aligning with Venus
25 The boys are shit scared about our SOO meltdowns
26 Toddy’s told me that a try from a bomb will soon be worth only 3 points. That would’ve got us top 2 last year
27 Gareth’s leaving is impacting the boys’ confidence, as are Corey’s tapes & fake news
28 News of my potential sacking leaked & cost us the last 4 games. Fuc*kin social media.
29 Lats’ form has dropped as he feels guilty about being continually picked over the gun juniors & feels responsible for the 60-0 flogging last week
30 Our goat keeps eating the teamsheet. ... but ... but ... you know it’s all about our D and ... and ... anyway just fu*k off will you Brian said it’s not true about what Albert told Bruce

amen
 
Last edited:

typicalfan

Coach
Messages
15,430
If it was truly about that they should let the 5-8 play in the wildcard round, so only the top 4 are safe. But it's not truly about that.

If they expand the comp this might have some merit. At present, it's a revenue raiser only. Or a smokescreen for the various scandals
I agree, I am not saying it's great I am just saying there is at least some merit even if it would require at least an expansion for it to look not like a gimmick.

Replace Round 25 so 24 rounds and call it "Round 25" to differentiate it from the finals.
 

getsmarty

Immortal
Messages
33,485

NRL NEWS


NRL proposes Wildcard Weekend to revamp finals
Author
Brad Walter NRL.com Senior Reporter
Timestamp
Mon 4 Mar 2019, 06:30 PM
walterbrad-head.png

NRL clubs and broadcasters have been briefed on a proposal to introduce a "Wildcard Weekend" as part of a new finals system that could be introduced as soon as next year.

Under the concept, which was outlined by NRL head of elite football operation Graham Annesley to club CEOs on Monday, the teams finishing ninth and 10th at the end of the regular season would be given a chance to qualify for the finals by beating the seventh and eighth ranked teams.

The top six teams would have the weekend off, while the team finishing seventh plays team 10 and the eighth-ranked team meets team nine in sudden-death play-offs.

If the Wildcard Weekend concept had been in place last season, ninth-placed Wests Tigers would have played the eighth-placed Warriors and the 10th-placed Raiders would have met the seventh-placed Dragons.

wildcards_20190304.jpg

The finals series would then kick off in its current format, with the top four playing in qualifying finals and the teams finishing fifth and sixth playing elimination matches against the winners from Wildcard Weekend.

It is anticipated that the new concept would benefit clubs financially by increasing crowds and television audiences at the back end of the season when teams are no longer in play-off contention.

According to data provided by the NRL, the number of "dead" matches – those in which one or both teams could not make the finals – have been increasing each season and were at a record high of 36 in 2018.

Inside The NRL – Episode 1

The average number of dead matches across the past 11 years is 23 per season - or 12 per cent of the 192 Telstra Premiership fixtures each year.

However, if the Wildcard Weekend concept had been in place last season that number would have been reduced to just eight and an average of 14 per season since 2008.

Those matches with no bearing on the final eight resulted in an average decline in attendances of 3,300 per match – costing home clubs about $80,000 per match in gate receipts.

Television audiences also decreased by eight per cent for dead games.

Annesley, who has returned to the NRL this season after a stint as Gold Coast CEO, said the proposed format would keep fans engaged for longer during the season and benefit clubs financially.

"I think at the Titans last year we were probably done and dusted by very early in the second round," Annesley said.

"You often hear clubs say mathematically we can still make it but mathematically means you have to win every game.

"If you've missed the eight for multiple years, trying to get members to re-sign for the following year can be difficult so if this is a way of keeping that engagement and that involvement from everyone associated with the game it is at least worth considering."

The Wildcard Weekend system will benefit teams who are impacted by heavy injury tolls early in the season and may also place more emphasis on recruitment before June 30 as clubs try to sign a player who can help keep their play-off hopes alive.

It is anticipated that the ARL Commission will look more closely at the proposal in coming months after feedback from clubs, fans, broadcasters and the RLPA and if there is support at the highest levels of the game it could be introduced from 2020.

"There has been some discussion with the broadcasters and I think that they are at least open to the idea," Annesley said.

1nh_7344e.jpg

The Sharks and Dragons featured in the 2018 finals. :copyright:Nathan Hopkins/NRL Photos
"I think the clubs were open. We just gave them an overview and after the phone hook-up we sent them some documentation to have a look at. We've asked them to talk to their people and come back to us within a reasonable time.

"We will probably start to get some feedback in the next week or so and we will certainly be able to assess public opinion over the next few days I would think.

"In terms of player welfare and workload, teams getting a week off before they play the finals is obviously beneficial to them. Yes, four teams will potentially play one more game, but you wouldn't think under normal circumstances they would go as deep into the finals as the other teams."


https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2019/03/05/nrl-proposes-wildcard-weekend-to-revamp-finals/
 
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