24 rounds is way too many

[T-Boon]

It should be an 18 round comp. Each game would mean a lot more.

 

[Burns]

Comp does to start to drag a bit around now. Luckily this year the Top 8 didn’t break away like it was threatening too.

 

[moffla]

It only means little for teams outside the 8.

Also, there are players who get paid 1mil a year. They can f**kin run out 24 rounds

 

[T-Boon]

Each team except boring old melbourne has been through at least a 4 week "who cares" stage, if that isnt enough to say there are too many games I dont know what does.

 

[ReddFelon]

Add two extra teams, keep the rounds but now you'll have fewer instances of the same match up occuring twice inside 4-6 weeks

 

[GongPanther]

Have the comp go for 8 rounds,then bring back the AMCO Cup for 8 straight rounds, give SOO the flick then have a final 8 weeks of the comp, then the finals series. So you have 8 rounds of the AMCO Cup, and 16 normal comp rounds. Is everybody happy?!

Yea-nah.

 

[soc123_au]

Have the comp go for 8 rounds,then bring back the AMCO Cup for 8 straight rounds, give SOO the flick then have a final 8 weeks of the comp, then the finals series. So you have 8 rounds of the AMCO Cup, and 16 normal comp rounds. Is everybody happy?!

Yea-nah.

AMCO dissapeared 20 years ago. I dont think the sponsorship dollars will be there.

 

[GongPanther]

AMCO disappeared 20 years ago. I don't think the sponsorship dollars will be there.

I know...I couldn't call it a mid-week comp because that 8 week comp would still be played on the weekends, so I tried to jog ppls memory of a differing comp.

Mabe a nation wide challenge comp would have been a better description.

 

[Last Week]

The Origin period is what's killing it. Just stop the NRL for a month while Origin and rep games are played.

NRL until round 11.
1st week (31/5 - 2/6)
Friday night - Women's Origin 1
Saturday - Pacific tests/series
Sunday night - Origin 1

2nd week (7/6 - 12/6)
Friday night - Women's Origin 2
Saturday - Pacific tests/series
Wednesday (12/6) - Origin 2

3rd week (14/6 - 16/6)
Friday night - Women's Origin 3
Saturday - Pacific tests/series

4th week (21/6 - 23/6)
Saturday - Pacific tests/series finals
Sunday - Origin 3

NRL round 12 resumes from the 28/6. Only 11 more rounds for a 22 round comp.

 

[Generalzod]

Who ever comes first wins the comp

 

[Saxon]

Who ever comes first wins the comp

Melbourne and the Roosters would love that.

 

[Generalzod]

Melbourne and the Roosters would love that.

the system the NRL created

 

[taste2taste]

It should be an 18 round comp. Each game would mean a lot more.

Yes 100% agree. I remember Gus saying he thinks the ideal length would be 15 weeks.
A shorter season would make every game important. With more on the line the games would be played at a semi final intensity which would lead to larger crowds and TV ratings.

The recent BBL season is a good example why less is more. They expanded the length of their season and ratings and crowds had a huge drop. They have quickly gone back to a shorter season.

The NFL is arguably the most successful game on the planet in terms of crowds and TV ratings and they only play a 16 game season.

....You know the NRL season is too long when Trent Robinson says the roosters don't even bother playing in 5th gear until a month before the play offs

 

[juro]

As a Tigers fan, I most definitely agree. Hate the fade we have every year at this time...

 

[Captain Apollo]

I don't on many occasions, but this is one case where I think T-Boon is right. The NRL season is too long. 24 regular season games spread over 25 weeks, in which we have multiple games effected by players being unavailable for Sta6te of Origin. Then we cram in test matches during and around the season, which sees a lot of games played for the top tier players. Well remunerated or not, they are human, and the more games played leads to increased mental fatigue as the season draws on (which effects form) and also increases the risk of injury.

Whether 18 is the right number, I don't know, but I can see merits in having a shorter season. I mean how many more games do we want to see during the Origin period with many teams having their best players missing? In all honesty, is that the best for the game?

 

[adamkungl]

Having 3 standalone rep weeks would keep content in the calendar, improve the quality of the games in the Origin period, and bring the NRL down to 22 rounds.

Would love this to happen at the next TV deal.

 

[Diesel]

I’d go with 20 rounds, drop Thursday night games except for the first 5 weeks when the weather is warmer and move to a 12pm Sunday game (in NZ 2pm local) or a 4pm WA game (6pm EST).

Could Thursday night games be a NSWRL/QRL game held at BankWest (NSW) or somewhere in SEQ?

 

[Quicksilver]

Reduce it to 18 rounds but make every game go 20 minutes longer.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

The Origin period is what's killing it. Just stop the NRL for a month while Origin and rep games are played.

NRL until round 11.
1st week (31/5 - 2/6)
Friday night - Women's Origin 1
Saturday - Pacific tests/series
Sunday night - Origin 1

2nd week (7/6 - 12/6)
Friday night - Women's Origin 2
Saturday - Pacific tests/series
Wednesday (12/6) - Origin 2

3rd week (14/6 - 16/6)
Friday night - Women's Origin 3
Saturday - Pacific tests/series

4th week (21/6 - 23/6)
Saturday - Pacific tests/series finals
Sunday - Origin 3

NRL round 12 resumes from the 28/6. Only 11 more rounds for a 22 round comp.

Reducing to 22 rounds and stand alone weekends for SOO (with additional content across those weekends) sounds like a very workable outcome. Would it be better to spread out those stand alone weekends across a few months so the momentum of the season is not lost? One weekend in May, June and July separately? A whole month without club matches is a long time for non-rep players to not be playing.

 

[adamkungl]

Reducing to 22 rounds and stand alone weekends for SOO (with additional content across those weekends) sounds like a very workable outcome. Would it be better to spread out those stand alone weekends across a few months so the momentum of the season is not lost? One weekend in May, June and July separately? A whole month without club matches is a long time for non-rep players to not be playing.

Agreed
+ as much as it can be frustrating, the Origin hype going across 2 months is big business for the NRL and its media.