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News Coronavirus and NRL

Twizzle

Administrator
Staff member
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150,744
^^^

Phil Gould says the NRL must consider delaying and shortening the 2021 season
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By George Vlotis
3 hours ago

Rugby league guru Phil Gould has floated the idea of delaying the 2021 competition by a month to accommodate this year's late finish.

This year's NRL calendar has been thrown into chaos by the global pandemic, with a delayed finals series and State of Origin pushing the finishing date into late November.

For players involved in State of Origin III, the NRL's collective bargaining agreement would likely prevent them from returning to pre-season for 2021 until late January at the earliest, giving them just over a month to prepare for the season, should it kick off in early to mid-March as it usually does.

It's a scenario that could create a perfect storm for a mountain of injuries next season, according to Gould, who is calling on the NRL to consider delaying, and even shortening, the 2021 season.

"When do we start next year's competition? Because this competition is going to end much later," Gould said on Wide World of Sports' Six Tackles with Gus Podcast.

"Players have got to have a break before starting pre-season training. They've got to have a reasonable time for pre-season training before they go into competition next year, otherwise we risk further injury.

"This season doesn't end until the end of October, our rep players will play until the end of November. You're probably going to need between eight to 12 weeks to prepare a team properly for a competition next year. Which means, do we start a month later and shorten the season or go a month longer the following year?

"But once you keep doing that it just keeps impacting the next year and the next year. How do you get it back into the normal time frame where we go from March to September and play a bit of rep football? I've long thought that 24 games in the home and away season was too long. Probably a month or six weeks too long. We don't need it."

With a whole crop of young talent sidelined for 12 months, Gould stressed the league would need time to introduce the under-prepared cohort into the league's stocks.

"We've had no second-tier football, no development football, through junior rep football and under 20s this year, preparing players for next year," he said.

"By March next year, if that's our kick-off time, we'll have a lot of players that haven't played rugby league in 18 months. Our development processes have been put into chaos. There are players that have missed 12 months of development in those that are hoping to be NRL players.

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Peter V'landys has been at the helm of the NRL's impressive year amid the pandemic. (Dominic Lorrimer)
"Do we just go next year with the same 30-players that the 16 clubs have this year just to get the product on TV? Which would be the worst case scenario."

Regardless of how well the NRL has handled itself this year, Gould stressed that the league was ultimately at the mercy of the virus which would continue to change the game's administration practices through the off-season and into next year.

"How long do we keep players in a bubble at the end of the season? Can they go home and enjoy Christmas with their families?" Gould asked.

"In preparation for next year do we increase the size of the bubble? Do we include a second-tier competition or an under 20's competition to keep replenishing our game into the future.

"We've seen how quickly this has flared up in Melbourne and it's something that I'm sure our game is considering the whole time. But for us to think, just because we like crowds at the grand final, the virus is going to have a holiday, it's not going to happen …This virus has no rules."
 

Diesel

Coach
Messages
19,918
If Qld stays as is in COVID, there is no reason why the Q-Cup won’t be running next year. Warriors and Storm potentially will be based in their current locations as well. Season can start 21 March or there abouts
 

jim_57

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
4,290
I think a shortened season is inevitable but I think all sports will be reluctant to start any later. The season can always be delayed if needed like this year but if you start later it doesn't leave much room for error.

A short off-season isn't ideal but ideal is a luxury we don't really have at the moment.
 

siv

First Grade
Messages
6,546
World Cups and Internationals have been played for decades in November

With rep players always returning in late Jan

2020 while different is no different in this respect

So thats not a excuse to delay a season start

But allowing Women's RL and A grade RL and schoolboy football across the country without allowing RG and U20s to restart and U18s and U16s to not finish their season is where hypocrisy occurs
 
Messages
11,602
World Cups and Internationals have been played for decades in November

With rep players always returning in late Jan


2020 while different is no different in this respect

So thats not a excuse to delay a season start

But allowing Women's RL and A grade RL and schoolboy football across the country without allowing RG and U20s to restart and U18s and U16s to not finish their season is where hypocrisy occurs


I guess the difference here is that the short offseason will effect everyone instead of a handful of rep players. Coaches could always rest rep players with a carefully managed rotation to get through the early rounds.
 
Messages
471
What a silly senile man.

NRL should start earlier, possibly with a Jan kick off and X-mas grand final. We should be ambitious, and take on all of the codes. h

For example, ther are some less enlightened souls that don't appreciate test cricket. We need to fill that void.
 

PARRA_FAN

Coach
Messages
16,988
From what Ive read he may need to self isolate, not sure about the players.

This is a chance for Demetriou to coach for a game.
 

t-ba

Post Whore
Messages
55,533
Wayne doesn’t give a shit about COVID. Much like plenty of 65+ year olds, they’re the worst age group at social distancing

But what else am I supposed to be doing besides visiting bland suburban Thai restaurants and going to three different RSL clubs a day?
 

t-ba

Post Whore
Messages
55,533
They are having a coaching session with him this morning. I think this weekend's opponent, the Broncos, should respectfully request a postponement.

Or the could play the game and contract Covid in a cunning scheme to avoid the spoon by getting the season cancelled!
 

The_Frog

First Grade
Messages
6,390
^^^

Phil Gould says the NRL must consider delaying and shortening the 2021 season
https%3A%2F%2Fimageresizer.static9.net.au%2F0VJD7r7r3rgqHQ3piRbZCAwz8D4%3D%2F75x75%2Fsmart%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2F_%2Fmedia%2F2019%2F05%2F09%2F16%2F59%2Fgeorge-vlotis-sports-journalist-wide-world-of-sports-389px.jpg
(snip)

Clubs that don't make the 8 can start in the second half of November, 7 weeks after the end of round 20. Those that make the 8 can start 7 weeks after they finish commitments. Origin players start 7 weeks after the final Origin game. Comp can start at the end of March. Plenty of time for a pre-season.
 
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