A rival NRL club boss says the Brisbane Broncos have a “rails run’’ that should ensure they are again a lock for a top four spot next season.
The chief executive says it is a draw in name only, and resembles more of a TV schedule that Channel Nine designs to ensure the Broncos remain an NRL powerhouse every year.
The club boss, speaking on the condition of anonymity on Monday afternoon, declared: “They get the rails run every year. It’s all about TV. It is unbelievable.
“Good luck to the Broncos. But it is Channel Nine that does it. Not the Broncos … they should be in the top four every year.”
It comes after the
NRL 2024 draw released on Monday revealed the Broncos were again among the big winners in the build-up to next season, although the Sharks, Bulldogs, Dragons and Warriors all have every right to be cheering as well.
The biggest losers appear to be the Melbourne Storm, while Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins have also been dudded during the State of Origin period.
Meanwhile, the Rabbitohs and Eels will also have no excuses after their shock finals absence this season, with the
Panthers, Roosters, Raiders, Sea Eagles and Knights also faring well.
But once again, it was the Broncos who had rival club bosses choking on their Cornflakes on Monday morning when the draw was released after being allocated another dream run.
It includes:
• Only ONE five-day turnaround (against the Storm);
• FOUR games with a six-day turnaround;
• EIGHTEEN games with more than a seven-day turnaround (only the Rabbitohs have more with 19);
• TWELVE primetime Thursday/Friday night kickoffs (four on Thursday and eight on Friday), the Storm are next with10;
• FOURTEEN games at Suncorp Stadium and 16 all up in Queensland; and
• Astonishingly, the Broncos also don’t leave Queensland for their final seven rounds of the season.
It’s little wonder the Broncos are $4.50 second favourites for the premiership behind three-time defending champions Penrith ($4).
In fact, the only noticeable blemish on their draw are the teams they play twice, which are either Queensland rivals or fellow powerhouses.
Those include the Roosters, Panthers, Storm, Rabbitohs, Eels, Cowboys, Dolphins and Titans.
As the chief executive chuckled: “Mate, it is not just me. It is other CEOs as well, we laugh about it.
“They get the rails run every year. It’s all about TV.
“Channel Nine has so much power and when the Broncos are winning in Brisbane, the ratings are through the roof.
“That is what it purely comes down to.”
Many believe the only way to make the draw fair would be to have every team play each other once in a shortened season.
Asked if that can ever be the reality, the CEO responded: “No, not realistically.
“And in the Broncos’ defence, it is not their fault. Brisbane is a big market.
“But all I say is this: With all those resources, with the draw that is such an advantage to them, with the massive nursery they have got, a massive sponsorship base, and no one really wants to leave the Broncos, it is very hard to lose a player. They should be in the top four every year.”
While no game is easy for the Tigers on their recent history, they have also gained a relatively friendly start to the season but a horror run home.
But Cameron Ciraldo will be given every opportunity to turn things around after the Bulldogs emerged as one of the big winners.
With Ciraldo certain to enter the new year as arguably the coach under the most pressure, the Dogs have been handed a more than favourable head start with no five-day turnarounds across the entire season.
They also have a great run against the top four teams, only playing the Panthers, Broncos and Storm once.
The big boost for the Dragons will come during the Origin period when they face the Panthers and Broncos without their biggest stars.
Some of the big matches to look forward to include new Sea Eagle Luke Brooks’ round 25 return to Leichhardt, while Titans coach Des Hasler gets his chance for revenge against Manly in round seven on the Gold Coast.
For the Roosters only 10 of their 24 games will be against top eight opposition from this year.
The Eels and Rabbitohs are two other clubs with their destiny well and truly in their own hands after their shock omission from the top eight this season.
Parramatta’s draw overall is probably better than last year although the do face top four teams the Panthers, Broncos and Storm twice.
One club with a reason to feel short-changed is the Storm who face their toughest test to keep their 23-year round one winning record intact when they face the Panthers.
While their backend of the season is also arguably the toughest of any club with four away games in their final five fixtures in a run against the Rabbitohs (A), Panthers (A), Dolphins (H), Cowboys (A) and Broncos (A).
The Dolphins have been dealt a draw blow as the only team to play every pre-Origin round in 2024.
They face the Raiders (R13), Storm (R16) and Rabbitohs (R19) before each Origin match and could be without Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Tom Gilbert, Tom Flegler and potentially Felise Kaufusi from a roster that suffered from a lack of depth in 2023.
