A comp to fill in the February pre-season

[Lang Park]

So in the lead up to the start of the season when a nrl team is in training trying to get everything running smoothly they could suddenly have up to 4,5 or so players leave the club, then those players split up into who knows how many sides and depending on the year end up playing anywhere from Port Moresby to London? The coach and club are without their better players for 5 weeks? The clubs won't go for that idea.

 

[Loudstrat]

Play it another time then. The time isn't the issue.

 

[little_aza]

ridiculous. kills the pre-season and puts FAR too much strain on players. that's unless fans want more injuries?

 

[Red Bear]

Nah, still cricket to be watch.

League has march - first weekend October, Cricket has October - feb. Leave it like that

 

[bartman]

Is this for a fantasy league or computer game... Or for an actual real torunament involving players?

 

[hunters]

The time isn't the issue.

It's the title of the thread!

 

[Chachi]

All you would have is a second rate comp with the best players rested for the season proper. Not only that, but you're also taking players away from their clubs during the most critical time of the preseason to play even more meaningless "rep" games. Interesting theory, but an expensive waste of time which would have a massive negative impact on the real competition.

League ditched the midweek cup and the preseason comp years ago for a very particular reason. It will never come back.

 

[Loudstrat]

I think the problem lies in the fact that trials -where the stars sit out anyway - are more important than representative games except Origin. That's a pathetic concept.

No other international comp in the world is canned because clubs want to play trials ffs!

 

[Eels Dude]

I think the problem lies in the fact that trials -where the stars sit out anyway - are more important than representative games except Origin. That's a pathetic concept.

No other international comp in the world is canned because clubs want to play trials ffs!

The trials are important in that players get some match fitness in and combinations are compared for the start of the NRL season. I don't know where your getting your idea that top players sit out the trials, that is rubbish all players get a run in the trials at some stage that's the whole point. The fact is the NRL competition as a whole is a lot more appealing and stronger than the international game and this silly idea of a comp you are suggesting which no-one would really care about.

 

[Non Terminator]

I think the problem lies in the fact that trials -where the stars sit out anyway - are more important than representative games except Origin. That's a pathetic concept.

No other international comp in the world is canned because clubs want to play trials ffs!

The "stars" don't sit out in most of the trials. Hell, I saw a full strength Parra run out just two years ago, and will be expecting the same in a month.

Trials are required, it's the pre-season after all. Rep games have no place in this time frame.

If trials served another purpose, it would give the chance for some young guns to get onto the big stage, standing beside some of their heroes.

 

[BIKER_DRAGON]

Great idea but it has to have NRL clubs playing as themselfs....that's why they play trials

 

[Jankuloski]

Now I get it a little more what you were getting at LoudStrat.

A problem then would be all these one-off teams such as the Aboriginal side and Maoris - when they play one-offs they are interesting to people, but when they play in a competition, no one seems to care and the comp is devalued.

The best way to increase the appeal of the international comp is to fix the elligibility rules. I find it very stupid to see Moi Moi wearing a NZ jersey, and packing in with the Tongans in Rotorua for prayer before this years' 4 Nations. It's also idiocy to have Jarryd Hayne rot on the wing and have a completely bleak 4N when Aus have a lot of good actual wingers to call on. This being the same Jarryd Hayne that last year was a Fijian for the WC.

I realise why it happens - it's extra money for the players involved in 4N then if they played the Pacific Cup, but it ruins the whole credibility of an international game. The appeal of the internationals is that the players when they're born are bound to a jersey, as are the supporters (if you're Australian you support the Roos, if you're Serbian you support Serbia even if they get flogged)...

Fixing elligibility would do more for the strength of RL internationals than any new comp.