NRL will not force clubs to release players for Denver Test

[Iafeta]

Well that’s just not accurate. Did you not read the QLD Reds article?
They travelled to Argentina, South Africa and back to Brisbane within a tad over a week. Zero injuries.

The altitude/time zone argument has been proven wrong by science.

You can try to disagree with science but it will be far from flattering for you...

I’ve ran at altitude. Less oxygen gets to your muscles. Muscle injuries require oxygen in the blood to send protein to begin repairing.

Lol at you honestly suggesting long distance travel doesn’t cause issues because of the Reds.

 

[Iafeta]

This is the sort of thing with co-operation (before the draw is done) could give the Warriors home games either side. Thurs night before. Players can leave earlier. Give them a Sunday game after to give a few days recovery.

Exactly. The RLIF and the competition boards hardly worked effectively here.

Again I wonder what level of stakeholder engagement prior to the scheduling? I’m all for a test in Denver, with the appropriate scheduling this could have been done with minimal impact.

 

[Iafeta]

'Heavily affected' pfft, clubs are barely affected unless there are major injuries to come out of the game. They all get their players back the next weekend, it's the clubs that have come out with this 'oh we can't play those players because they will have only got off the plane 2 days before' rubbish. As said many times, clubs (including the Warriors) have been perfectly okay with playing players that have been involved in the ANZAC Test only the night before. It's hypocritical garbage.

Lol. You don’t think when they are making these statements that they’re not in consultation with their medical staff? Rubbish. If there was no impact, the Warriors, amongst others, would not be raising this as an issue. If there was no impact they would not be withdrawing players from the NRL voluntarily.

The Warriors have not said they will not release players, unless they have prestanding injuries (which may impact Johnson and Luke). They are supportive of the test. They have simply said off the information they have at the moment they are unlikely to select players in the NRL rounds surrounding the test.

I think that is a very fair stance. All I’m asking for is smarter scheduling. Including from the NRL. Why for example is our bye this weekend? Make it before or after the test. Selfishly we need the bye now because we look tired, but to support test football without compromise or the negativity being generated via the clubs, schedule it with more common sense.

Once again, I am all for test football. I am all for Denver. Schedule it better with better stakeholder engagement prior to plan it out so rightly or wrongly the clubs have no excuses to whinge about. This whole debate is unnecessary if this was planned better.

Again, going to Denver is a great thing. All for it. But at the moment with the scheduling the clubs concerns are genuine and it’s taking the spotlight off the test.

 

[deluded pom?]

So every single player that plays Origin will back up for their clubs then?

You are assuming no player will get a knock or strain a muscle. Then to put them on a plane. The Wolfpack don't play in England every 2nd week for a reason.

And that's not the reason.

 

[latingringo101]

I understand to a degree where the NRL clubs are coming from (in soccer for example Socceroos play mid season games in England to allow clubs to release players), however this fixture has been talked about since before the NRL schedule was announced.

It's their own fault for not fixing the schedule when for AGES the NRL, SL etc said it is a FREE REP WEEKEND for ALL INTERNATIONAL TEAMS!

The poms travelled half way around the world to play Samoa in the Pacific test and Super Rugby teams travel 4 continents week in week out plus play in Super Rugby championship as well!

The NRL need to stop this insular Thinking and have some respect for international footy

 

[Iafeta]

I understand to a degree where the NRL clubs are coming from (in soccer for example Socceroos play mid season games in England to allow clubs to release players), however this fixture has been talked about since before the NRL schedule was announced.

It's their own fault for not fixing the schedule when for AGES the NRL, SL etc said it is a FREE REP WEEKEND for ALL INTERNATIONAL TEAMS!

The poms travelled half way around the world to play Samoa in the Pacific test and Super Rugby teams travel 4 continents week in week out plus play in Super Rugby championship as well!

The NRL need to stop this insular Thinking and have some respect for international footy

I don’t disagree at all. The pity of it is is that clubs are hijacking attention off what is a great concept, and I honestly believe better collaboration in planning could have prevented it.

 

[franklin2323]

I don’t disagree at all. The pity of it is is that clubs are hijacking attention off what is a great concept, and I honestly believe better collaboration in planning could have prevented it.

Yeah same here. It could be a huge thing to build up to the World Cup up there. We are only really talking Warriors, Souths, Dragons and say Canberra down here. Probably a few ESL teams too so make a split round or something

 

[adamkungl]

I don’t disagree at all. The pity of it is is that clubs are hijacking attention off what is a great concept, and I honestly believe better collaboration in planning could have prevented it.

Yeah. None of us actually want the NRL to suffer due to this.

What shits us is that the NRL and the clubs are attempting to bring it down because THEY failed to consider that international teams might play further out than Campbeltown in an international window that they agreed to. Given this position it's difficult not to be angry at the NRL.

They're acting like standing down players for 1 round is a huge deal when
1) They've all done this for years and years after Origin games, and will do so this year too.
2) The Warriors specifically have benefited from other clubs standing down Origin players since day 1!
How can it be fair that Australian players are allowed to play rep footy but not anyone else?

And next year, despite the time they have to prepare for it with fairly simple measures like better placement of the split round and no Thursday game for 1 week, they've openly stated they're going to double down on opposition.

The idea that no mid-season tests can occur outside of Western Sydney is ridiculous.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

What are the NRL going to do if it is a ragging success that demands even further looking at?

The NRL, fair dinkum. I love my footy but following the eels and loving the international games, the whole thing, it sorta makes me feel cold lately. Too many selfish, self interested factions doing all they can to hold onto their Little patch.

I'm of the opinion that if you are going to do anything, give it your all, if the game at this time of year or whatever is a one off match because of infighting, selfishness, factions or fear don't hold back, get stuck in and give it your all if you love the game especially if you do have plans/desires for that or a similar venture in the future. But this railroading/blocking/disinterest is Rugby League down to a tee.

Love the game, absolutely detest the power mongering.

 

[ozenzud]

Its time for Rugby League fans who are interesting in the International games to start boycotting S.O.O games and NRL clubs who won't release players for internationals.

The self interest of the NRL (while supporting SOO) is sickening and I have had enough. Just needs to be more people like me, or otherwise, our sport WILL wither and die.

I live in Wellington NZ and I can tell you, it is withering badly and people are thinking we will be completely gone in the city in 3-4 years. The NZRL needs funds to save the sport and internationals MUST be played to provide that income.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

One point that the clubs are not realising in this is that letting players travel the world playing RL actually keeps the stars in the game. If the likes of Widdop, Graham, Burgess, Johnson and RTS and the stars of the future realise that they can play in front of big crowds in England, Australia, New Zealand plus travel to places like Toronto, Denver, PNG, France, Wales etc it makes our game very attractive.

The clubs benefit from having stars playing for them and we need to ensure that the game is attractive for modern athletes that want to travel the world playing their sport.

 

[Springs09]

The Warriors have been supportive of those matches. To say they’re perfectly okay is very naive and very incorrect.

You use the Warriors example here. They play in Townsville and Cronulla on either end of this trip. The last update from the club is for those players selected the Warriors will not select them for either match, to give the Kiwis players a chance to recover. They are putting welfare at an optimum.

To say that’s not heavily affected is wrong.

That isn't heavily affected, they are doing that to themselves. If the Warriors wanted to they could easily play those players for both games. It's not like Origin where players are forced to miss their NRL games the week before.

And that's if it's a welfare thing and not a petty protest telling players they have to miss 2 NRL games if they want to play in the test in the hope they will pull out.

 

[Springs09]

I’ve ran at altitude. Less oxygen gets to your muscles. Muscle injuries require oxygen in the blood to send protein to begin repairing.

Lol at you honestly suggesting long distance travel doesn’t cause issues because of the Reds.

I've ran at altitude. Actual altitude not 1600m. If they were playing at double that you might have a point.

And lol at suggesting long distance travel causes anything but minor issues and anything at all to professional sportsmen who have top class recovery training.

 

[Springs09]

Lol. You don’t think when they are making these statements that they’re not in consultation with their medical staff? Rubbish. If there was no impact, the Warriors, amongst others, would not be raising this as an issue. If there was no impact they would not be withdrawing players from the NRL voluntarily.

The Warriors have not said they will not release players, unless they have prestanding injuries (which may impact Johnson and Luke). They are supportive of the test. They have simply said off the information they have at the moment they are unlikely to select players in the NRL rounds surrounding the test.

I think that is a very fair stance. All I’m asking for is smarter scheduling. Including from the NRL. Why for example is our bye this weekend? Make it before or after the test. Selfishly we need the bye now because we look tired, but to support test football without compromise or the negativity being generated via the clubs, schedule it with more common sense.

Once again, I am all for test football. I am all for Denver. Schedule it better with better stakeholder engagement prior to plan it out so rightly or wrongly the clubs have no excuses to whinge about. This whole debate is unnecessary if this was planned better.

Again, going to Denver is a great thing. All for it. But at the moment with the scheduling the clubs concerns are genuine and it’s taking the spotlight off the test.

Yeah we've seen what the NRL and the clubs medical staff say - whatever the NRL and the clubs want them to. All the stuff they have come out with is rubbish and hypocritical compared to the support other mid-season representative games have had.

All this shit they are carrying on with was to try to get this year's test cancelled and now to get the next two years' tests cancelled.

 

[Iafeta]

That isn't heavily affected, they are doing that to themselves. If the Warriors wanted to they could easily play those players for both games. It's not like Origin where players are forced to miss their NRL games the week before.

And that's if it's a welfare thing and not a petty protest telling players they have to miss 2 NRL games if they want to play in the test in the hope they will pull out.

They’re not. Because of the medical advice they’ve received.

Which part of this do you not get?

Ffs, if there were no issues they would be playing the club games. In what fantasy world do you live in would the Warriors get any benefit from resting those players without risk. What conspiracy next - the fake moon landing?

Smh. I’m done with you on this

 

[Springs09]

They’re not. Because of the medical advice they’ve received.

Which part of this do you not get?

Ffs, if there were no issues they would be playing the club games. In what fantasy world do you live in would the Warriors get any benefit from resting those players without risk. What conspiracy next - the fake moon landing?

Smh. I’m done with you on this

Good, because you can stop talking the same rubbish that was debunked 3 months ago in regards to 'altitude' and plane travel.

When is all this medical advice going to be released? What are all these medical concerns everyone has that aren't just the crap spread by dickheads like Andrew Webster at the start of the year?

 

[deal.with.it]

I’ve ran at altitude. Less oxygen gets to your muscles. Muscle injuries require oxygen in the blood to send protein to begin repairing.

Lol at you honestly suggesting long distance travel doesn’t cause issues because of the Reds.

Yes your body receives less oxygen, but to suggest you cannot recover AND you will get injured is proven incorrect based on evidence.

Teams live, train, play at altitude all the time. It doesn’t stop them from playing sport. These teams also have great doctors and sports scientists helping them. So your concerns are not necessary.

 

[deal.with.it]

Good, because you can stop talking the same rubbish that was debunked 3 months ago in regards to 'altitude' and plane travel.

When is all this medical advice going to be released? What are all these medical concerns everyone has that aren't just the crap spread by dickheads like Andrew Webster at the start of the year?

Yes, journalists and nrl clubs acting like they know better than doctors and scientists. FMD.

 

[adamkungl]

Can anyone paste The Australian paywalled article today

 

[Pommy]

Just did a bit of research but I went from living at near sea level in North Devon to around 900m in Afghanistan.I wasn’t a pro athlete but some how survived a gruelling 30 flight flightwith the RAF in conditions worse than Ryanair, having a few hours kip on arrival in a tent with no air conditioning and then being told to run around doing training exercises carrying more than half my body weight in equipment for hours/days.
I really don’t know how these pro athletes will cope the poor darlings.