hutch
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I use a website to go around the paywall so it’s a bit all over the shop but you get the gist.
The fact Greenberg thinks that having the test will impact the nrl season shows how short sighted and clueless the nrl are towards international rugby league. It is not always about Australia, why don’t other countries have the opportunity to play Rep games and test matches. Why don’t they realise we could be SO much bigger as a sport than we currently are?
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sp...d/news-story/8ad1cf152f70756ac7de31558ca8bf4e
The fact Greenberg thinks that having the test will impact the nrl season shows how short sighted and clueless the nrl are towards international rugby league. It is not always about Australia, why don’t other countries have the opportunity to play Rep games and test matches. Why don’t they realise we could be SO much bigger as a sport than we currently are?
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sp...d/news-story/8ad1cf152f70756ac7de31558ca8bf4e
NRL CEO Todd Greenberg: ‘It will undermine the integrity of the competition ’
NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg has called for an urgent meeting with the Rugby League International Federation to discuss the international calendar as they continue to grapple with the fallout from the mid-season Test between England and New Zealand in Denver.
In the letter, obtained by The Australian, Greenberg also suggested that the current rules around international sanctioning were devoid of guidelines or criteria, and warned that NRL players may be prevented from playing in the mid-season Test in future years.
The Denver Test, which will be played on the stand-alone weekend in June reserved for the second State of Origin game, has become a source of great angst for the NRL and their clubs, their concerns largely centring around player welfare and the impact it could have on the domestic competition.
The issue has the potential to put the NRL at loggerheads with the RLIF given the threat to pull players from future Test matches planned for Denver.
At its extreme, it could mean Australia being stripped of Test status.
“The scheduling of the Denver Test in June is only possible because of the decision of the NRL to pause its competition for one weekend to allow State of Origin II to be played on a stand-alone weekend,” Greenberg wrote in a letter addressed to RLIF chief executive Nigel Wood.
“This will occur for the first time in 2018. This decision was designed to protect the integrity of the NRL competition by reducing split rounds and limiting the prospect of clubs fielding weakened teams in the NRL competition.
“The decision was also motivated by a need to provide more NRL players with the prospect of a week off in circumstances where byes have been removed for the first 12 rounds of the competition.
“Regrettably, RLIF’s decision to sanction a Test match in Denver in this ‘window’ will operate to undermine steps the NRL has taken to protect players, clubs and the competition.
“It will undermine the integrity of the competition by weakening club rosters in round 16 (following the test) and it will expose players to heightened injury risks in circumstances where they elect to play for their NRL clubs as little as two days after returning from Denver.”
Greenberg also lambasted the RLIF for referring to the stand-alone weekend as a mid-season international window given the lack of guidelines or criteria around sanctioning Test matches.
“We note that the proposed Denver Test match in 2019 and 2020 has not been sanctioned by the RLIF,” Greenberg wrote.
“The NRL, NRL clubs and the RLPA (Rugby League Players Association) expect the opportunity to make submissions directly to the RLIF if such a Test match is proposed and before any sanctioning decision is made by the RLIF.
“If, despite our collective opposition to this Test match, it was sanctioned in the future by the RLIF it is likely that NRL players will not be permitted to play in the match.”
Greenberg also notified the RLIF that the NRL would be exercising their right to appoint an observer to attend future board meetings.
“We anticipate a nominee of NRL clubs to fulfil this role,” Greenberg wrote.
“We will notify you formally about this nomination in the near future. We would be grateful if you can confirm the RLIF’s willingness to arrange a meeting on the international calendar and sanctioning criteria for the mid-season window.”
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