Quidgybo
Bench
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I previously posted this suggestion in another thread.
On the way to proposing something radical in terms of rep scheduling, I'd first suggest we abolish the Anzac test in favour of making October/November our exclusive international season and move City vs Country to a pre-season match played on the same weekend as the All Star game. That would leave State of Origin and any parallel provincial matches New Zealand may choose to play as the only representative games played mid year. Now for the radical bit...
Play the three match Origin series mid season over just two consecutive weekends - in the middle of two split rounds spread over four weeks. Play the first Origin match on Friday night of weekend 2, the second on the following Wednesday night, and the third on the following Monday night of weekend 3 (ie. five days between each game). During the four week period, each club plays two consecutive matches either in the first two weeks or the second two weeks, and two consecutive byes. Origin players are available for their clubs on weekend 1 and weekend 4 but not the middle two weekends.
The first benefit of this scheduling is that no player has to play a second game in less than five days at any stage of the season. Every player plays just one match each week except for the Origin weekends when they play a mid-week match following a Friday night game and ahead of a Monday night game. Yes, they have to turn around between rep games in only five days but then we get the next benefit.
The second benefit is that every rep player is guaranteed a non-playing rest week immediately prior or immediately after Origin. Non rep players get a two week rest. By having half the clubs have their consecutive byes overlapping the first weekend of Origin and the other half overlapping the second weekend, we ensure that every player in the comp gets a genuine benefit from the byes, even the rep players.
The third benefit is the flip side of the second, every club loses their rep players for only one game each year. By having half the clubs playing their consecutive matches overlapping the first weekend and the other half overlapping the second weekend, each club only has to play one game without their star players.
A slightly different proposal would be to suspend the premiership completely for the middle two weekends and play more representative matches in parallel to the Origin games. Games like PNG vs Fiji and NZ North vs South. In this version, the premiership would play one split round spread over weekends 1 and 4. This would still allow the same benefits where every rep player gets a rest week immediately before or after playing Origin.
So given the scheduling outlined above, the mid season rep program could be something like this...
ROUND 9
Fri - North Queensland vs Newcastle
Fri - St George vs Gold Coast
Sat - Souths vs New Zealand
Sun - Penrith vs Cronulla
Bye - Canterbury, Wests, Canberra, Sydney, Parra, Melbourne, Manly, Brisbane
Fri - Origin 1
ROUND 10 (rep players unavailable)
Sat - Gold Coast vs Souths
Sun - New Zealand vs St George
Sun - Cronulla vs North Queensland
Mon - Newcastle vs Penrith
Bye - Canterbury, Wests, Canberra, Sydney, Parra, Melbourne, Manly, Brisbane
Wed - Origin 2
ROUND 11 (rep players unavailable)
Fri - Canberra vs Brisbane
Fri - Canterbury vs Melbourne
Sat - Parramatta vs Sydney
Sun - Manly vs Wests
Bye - Penrith, Cronulla, New Zealand, Souths, Gold Coast, St George, Newcastle, NQ
Mon - Origin 3
ROUND 12
Sat - Sydney vs Canberra
Sun - Melbourne vs Parramatta
Sun - Wests vs Canterbury
Mon - Brisbane vs Manly
Bye - Penrith, Cronulla, New Z, Souths, Gold Coast, St George, Newcastle, NQ
Rep players playing for Canterbury, Wests, Canberra, Sydney, Parra, Melbourne, Manly and Brisbane get the week before Origin selection off with their clubs having byes in Round 9. Non rep players for those clubs get a fortnight off because they don't need to play in Round 10 either.
Rep players for Penrith, Cronulla, New Z, Souths, Gold Coast, St George, Newcastle and NQ get the week after Origin off with their clubs having byes in Round 12. Non rep players for those clubs get a fortnight off because they don't need to play in Round 11 either.
No player has to backup for a second game within five days at any point of the season. Every player in the comp gets at least one week off mid year, most get a fortnight. Origin players get their rest week either immediately prior or immediately after the Origin series. Each club plays only one premiership game without their rep players.
Leigh.
On the way to proposing something radical in terms of rep scheduling, I'd first suggest we abolish the Anzac test in favour of making October/November our exclusive international season and move City vs Country to a pre-season match played on the same weekend as the All Star game. That would leave State of Origin and any parallel provincial matches New Zealand may choose to play as the only representative games played mid year. Now for the radical bit...
Play the three match Origin series mid season over just two consecutive weekends - in the middle of two split rounds spread over four weeks. Play the first Origin match on Friday night of weekend 2, the second on the following Wednesday night, and the third on the following Monday night of weekend 3 (ie. five days between each game). During the four week period, each club plays two consecutive matches either in the first two weeks or the second two weeks, and two consecutive byes. Origin players are available for their clubs on weekend 1 and weekend 4 but not the middle two weekends.
The first benefit of this scheduling is that no player has to play a second game in less than five days at any stage of the season. Every player plays just one match each week except for the Origin weekends when they play a mid-week match following a Friday night game and ahead of a Monday night game. Yes, they have to turn around between rep games in only five days but then we get the next benefit.
The second benefit is that every rep player is guaranteed a non-playing rest week immediately prior or immediately after Origin. Non rep players get a two week rest. By having half the clubs have their consecutive byes overlapping the first weekend of Origin and the other half overlapping the second weekend, we ensure that every player in the comp gets a genuine benefit from the byes, even the rep players.
The third benefit is the flip side of the second, every club loses their rep players for only one game each year. By having half the clubs playing their consecutive matches overlapping the first weekend and the other half overlapping the second weekend, each club only has to play one game without their star players.
A slightly different proposal would be to suspend the premiership completely for the middle two weekends and play more representative matches in parallel to the Origin games. Games like PNG vs Fiji and NZ North vs South. In this version, the premiership would play one split round spread over weekends 1 and 4. This would still allow the same benefits where every rep player gets a rest week immediately before or after playing Origin.
So given the scheduling outlined above, the mid season rep program could be something like this...
ROUND 9
Fri - North Queensland vs Newcastle
Fri - St George vs Gold Coast
Sat - Souths vs New Zealand
Sun - Penrith vs Cronulla
Bye - Canterbury, Wests, Canberra, Sydney, Parra, Melbourne, Manly, Brisbane
Fri - Origin 1
ROUND 10 (rep players unavailable)
Sat - Gold Coast vs Souths
Sun - New Zealand vs St George
Sun - Cronulla vs North Queensland
Mon - Newcastle vs Penrith
Bye - Canterbury, Wests, Canberra, Sydney, Parra, Melbourne, Manly, Brisbane
Wed - Origin 2
ROUND 11 (rep players unavailable)
Fri - Canberra vs Brisbane
Fri - Canterbury vs Melbourne
Sat - Parramatta vs Sydney
Sun - Manly vs Wests
Bye - Penrith, Cronulla, New Zealand, Souths, Gold Coast, St George, Newcastle, NQ
Mon - Origin 3
ROUND 12
Sat - Sydney vs Canberra
Sun - Melbourne vs Parramatta
Sun - Wests vs Canterbury
Mon - Brisbane vs Manly
Bye - Penrith, Cronulla, New Z, Souths, Gold Coast, St George, Newcastle, NQ
Rep players playing for Canterbury, Wests, Canberra, Sydney, Parra, Melbourne, Manly and Brisbane get the week before Origin selection off with their clubs having byes in Round 9. Non rep players for those clubs get a fortnight off because they don't need to play in Round 10 either.
Rep players for Penrith, Cronulla, New Z, Souths, Gold Coast, St George, Newcastle and NQ get the week after Origin off with their clubs having byes in Round 12. Non rep players for those clubs get a fortnight off because they don't need to play in Round 11 either.
No player has to backup for a second game within five days at any point of the season. Every player in the comp gets at least one week off mid year, most get a fortnight. Origin players get their rest week either immediately prior or immediately after the Origin series. Each club plays only one premiership game without their rep players.
Leigh.
