What stakeholders?? A bunch of internet dorks having a sook??
What about the other stakeholders... the broadcasters who get an extra week of finals football and an extra 2 games.
What about the sponsors who get an extra week of football and and a couple of extra games to slap the signage on...
The players... who would likely see an increase in the cap due to the extra games adding more to the broadcast rights...
And what about the fans... you talk about the stakeholders I’m sure your referring to the fans... are we sure if we put the wildcard weekend on the fans will hate it??
I’m pretty confident it will rate big numbers and will probably have big crowds...
But of course the internet crybaby’s will win an nrl.com.net.au.org.nz poll and claim it as some sort of mandate.
Sorry Shiznit, but us "internet dorks" as you put it
are fans. Many of us are also season ticket holders and/or members of the clubs we support. As such we are entitled to express our like or dislike if we choose. There is no need for you to be so condescending.
TV has driven a lot of change in our game. Yet has all of it been beneficial to the game? Has the 6pm Friday game been beneficial? Has the 4pm kick-off on Sundays been beneficial?
Also do you really think the TV networks, who have been talking for over the last 12 months about how hard they are doing it financially going to be in a position to offer an increase in their offer for the TV rights?
You reckon it will "rate big numbers". Well, sorry, but I don't. If it involves clubs which don't have big supporter bases it won't, or if it involves teams who play stodgy football it won't. This is a cash grab and people will see it for what it is, especially in places like Sydney where the viewing public, be it on TV or at the ground, are notoriously fickle.
As to the players, you only look at it from a $ view point. When you consider the talk from the players over the last 1-2 years has been about player burn out, especially for the elite players, ask them what adding an extra week to the season will mean. Even if they are not playing, for those in the top 10, it will mean an extra week of training. It will mean 1 week shortened from the off season. That means 1 week less to physically recover from the physical and mental demands of playing.