The NRL is copping backlash over a glaring mistake in the draw for the first week of the finals, which will mean one team has an extra two days of rest compared to their opponent in the second week.
The Panthers and Roosters will kick off the finals action on Friday night, but the loser of that match will have a huge advantage in the second week.
The loser of the Panthers and Roosters will play the winner of the Bulldogs and Sea Eagles, who don’t play until 48 hours later on Sunday afternoon. It means the loser of the 2 v 3 match will have two extra days to rest and recover before taking on the winner of 6 v 7.
In contrast, the loser of the Storm and Sharks game (1 v 4) will have the same amount of rest as the winner of the Cowboys and Knights clash (5 v 8) because they are both playing on Saturday in the first week. The minor premiers (Melbourne) would normally get the Friday night spot, but the NRL had to put them on Saturday because the Sharks played on Sunday in Round 27 and can’t have a five-day turnaround for the finals.
The Bulldogs and Sea Eagles in action during an NRL game.
The Bulldogs and Sea Eagles game was moved from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon. Image: Getty
It looked as though the Cowboys and Knights were going to be scheduled for Sunday afternoon, but the NRL wasn’t keen for an afternoon match in Townsville in spring when the temperature would be in the high 20s. The NRL also reportedly didn’t want the Bulldogs and Sea Eagles game at Sydney Olympic Park to clash with the AFL game between GWS and Brisbane at the same venue.
The farcical situation was highlighted by the fact the Bulldogs chairman and football boss Phil Gould had both tweeted that they would be playing on Saturday night, only for the NRL to change its mind and schedule them on Sunday instead. In the end it means the winner of the Bulldogs and Sea Eagles game will have a severe disadvantage to the loser of the Panthers and Roosters clash. In fairness, the higher-ranked team should get an advantage, but probably not two days of extra rest.
Does the NRL need to change the way it does the season draw?
The situation could have been avoided if the NRL didn’t release the draw so far in advance. There was no reason for the Sharks and Sea Eagles to play on Sunday in Round 27, while meaningless games like the Eels and Tigers were put on Friday night. If the NRL simply released the draw for the final round a week before it happens, it could make some smarter decisions on when games should be played heading into the finals.
Leave a Reply