Source :- THE AGE NEWS
ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys says “massive amounts of prizemoney” will be offered to help sell a third-place play-off fixture to players, as the players union indicated it would oppose adding any extra games to an already jam-packed NRL schedule this year.
This masthead revealed on Sunday that V’landys supports adding fixtures to what he describes as “the grand final week vacuum,” with the most notable a proposed clash between the losing preliminary finalists leading into the NRL decider.
The controversial idea has highlighted potential player welfare flashpoints in the NRL’s $5.3 billion broadcast deal, expansion plans and season structure.
V’landys, who is also the acting NRL chief executive, said on Monday he “hasn’t ruled out” trying to get the third-place match off the ground this season, though the Rugby League Players Association would almost certainly block any move to add any extra games to its existing Collective Bargaining Agreement.
“Without the full details of the proposal and something to discuss with our player leaders we can’t be definitive,” RLPA chief Clint Newton said.
“But I’d highly doubt we would be supportive given the current demands and Rugby League World Cup scheduled [to begin two weeks after the grand final].”
V’landys is unperturbed by concerns of player and fan disinterest in a third-placed play-off, though, with the idea inspired at last week’s CEO conference by the corresponding soccer World Cup fixture, which England won 6-4 against France.
Both nations fielded second-string sides, as has happened in previous tournaments and prompted the European Championship tournament to ditch the third-place fixture in 1980.
But V’landys believes significant financial incentives could bring players and clubs onside with the additional grand final week game, and said the $1 million prizemoney currently offered to the NRL premiers (with $500,000 split between the players and $500,000 going to the club), and $400,000 for grand final runners-up would also rise accordingly.
“Last year in grand final week it was obvious to me that there was a gap, on Thursday night I didn’t know what to do, same on Friday and Saturday night,” V’landys said.
“I’m thinking to myself, ‘Why haven’t we got some rugby league on?’ and a third against fourth game is worth exploring… You have to be logical about it, and we wouldn’t do it without rewarding the players.
“You’d have massive prizemoney so they would benefit significantly and whatever money is made out of the game would go towards players and the clubs.
“If you could develop tribalism and prestige in this kind of game, why not? My point as a sporting administrator is, why not take advantage of clean air?
“You’re probably going to get more viewers because there’s nothing else on, and to me that’s an idea worth exploring.”
Holding the NRL All Stars clash and an under-21s Origin match in grand final week has also been suggested as a way to generate more content for broadcasters and fans.
Dual-code international Mark Nawaqanitawase was a member of the Australian Rugby Sevens side that lost the bronze-medal play-off at the 2024 Paris Olympics and said he had been able to put aside the disappointment of missing the gold medal match “because you’re playing for a medal”.
However, asked if the losing NRL preliminary finalists would be able to get up for a game within days of missing out on the grand final, he said: “No, not really. Honestly, if you lose, the boys probably want to get on Mad Monday. I don’t think it works.”
Cronulla players have been in that situation in each of the last two seasons, when their premiership campaign ended at full-time in the grand final qualifier.
Sharks CEO Dino Mezzatesta acknowledged that would be the concept’s biggest hurdle, but offered tacit support for the fixture.
“I can see the merit in trying to add an extra game and build up the grand final week,” he said. “If there’s genuine buy-in, I think players and clubs could see the value. And whether you could build that into something fans are genuinely interested in is the next element of that idea.”
Bulldogs veteran Kurt Mann said the emotional comedown after losing a preliminary final could result in “the likelihood of getting injured or something going on in those next games is pretty high … If there’s nothing in it for [players], then it probably doesn’t need to happen.”
While V’landys’ push to fill fixturing voids late in the season would offer added content to broadcasters DAZN and Nine, publisher of this masthead, several voices from the footballing side of the game, led by coaches and players, have urged a “less is more approach” when the next broadcast deal kicks in from 2028.
The RLPA has regularly argued that a 22-game season per club – a decrease from the current 24 game commitment – would ease concerns of player burnout and injuries, particularly given new NRL rules that have manufactured quicker ruck speed.
The introduction of Perth Bears next season, PNG Chiefs in 2028 and a potential 20th franchise in 2029 has the potential to spread the current format of 204 matches, played in a 27-round regular season, across more players, reducing workload.
By the same token, more clubs playing 24 games each delivers significantly more content following a record outlay by broadcasters.
“We’ll investigate everything, including the idea of two conferences [in a 20-team competition],” V’landys said. “That’s the luxury we have now with our competition. It’s too early to say how we’ll do things but everything will be investigated.”
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