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NRL bows to pressure over player burnout

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Boofhead

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NRL bows to pressure over player burnout

July 19, 2007 - 1:39PM

The NRL has bowed to pressure over player burnout by tweaking the draw for the 2008 season.

The main change is the re-introduction of a second bye for all teams along with a small reduction of the Monday night schedule.

The changes to Monday night will see the City-Country match revert to Friday evening, with no Monday night games preceding either City-Country or the mid-season Test.

Club chief executives have agreed that the extra byes should be scheduled after each game of the State Of Origin series to ensure that representative players are guaranteed a week's rest before the finals.

The three post-Origin byes will be scheduled to give maximum relief to those clubs who bear the greatest Origin load and could result in their stars playing one match - being an Origin game - in 24 days.

"This is an issue we have been working on for some time with our Broadcasters Fox Sports and Channel Nine and we certainly appreciate their support over these issues," NRL chief executive David Gallop said.

"We entered some new territory this year with an extra team and a Monday night schedule, both of which have been highly successful for the game.

"We also gave a commitment from the start that we would monitor the effects of the changes and we have been doing that since day one."

Injured Test captain Darren Lockyer, who will miss the rest of 2007 following a knee reconstruction, fully supported the changes.

"From my personal experience as a player you really look forward to the bye," he said.

"In today's environment, with every player so fit and strong, the game is getting more and more demanding.

"The extra bye will give an important rest period that will make a difference."

The draw proposal would retain the principle of each team playing each other once, with the remaining matches taking into account the attractiveness of either traditional contests or regional rivalries.

© 2007 AAP
 
Thats a good move by the NRL, I think player burn out is a big issue, especially with players playing first grade at a younger age.
 
wow...i cant remember where i heard this but please correct me cos even one of rugby leagues hardests and honest critics said "20 years from now the NRL will be dominated by polynesians"


that was ol phil gould...one of the most successful rugby league coaches of all time...

now dont get me wrong there are alot of aussie based islanders and maoris but wow.....the kiwis are growing in numbers..maybe its a good thing for the sport in general?
the most important stat for the kiwis is we are getting alot of depth in the pivotol areas..we have always supplied the jugganauts upfront but now we getting a new breed in the form of wingers,halves,backs and centres

you cant complain when you have krisnan inu running amok..and luke isaac darting out of the ruck for 20 metres
at the moment form team for the kiwis "could" look like this
 
I seriously hope no-one is naive enough to actually think this will help at all, because it quite simply WILL NOT.

The narrow mindedness shown towards this issue by the NRL is astounding. The NRL has been doing a great job with David Gallop over the last few seasons, but this has been an absolute embarrassment.
 

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