NRL 2018 draw a win for rugby league fans, writes Buzz Rothfield
IT’S impossible to create a completely fair NRL draw, writes PHIL ROTHFIELD. But at long last the NRL, without the demands of TV executives, have delivered the fairest possible premiership schedule.
Phil Rothfield
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FULL DRAW: Check out the entire NRL 2018 fixture here
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The NRL will never provide a completely fair NRL draw while 16 teams are in the competition. It’s simply impossible.
Not everyone has to play the mighty Melbourne Storm twice.
And not everyone gets the benefit of playing wooden-spooners the Newcastle Knights twice or other lowly placed clubs.
But at long last the NRL, without the demands of TV executives, have delivered the fairest possible premiership schedule.
Rather than getting the Broncos every Friday night, the distribution of free-to-air matches has been shared around.
This year 11 teams have at least 10 matches on Channel Nine. Last year it was only five clubs.
It’s also a much fairer draw as far as State of Origin goes.
Each team loses their Origin stars for only one game during the series.
It will be tough on the Manly Sea Eagles rep players who have to travel to Christchurch after the Wednesday night Origin in Melbourne while the Eels and Cowboys are off to Darwin.
But player welfare has been addressed with no club having more than three five-day turnarounds. Last year the South Sydney Rabbitohs had five.
Outside of the Gold Coast Titans, the bad kick off times on Thursday night and 6pm Friday have been shared evenly too. The Titans have no home games in those times.
The Knights won’t be happy with four 6pm Friday night matches at home. But they’ve got to start winning to get the prime-time placements.
The Warriors have five 6pm Friday mates but at the more reasonable time of 8pm in Auckland.
No Sydney club gets more than three home games all season in the bad timeslots.
The Sharks have blown up about their local derby against St George Illawarra being scheduled on a Thursday night in round two. At least it’s their only Thursday night game all year.
The Bulldogs have been given no home game Sunday-afternoon 4pm kick-offs yet the Manly Sea Eagles, the Dragons and the Roosters get three each.
The Warriors, Cowboys and Knights also miss out on the Sunday 4pm starts at their home venues.
The best part is all the Sunday afternoon blockbusters in Sydney.
Almost all the traditional rivalries in the fan-friendly timeslots.
It’s a win for rugby league fans overall.
Originally published as NRL 2018 draw a win for rugby league fans, writes Buzz Rothfield
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