Broncos’ Darius Boyd backs call for NRL teams to get a week off before the finals

BRONCOS captain Darius Boyd has supported a call from Storm coach Craig Bellamy that the NRL bring in a rest week for all teams before the finals.

A break would improve the quality of footy, Boyd says. Image: Annette De

BRONCOS captain Darius Boyd has supported a call from Storm coach Craig Bellamy that the NRL bring in a rest week for all teams before the finals.

Bellamy advocates the NRL follow the AFL’s format of two years where all finals teams take a week off before playing in the first week of the playoffs to give players a chance to rest and work on injuries if needed.

Starting the season a week earlier, in the last week of February would mean the grand final did not need to be played later in October, Bellamy said.

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A break would improve the quality of footy, Boyd says. Image: Annette Dew

“I like the ideas behind it,’’ Boyd said in the countdown to Brisbane’s last home-and-away match on Thursday night against the Cowboys in Townsville.

“I have always thought it would be good for the competition to stop for a week after Origin III, to refresh the players after a hard Origin series.

“So I don’t see the problem with having a week off before the finals. Origin and the finals are the pinnacle of rugby league, along with Test matches, and you want your best players firing at the important times.

“It’s already a long season and to get a break then would be a benefit for everyone involved.’’

The AFL’s strategy was driven by ensuring that finals teams did not have to consider resting players from the last round of the premiership, casting doubt over the integrity of those matches.

But Bellamy said earlier this month that the run of the Western Bulldogs to win the premiership from seventh position when they would have had to play their first finals match without “four or five’’ injured players had there not been the rest week had underlined the merit in the practice.

Senior Bronco Sam Thaiday said the AFL’s rest strategy deserved looking at.

“The AFL had a cracking grand final last year with an underdog team winning,’’ Thaiday said. “It’s up to the NRL to have a good look at it and see if it works for our game.’’

Both the NRL and AFL fixtures create byes for teams in the middle of the season to give players rest.

Rugby league clubs have more disruption than the AFL’s clubs because of its Origin period, which next year will be one week shorter, at five weeks.