Live stream: Inside the Peter Mulholland Cup competition overhaul for 2024
Find out why some schools believe a competition overhaul means this could be the most competitive NRL Schoolboys Cup season in years. Go inside how the restructure works and what it means for your school.
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The NSW NRL Schoolboys Cup competition has been opened right up with a competition restructure giving all schools an equal shot at earning their finals opportunity.
There are many schools already champing at the bit to take their shot.
The Peter Mulholland Cup, which pits the best rugby league schools across NSW and Victoria head-to-head, has undergone a significant overhaul in 2024.
Every match from the competition will still be exclusively live streamed on KommunityTV through all News Corp Australia digital mastheads, but this year every match has even more meaning.
SEE THE FULL ROUND 1 SCHEDULE BELOW AND FIND LINKS TO THE MATCHES
In a move lauded by all school coaches, the NRL has scrapped the ‘seeded pool’ of previous seasons, breaking up elite school nurseries Westfields Sports High, Patrician Brothers Blacktown, Hills Sports High and Endeavour Sports High.
Those schools now sit as top seeds in the four NSW pools, with the remaining schools slotting in underneath them in rankings order.
Where in the past all four seeded schools were granted passage to the finals regardless of result, they will now have to fight for their spot against their contemporaries.
The top two sides from each of the four NSW-based pools will advance to the finals, with the eighth-placed side, based off win-loss record and points-differential, set to face Victoria’s Storm Cup winner in a finals play-in match.
The finals will reflect the NRL style with the top four earning a second chance reprieve in the first week of finals, while the bottom four will face off in elimination action.
All Saints College Maitland head of sport Elliott Plank said the restructure would reduce the amount of ‘dead rubber’ fixtures.
“Getting to play against the ‘seeded’ schools from previous PMC competitions, will be a great challenge that we are looking forward to,” Plank said.
“The increased opportunity to play in the finals, will motivate teams, as there won’t be too many games that are ‘dead rubbers’.”
CHECK OUT THE BREAK DOWN OF EACH GROUP IN THE PMC BELOW
Former ‘seeded’ school Endeavour Sports High will face the toughest road to the finals up against a hungry Bass High and St Gregory’s College, who have narrowly missed out on finals due to points differential in past seasons.
Endeavour head of rugby league David Howlett said his players were embracing the change.
“It’s a massive change for us after having been in Pool A for several years, he said.
“(It) brings back a lot of the emotions from the old days around every game being super important and having a real consequence.”
Despite a testing opening round clash against Patrician Brothers Blacktown, Matraville Sports High coach John Maher said the move was “much better” for all schools.
The Peter Mulholland Cup has also expanded this season, with the addition of a fifth team in the Storm Cup in Victoria.
Originally published as Live stream: Inside the Peter Mulholland Cup competition overhaul for 2024
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