Brent Read v David Riccio debate: How to end Broncos-Storm resting farce

Fans have every right to demand a discount on their entry ticket this weekend as mass restings hit the game. But is resting good or bad for the game?

Cameron Munster has been rested by the Storm. Picture: Getty

A host of NRL sides look barely recognisable this week due to pre-finals restings.

High-flying sides the Broncos, Warriors, Storm and Knights have decided on mass restings, while the Panthers may yet sit some stars depending on the result of Thursday’s Brisbane clash.

David Riccio and Brent Read discuss how to stop the resting crisis.

How do we stop coaches from resting their biggest names in the final round and stop taking fans for a ride?

Riccio: Simple. Add a bye round before the first week of the finals.

Read: The last thing we need right now is a week off leading into the finals. These guys have had a million byes already this season. Remember the State of Origin period. It was like a paid holiday for some blokes.

Reece Walsh is one of eight Broncos rested. Picture: Getty

Do we swallow our pride and follow the AFL’s lead in having a break before the finals?

Riccio: This will hurt so bite down hard as you take this in. The NRL have to copy the AFL. Yes, the game must pinch the idea from their rivals. Thursday night’s end-of-season match-up has become a farce.

Read: Take a chill pill, Dave. Fancy wanting to take an idea from the AFL. Those blokes are deadset clueless. We don’t need to borrow from anyone. There’s nothing wrong with the way things are now. Next thing you’ll want to bring wildcard weekend back.

Broncos-Storm fizzer

Riccio: What should be a first versus fourth blockbuster between Brisbane and Melbourne is now a dead rubber with more than $4 million worth of talent wrapped in cotton wool on the sidelines.

Read: We need to keep the momentum going. The last round is going to be a ripper regardless of how many players are rested. The last thing we need is to bring the competition to a shuddering halt. Melbourne and Brisbane have earned the right to rest players this week.

Hurting the game

Riccio: We slammed the RLPA for their decision to gag players from talking to broadcasters. Well, this weekend the broadcasters are being scolded twice as hard. The game has never done a better job at giving the customer, the fan, what they want. We change rules to make the code more entertaining.

Read: I reckon the games this weekend will be super entertaining. With some of the big guns out, there might be a slight drop in standard but it also means we could see more points scored. There’ll be lots of players with a point to prove, hoping they can impress enough to get a new deal or force their way into finals contention. The glass is half full, Dave.

Cameron Munster has been rested by the Storm. Picture: Getty

This is the time of year for the stars, not the back-ups

Riccio: So, in the final round of the season, we’re rolling out the back-ups, the reserves and the cast-offs to play in front of spectators who have every right to demand a discount on their entry ticket. A bye at the end of the regular season would allow every team bound for the finals to rest their biggest stars, without prejudice.

It would also eliminate the threat of further injuries to key squad members and so too suspension, which could unfold this weekend. Imagine the anticipation, magazine show debate, build-up and excitement that the finals series would create from fans who have waited what would be two weeks since their last regular season match.

Read: I tell you what I am excited about, Dave. The chance to see some of the game’s emerging superstars this weekend. There’s even rugby league’s equivalent of the Loch Ness monster – a Victorian junior.

A young kid named Sualauvi Faalogo is playing for the Storm. Wait until you see this kid play, Dave. He can deadset fly. And he is a homegrown junior. It doesn’t get any better than that.