Johns, Ennis slam radical changes to shake-up NRL finals series

Leave the structure of the NRL finals alone, instead decrease the interchange and increase the excitement. That is Matty Johns’ take on the NRL’s ‘wildcard’ proposal that is set to shake-up the finals system.

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Leave the structure of the NRL finals alone, instead decrease the interchange and increase the excitement.

That is Matty Johns’ take on the NRL’s ‘wildcard’ proposal that is set to shake-up the finals system.

On Monday the governing body announced plans to overhaul the current structure where by teams placed ninth and 10th would face off against the seventh and eighth placed teams, respectively, for the final two places in the top eight.

Matty Johns says the NRL must reduce the number of interchanges.

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Like the majority of fans, the Fox League expert doesn’t want to see the current finals structure change.

Johns believes a reduction of the interchange from eight to six will organically increase the excitement and promote an attacking style of football over the entire course of the season. Effectively negating the need for a revamp.

“Good defence needs to be rewarded but when defence becomes too dominant in a competition or in a game then I think the product suffers,” he said.

“The solution is the interchange. It’s time to reduce the interchange. When you reduce the interchange, you free the game up.

The NRL is proposing a shake-up to the finals series by introducing a wildcard system.

“It loosens everything up a little bit and it becomes faster and there is more unpredictability in a game. Rather than a finals shake-up, that’s something that needs to be looked at.”

Premiership winning hooker Michael Ennis also isn’t a fan of the proposal.

He said the changes have the potential to diminish the quality of football during the course of the season if teams know are still in contention for a finals spot in September.

“You talk to the guys at the Raiders and the Titans, their summers have been hard work because they want to play finals,” he said.

Johns doesn’t agree with the proposed wildcard finals system. Tracey Nearmy/Daily Telegraph

“There has got to be that desperation and there has got to be that prestige of trying to play in a finals series.

“You can’t just open the book and say lets include a couple more to make it more interesting.”

Ennis also said the overhaul would devalue the importance of consistency in a team’s title campaign.

“I don’t think it rewards the best teams, You’re playing for a premiership, part of being a premiership side is what you’re able to do in the 25 weeks,” he said.

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“It’s a marathon. It’s tough, it’s hard to do and sides that are able to do that deserve the opportunity to be rewarded for that.

“I don’t think there is anything wrong in the current system, I don’t understand why we have to change it.”

Two-time premiership winner and former Roosters great Anthony Minichiello said a look at how last year’s ladder finished is proof that a radical change is not needed.

“The system is working. If you look at last season, from one to eight, there was only two points in it. That gives you the answer right there and then,” he said.

“If teams were more consistent through the year they’d be in the top eight.”