NRL 2020: Peter V’landys rejects Nick Politis’ points reset proposal
The people have spoken, and the Sydney Roosters have chalked up their third loss of the season – with a push by chairman Nick Politis to restart the 2020 season from scratch denied.
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Roosters supremo Nick Politis has failed in his bid to have the 2020 NRL competition start over from scratch, with the current points table set to stand whenever the code returns.
Rugby league fans were sent into meltdown over the weekend after it was revealed Politis was lobbying for this year’s competition to restart afresh after being suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The move by the Roosters boss came with his Bondi Junction club, which is chasing a third straight premiership, languishing in 12th after losing its opening rounds against Penrith and Manly.
Speaking with The Daily Telegraph on Monday however, ARLC chairman Peter V’landys confirmed all points earned over the first two weeks of the season would be retained.
“The points will stand,” V’landys said.
“There is no way we are taking anyone’s points away. It isn’t even on the table.”
Only a week ago, V’landys was forced to confirm all points earned over the opening fortnight would stand after a potential move to scrap them was first aired publicly by NRL Innovation Committee head Wayne Pearce.
Yet now the ARLC chairman has been forced to double down on his commitment after Politis raised the topic again over the Easter break.
“I’ve said a number of times that nobody will be losing their points,” he said. “And nothing has made us even wish to review that, let alone consider it.
“I understand there is some concern about the length of the competition, and we’ll look at that.
“But we won’t take points away.”
Currently, the most likely scenario is for the NRL competition to return on May 28 and run through 15 weeks, two of which have already been played.
That would mean all sides face each other once.
However, V’landys admitted there was scope to discuss the competition running longer than that.
“Nobody will argue if we increase the length of the competition,” V’landys continued. “Because that gives teams more time to make the finals.
“So if some clubs have a credible argument to suggest that, because of a shortened competition, their chances aren’t the same, we will look at increasing the size of the competition.
“That’s definitely a better solution than taking points away from teams who have already earned them the hard way.”
Certainly the decision to retain all points already earned will be a welcome relief for the Parramatta Eels, who currently sit undefeated in first place and chasing the club’s first premiership since in 1986.
Other teams to have won both games include, in table order, Newcastle, Canberra, Melbourne, Brisbane and Penrith.
Panthers No.7 Nathan Cleary also revealed over the weekend that, in a phone hook-up between player representatives of all 16 clubs, it was agreed that points already earned should stand.
Elsewhere, V’landys confirmed there was no issue with the competition being restarted on May 28, despite Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk stating she will not provide travel exemptions for the Brisbane Broncos, Gold Coast Titans and North Queensland Cowboys.
The decision means that, as initially planned, the three Queensland clubs will likely relocate to a base within NSW until the border between the two states is reopened for travel.
“We can bring those teams into NSW to stay here — that’s OK,” V’landys said.
“Seven weeks from now they may have reopened the borders anyway.
“But even if they haven’t, it will only be a matter of weeks before they do if the infection rates keep going down.
“So it’s not as if these (Queensland) sides will be here for months.
“It will be a short period at worst.
“And we’ve already looked at all these contingencies.”