Roosters’ Kylie Hilder says four-team format the way to go
MORE teams and a full season is the ultimate dream for NRLW but until there’s more professionalism it is still a way off and for now players think the short format works.
Women's sport
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MORE teams and a full season is the ultimate dream for NRLW but until there’s more professionalism it is still a way off.
As players prepare for the first ever women’s grand final on Sunday, some of them have found even the short four-week season to be a hard juggle.
Among the Sydney Roosters team there are players from Brisbane and out of Sydney who travel down for training each week.
Kylie Hilder is one and she believes the NRL needs to keep the same competition format for another year at least, until players can be paid more and are in a better position to take time away from work.
“The hard thing is we’re not professional,” Hilder said.
“Myself, I live four hours away, so it’s hard still having a life and still having commitment here as a player.
“Until it gets professional and we’re paying our women players to be here, I don’t know whether two rounds (home and away) is doable.
“It has been big for the girls now with time off work and things like that.
“The NRL need to look at that and weigh all those options up.”
Administrators will wait until after Sunday’s grand final to complete a full review of the 2018 women’s schedule before deciding on how 2019 will be structured.
A big part of that will be taking advice from each of the four NRL clubs that made up the NRLW to find out what worked and didn’t during the inaugural season.
The workload on players has been one concern for many associated with women’s rugby league, while the placement of the competition during men’s finals has been another aspect that will likely come under review.
One thing that’s generally agreed upon though, is that four teams was the best way to launch the league.
“I think the NRL has done a great job starting with four teams,” Hilder said.
“I know they copped a lot of criticism to start with but I think the best thing they’ve done is to start with the four teams and grow it.
“I still think next year they need to stay with the four teams because I still don’t think we’re there yet with the base of players to come through.”
Hilder works with Country Rugby League as a female participation officer and said the talent is starting to filter through but isn’t quite there yet.
These first years of NRLW are about getting the competition right for when there are more players in the system to expand.
“We’re doing really good things as well to make sure we’re developing players but the future for women’s rugby league,” she said.
“I’m privileged that I can say in five years’ time that I was part of that first competition, I get to play in it.
“We’re just setting it up for those younger ones.
“Hopefully in the future the girls will be paid and they’ll be professional and they’ll have a longer season, but right now I just can’t see it happening until there’s more money put into the women’s side of it.”
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