NRL: Parramatta Eels keen to avoid premiership marred by an asterisk

Parramatta have declared themselves ready to play another 20 rounds and break rugby league’s longest premiership drought.

Eels boss Jim Sarantinos says the club is happy to play ‘as much footy as we can’.

They are the team with most to gain from a shortened NRL season, but Parramatta have declared themselves ready to play another 20 rounds and break rugby league’s longest premiership drought.

Currently in first place, and without a title win since 1986, the Eels’ premiership odds would firm drastically if the competition went just another 15 rounds, as has been proposed by the Nine Network.

Yet with the revised NRL draw set to be confirmed as early as Monday, Parramatta CEO Jim Sarantinos has said his undefeated competition frontrunners are preparing to play “as much footy as we can”.

While Nine executives are pushing for the 16 teams to play each other just once, ARLC chairman Peter V’landys confirmed on Sunday afternoon that the season would run another 17 to 20 games.

Already, Sarantinos has spoken at length with coach Brad Arthur and football manager Mark O’Neill about the issue, however the CEO stressed his club had no preference for how the season played out.

“And if it is 20 rounds, that doesn’t worry us,” he said. “Initially our biggest issue was to preserve the reward we got for our performances in the first two rounds. But after that, we didn’t have a preference.

“Right now it’s purely about trying to maximise the amount of footy we play without compromising the health and safety of not only our players but those around them.

“And our guys are happy to play as much footy as they can.”

Asked his thoughts about the 2020 premiership eventually being remembered with an asterisk, Sarantinos said: “Whichever club wins this competition, they won’t deserve an asterisk next to their name. So long as everyone plays each other once, it’s fine. And at the moment it looks like we will definitely be doing that.

“Plus it isn’t like one club is playing in front of its fans and others aren’t. It will be level playing field for everyone.

“So while we’ll eventually look back on 2020 as a crazy time, whoever wins the premiership this year will deserve it.”

Meanwhile, coaches remain committed to their decision not to begin a ‘mini-pre-season’ until the Warriors are cleared to train as a group in Australia as the code nears crunch time.

The Warriors are waiting on approval from the Australian and state governments as well as Border Force to be cleared to arrive in the country, needing an exemption to train as a group instead of a mandatory 14-day isolation for individuals.

Following strict biosecurity measures, an exemption would allow the Warriors to resume training on May 4, giving teams just over three weeks to prepare for round three.

NRL Coaches Association boss Kelly Egan confirmed on Sunday coaches remain united in a decision to hold off training until all 16 clubs could resume, to be fair to the Warriors.

“They certainly are (committed),” Egan said.

“There’s been lots of conversation, we’re all on the same page. Our competition needs the Warriors.”

Queensland and Victoria are also awaiting approval from their respective governments to resume training and potentially fly in and out of NSW for games on chartered planes.

However, teams are preparing to base in NSW border towns should a decision not be reached next week.

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, AAP