Manly want the NRL to give sides with short turnarounds unlimited interchange

MANLY want the NRL to immediately introduce unlimited interchanges for any side that confronts rugby league’s new scourge — the five-day turnaround.

Manly demand unlimited interchange

MANLY want the NRL to immediately introduce unlimited interchanges for any side that confronts rugby league’s new scourge — the five-day turnaround.

Deeply concerned about player welfare, the Sea Eagles believe players injured through short turnarounds may consider legal action against the NRL.

The warning came as former NRL coach Matt Elliott said the lack of preparation impacted on the quality of games, declaring: “Get rid of them’’.

Daly Cherry-Evans is helped off the field after being injured against the Roosters.

Manly played Cronulla last Monday night, then beat the Sydney Roosters on Saturday night and now back up against South Sydney on Thursday night at Brookvale Oval.

It means Manly will have just one training session — a captain’s run on Wednesday — before meeting the Rabbitohs, who were thrashed 42-12 as they took on Canterbury on the back of a five-day turnaround on Good Friday.

“Every team that plays a second game in five days should have unlimited interchange,” said senior Manly official Peter Peters.

“It’s unfair at the moment. Something may happen next year but right now, things could be turned upside down by this uneven competition where some teams get five-day turnarounds and others don’t.

“Unlimited interchange for teams playing within a five-day turnaround would be something positive. It would give those sides something back for copping an unfair draw.

“Really fatigued players are more liable to get injured and, if injuries occur through fatigue when they are super-fit athletes, then the governing body might suffer the consequences legally one day.”

Jamie Buhrer looks dejected as he leaves the field with an injury against the Roosters

The Sea Eagles also have injury woes with Daly Cherry-Evans (ankle) Jamie Buhrer (thumb), Steve Matai (neck), Tom Symonds (calf) and Jayden Hodges (knee).

Cherry-Evans and Buhrer will have scans on Monday with their halfback set for a month and skipper Jamie Lyon facing a possible shifted into the halves for the Souths game.

Manly will turn-up battered and bruised on Thursday with Elliott, who coached in 381 first grade games with Bradford, Canberra, Penrith and New Zealand Warriors, slamming the five-day turnarounds.

“For people that don’t understand, players are nowhere near their best with a five-day turnaround — you can’t get them on the training field at some sort of decent capacity until at three days after the game after recovery,” Elliott told ABC Grandstand.

“What they do out on the field takes so much out of them. And it gets worse as the season goes on, may I say.

“Get rid of them. You win NRL games by having quality preparation. If we can limit them, the better quality games we’ll get for fans. In the NRL, the game is so taxing we really need to do all we possibly can to limit the amount of five-day turnarounds otherwise we are going to get more contests like that (Souths’ heavy loss to Canterbury on Good Friday).”

Manly coach Trent Barrett was angry at the draw, which sees his side face another five-day turnaround in a fortnight.

“The whole squad won’t do anything until the captain’s run,” Barrett said. “The players are buggered and sore.”

Originally published as Manly want the NRL to give sides with short turnarounds unlimited interchange