The Rugby League Players’ Association (RLPA) has
welcomed the release of the 2020 Telstra Premiership Draw today, commending the
NRL on delivering an overall improved schedule for next season.
The NRL has taken into consideration the guiding
principles established by the RLPA in recent years, highlighted by a reduction
in five-day turnarounds and the mitigation of issues associated with their
occurrence.
The 2020 Draw includes various improvements
relating to player workloads – such as:
- A
reduction in five-day turnarounds (25 in 2020 compared to 26 in 2019)
- A
reduction in the amount of substantial travel either side of five-day
turnarounds (1 in 2020, compared to 3 in 2019)
- Both
teams who avoided five-day turnarounds completely (Brisbane and Gold Coast) are
non-Sydney based teams (and therefore impacted more by travel overall)
- Teams
who have the most five-day turnarounds in 2020 are not the same teams as those
who had the most in 2019
RLPA General Manager of Stakeholder Relations,
Clint Newton, said:
“We understand the complexities and competing
interests that exist when developing the Telstra Premiership Draw each season.
“We recognise that the NRL have worked hard again
this year to manage a no doubt challenging process.
“In our view, player welfare must always remain
paramount during the development of the schedule, as well as maintaining a
level of equality across the competition.
“Whilst developing the perfect Draw will always be
difficult based on the current schedule and competing interests, further
improvements have been made in a number of areas.
“The NRL consulted with the RLPA through the
process, albeit that we will seek to increase our engagement in the future.
“While we ideally want to reduce the amount of
five-day turnarounds, it is also important to reduce the issues associated with
these events such as travel either side and the length of time between each
occurrence for Clubs affected more than once – to not only protect player
welfare but also the overall quality of the competition.
“We are generally pleased with the reduction of
substantial travel either side of the five-day turnarounds for 2020, with one
team set to be impacted compared with three in 2019.
“We will work with that Club and the NRL to try and
mitigate the impact for the players.
“The State of Origin period continues to present
problems for Clubs, players and fans.
“Clubs and fans understandably want their best
players on the field following Origin, but it can take a significant toll on
players and impact on their ability to perform at their best for their Clubs.
“It’s exciting to take State of Origin to new
markets such as Adelaide, but one consequence is the additional travel for the
players who are due to back-up for their Clubs.
“We will continue to work with the NRL and Clubs to
identify appropriate solutions in the future.
“Based on our initial analysis, there are several
areas that we will continue to discuss with the NRL but overall we are
comfortable with the 2020 Draw.”
Newton added that he was excited with a number of
positive outcomes for fans in the draw, including additional matches in
regional areas.
“It’s great to see more regional venues set to host
NRL matches in 2020 and fan-friendly time-slots,” Newton said.
“It’s important to the growth of the game that we
continue to engage with regional communities.
“We will also work with the NRL to ensure
facilities at all venues set to host NRL fixtures next season meet the minimum
standards required.”
