Pre-season Challenge

[Foordy]

Here are the reported details for the Inaugural Pre-Season Challenge

When: February 9-12 and February 17-19

Prizemoney: $100,000 winner takes all

Teams: All 17 NRL clubs, plus Super League champions St Helens

TV: All games live and exclusive on Fox League


THE RULES

• 80-minute games
• No extra time or golden point. A draw will be declared it scores are equal
• Squad sizes: As many as 28 players for week-one matches and 26 for week-two matches (World Club Challenge will have 17-man squads with an 18th player for concussion protocols, and 10 interchanges)
• Unlimited interchange
• One referee
• Bunker in use

LADDER POINT SCORING

Competition Points

• 12 for a win
• six for a draw
• zero for a loss

Bonus Points

• Scoring five or more tries
• Making five or more linebreaks
• Making 10 or more offloads

Note: Teams can earn a maximum 15 points for a win, nine for a draw and three for a loss.


CHAMPION

Will be determined in a first past the post system; if there is a tie for first place then the winner will be determined by:

• For and against (points differential), then if still equal;
• The greater percentage of points scored in for and against, then if still equal;
• Most tries scored, then if still equal;
• Most goals kicked, then if still equal;
• Most drop goals kicked, then if still equal;
• Least amount of penalties conceded across both games ,then if still equal;
• The toss of a coin

 

[Foordy]

SCHEDULE (All games AEDT live on Fox League)

Round One

Thursday, February 9

Warriors v Tigers Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland 6pm

Friday, February 10

Knights v Sharks Industree Group Stadium, Gosford 5.55pm

Rabbitohs v Sea Eagles Industree Group Stadium, Gosford 8pm

Saturday, February 11

Eels v Panthers BlueBet Stadium, Penrith 6pm

Dragons v St Helens WIN Stadium, Wollongong 8.05pm

Sunday, February 12

Storm v Roosters GMHBA Stadium, Geelong 1.50pm


Raiders v Bulldogs Ack Weyman Oval, Moruya 3.55pm

Cowboys v Dolphins Barlow Park, Cairns 8.05pm

Broncos v Titans Sunshine Coast Stadium 8.05pm



Round Two

Friday, February 17

Knights v Eels Industree Group Stadium, Gosford 5.55pm

Roosters v Sea Eagles Industree Group Stadium, Gosford 8pm

Saturday, February 18

Dragons v Rabbitohs Glen Willow Stadium, Mudgee 3.30pm

Panthers v St Helens BlueBet Stadium, Penrith 6pm

Broncos v Cowboys Sunshine Coast Stadium 8.10pm


Sunday, February 19

Warriors v Storm Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch 12.50pm

Tigers v Raiders Belmore Sportsground 2.55pm

Bulldogs v Sharks Belmore Sportsground 5pm

Dolphins v Titans Kayo Stadium, Redcliffe 7.05pm

 

[Kimlo]

Sounds fun. Can't wait

 

[Big Pete]

It adds some flavour to the pre-season, but it's hardly a fair competition. When you're throwing the World Club Challenge into the mix under different conditions it makes it difficult for all teams to compete.

Hopefully teams treat it as a hit out and we don't see a situation where a team pushes themselves to breaking point chasing points.

Otherwise I'm just happy to see the footy back.

 

[Culhwch]

So it's just our usual trial matches... but with a weird points system?

 

[tommy]

The bonus points thing is stupid.

 

[Sproj]

Again, a good idea, very rushed and poorly executed.

 

[tommy]

Again, a good idea, very rushed and poorly executed.

I think it’s a turd of an idea……a competition should at least go to a grand final no?

 

[BroncsFan]

WTF is this even meant to be???

 

[tommy]

WTF is this even meant to be???

It’s like trials but we are supposed to care or something……?

 

[Broncosgirl]

Any kind of competition that could potentially earn a team 100k from the toss of a coin .. is just dumb tbh.

 

[BroncsFan]

It’s like trials but we are supposed to care or something……?

Except it is the trials

 

[Sproj]

I think it’s a turd of an idea……a competition should at least go to a grand final no?

The AFL used to do something similar with the NAB pre-season cup (the Lions won it a lot because they knew the season proper would end poorly) and it worked ok, especially for teams who knew they would be no chance once the real season started. The problem was that toward the end, most teams just didn't play anyone of note and so it lost interest. This seems like it is the same concept just ignoring that it is no longer in existence with the AFL as after a couple of years, interest just died but it was also done over a few weeks in essentially a knockout concept.

 

[Big Pete]

I'd imagine if it was up to the NRL they'd want another pre-season competition like they had in the Tooheys Cup but it was difficult to get the clubs on board. This seems to be a way to test the waters and see if they can provide their commercial partners more value.

Without the NRL 9s, I'm sure Fox would be heaping pressure on the NRL to come up with something to help boost interest in the pre-season.

 

[Foordy]

Literally the only benefit of this "comp" is that the games will be televised on Fox League (instead of relying on the clubs streaming them).

with each team playing only 2 games in the "comp" it is damn near guaranteed that several teams will finish on equal points and a countback will be required to determine who gets the 100k.

from a Broncos perspective, I hope our boys don't go silly trying for bonus points, but instead working on their game and getting ready for the season proper

 

[Galah]

Again, a good idea, very rushed and poorly executed.

Sounds familiar

 

[Super Freak]

This is a testing phase to see if there’s enough interest to warrant putting more into it.

There’s plans for a Toohey’s Cup style pre-season comp if all goes to plan.

 

[tommy]

This is a testing phase to see if there’s enough interest to warrant putting more into it.

There’s plans for a Toohey’s Cup style pre-season comp if all goes to plan.

What testing phase? Rl has been around a while now. Dickheads should know what works.