NRL considers grand final week festival, third-place playoff

Australia's National Rugby League (NRL) is exploring a significant expansion of its grand final week festivities, potentially including a third-place playoff match. This proposal aims to transform the week into a 'festival of football,' offering fans and broadcasters more on-field content leading up to the championship decider.

The audacious plan, which could be implemented as early as this year, suggests adding three new matches across Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before the main Sunday event. Club chief executives have reportedly put forward three distinct options for this expanded schedule considering three additional matches.

Soccer World Cup inspiration

The inspiration for a third-place playoff stems directly from the recent soccer World Cup, where the match between England and France, won 6-4 by England, was noted for its thrilling spectacle inspired by the recent soccer World Cup. NRL officials observed that this fixture proved to be a more engaging contest than the subsequent final between Spain and Argentina, piquing their interest in replicating a similar model within rugby league.

Bulldogs boss Aaron Warburton initially presented the proposal at a recent NRL chief executives meeting, with NRL Commissioner Peter V’landys actively championing the initiative. V'landys is reportedly keen to establish this as a new rugby league tradition V’landys wants to make it a rugby league tradition, leveraging the clear calendar space following the Australian Rules Football (AFL) Grand Final the preceding week.

Additional fixtures and player welfare

Beyond the third-place playoff, other suggestions for grand final week include shifting the annual All Stars match between the Maori and Indigenous teams to this period. Warriors boss Cameron George proposed this change at the CEO meeting, though scheduling conflicts with the Koori Knockout, which runs from October 2, could pose a challenge for this year's October 4 grand final date. The concept is under strong consideration for future seasons All Stars match be shifted to grand final week. There is also discussion of an Under-21 representative match between New South Wales and Queensland on the Thursday prior to the decider.

The potential for a third-place playoff raises questions about player welfare, particularly for teams that have just endured the physical and emotional toll of a preliminary final defeat. Last year's losing preliminary finalists, the Sharks and Panthers, would have faced this scenario, and the NRL recognizes criticism may arise due to the perceived difficulty for players criticism because it will be viewed as tough on the players. However, V’landys is reportedly undeterred, prioritizing fan experience and broadcaster needs over such concerns.

To incentivize clubs, early discussions suggest offering prize money for participation in these additional games. The NRL also acknowledges that the Rugby League Players Association (RLPA) and broadcasters would need to adjust to the increased demands of an expanded grand final week, which provides more content for international rugby news.