"The NRL could be the first major code in the world to re-emerge." />The NRL could be the first major code in the world to re-emerge.Source: Getty ImagesThe NRL’s Project Apollo has been aptly-titled with rugby league’s innovation committee today set to launch the greatest game of all back into orbit in a new-look format.
The Project Apollo meeting has kicked off at 10am Thursday at Rugby League Central in Moore Park and is strongly tipped to ratify a 15-round version of the competition and push for a start date of either May 21 or 28.
This is how it will look. Points already accrued in the opening two rounds will be retained.
There will be 13 rounds of NRL football to make a 15-game season in total – meaning the grand final can be played in October.
No need for player bubble
Every team will play each other once.
State of Origin will remain as one of the jewels in the crown and be staged in the middle of the new NRL format.
The bubble concept of locking down all 480 NRL players from 16 clubs is beginning to lose momentum as the daily infection rate of coronavirus continues to drop.
There will then be an Australian Rugby League Commission telephone hook-up today to ratify whatever version of the competition the Project Apollo team ultimately lands on.
The Wayne Bennett-led push for a two conference NRL season will be overlooked but is still a strong chance of being re-visited in seasons to come.
Bennett and Roosters coach Trent Robinson have been garnering huge support for the concept of splitting the competition into two conferences – one for the Sydney-based clubs and one for the out of Sydney clubs.
There would have been 14 rounds of the regular season football and then a fortnight worth of wildcard weekend matches where teams would switch conferences to play games.
Bennett and Robinson met Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’Landys on Monday to table this proposal and discuss the alternate 15-round season where all teams play each other once.
All of the 16 NRL clubs including 12 of the head coaches were involved in a telephone hook-up on Tuesday which also included Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga.
They discussed the two options for around the 90-minute mark before more talks again took place on Wednesday.
As much as Bennett and Robinson were leading the charge to do something outside the box and utilise the conference system – and they had huge support amongst players and other coaches - the conservative option will win out.
The broadcasters Fox Sports and Channel Nine will also have an influence on which version Project Apollo lands on and will also be taking a seat to re-negotiate the terms of the new-look competition.
There is a suggestion the conference system concept could be re-visited in future seasons but there is also a view now was the time to trial it given the way the world has changed due to coronavirus.
Replies
There will have to be a new draw. Some teams were scheduled to play a team they have already played once again in the near futrure. e.g Eels vs Bulldogs round 6
Apparently the shortened draw looks like being scrapped for the full season draw with a November Grand Final after Ch9 complained.
May 28 just announced by Wayne peace
There's a lot of water to go under the bridge between now and May 28 and anything can happen in this climate
Everything has changed. So let's begin and crack on.
So the NRL are now going to be telling Health authorities and Federal Government what to do with their Corona virus lockdown eh?
Bunch of wankers milking as much publicity as the can so people will keep them in their minds.
There will be NO restart of any sport in Oz until the Fegeral govertnment gives approval - which none of these suggestions has indicated they are even talking to the authorities.
There will be NO competition in 2020 FULLfikkingSTOP.
Why can't it be done, we have one of the lowest infection rates, and it's trending down. We are by virtue of us being an island very well positioned to slowly restart our economy I can't understand any opposition to the restart of NRL games.
Steve mate look at Singapore they are an island and thought they had it under control as well .in the last 48 hrs they are now back under lockdown.the trouble is nobody knows what is going to happen with this thing
Exactly, that's no reason to not try, look at Singapore it's tiny there 8000 people per square kilometer we have about 3 of course they will struggle
Well we will just have to agree to disagree
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