2 days ago
'Puts the competition's credibility at risk': Two teams blocked from making NRL finals
NRL boss Peter V'Landys has told Yahoo Sport Australia that a proposal for a 'Wildcard Weekend' that would radically alter the top-eight finals system is "not on the agenda" and probably won't be in the near future. The mooted plan appears dead and buried as both the NRL and clubs continue to show little appetite for change.
A plan to give teams finishing 9th and 10th a crack at making the top-eight by taking on teams 8th and 7th respectively in a Wildcard Weekend was put to club bosses a number of years ago. Under the re-jigged format, teams in the top six would be warehoused for a week after the end of the regular season as the Wildcard Weekend played out.
The winner of the two wildcard games would then join the top six teams for week one of the finals. If the current NRL standings were to stay the same at the end of the 2025 regular season, a Wildcard Weekend would have the seventh-placed Sharks taking on the Sea Eagles (10th) and the eighth-placed Dolphins going up against the Roosters (ninth).
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Graham Annesley had floated idea for 'Wildcard Weekend'
The idea behind giving two teams outside the eight the chance to make the finals was to reduce the number of "dead" games over the closing stages of the season. Stats showed, on average, there were 23 "dead" matches – where one or both teams could not make the finals – each season.
This impacted attendances, TV ratings and merchandise sales, costing clubs vital revenue. The NRL's head of elite football operation, Graham Annesley, told clubs at the time a Wildcard Weekend could help recoup some of those losses.
"You often hear clubs (outside the eight) say mathematically we can still make it, but mathematically means you have to win every game," he said previously. "If you've missed the eight for multiple years, trying to get members to re-sign for the following year can be difficult. So if this is a way of keeping that engagement and that involvement from everyone associated with the game it is at least worth considering."
Peter V'landys rejects idea for 'Wildcard Weekend'
The clubs did consider Annesley's proposal but ultimately rejected it. And it appears there is still little support for the concept after it was raised again over the weekend.
ARL chairman V'Landys told Yahoo Sport Australia: "It's not on the current agenda and I don't think it will be (in the near future)." One club CEO added: "There was a general feeling the season was long enough without adding another week to it.
"And it puts the competition's credibility at risk if you have a team that finished 9th or 10th going on to win the title, as unlikely as that might sound. An eight-team finals system in a competition with 17 sides is about right."
Proponents of the Wildcard Weekend could look to revive the idea when new franchises in Perth and PNG are added to the NRL over the next few years. The Perth Bears will enter the competition in 2027, while PNG will come in the year after.
How an NRL 'Wildcard Weekend' would work
Teams finishing in top six get the weekend off
7th v 10th - (Cronulla v Manly on current standings)
8th v 9th - (Dolphins v Roosters)
Losing teams eliminated, winning teams secure 7th and 8th spots in traditional finals format
