Former Brisbane Broncos forward Corey Parker has made a strong suggestion for the only change he wants for the NRL Finals.
Earlier in the week, it was reported that the NRL would like to create its own version of Wildcard Weekend, which saw massive success in the AFL.
The NRL is expanding to as many as 20 teams by the 2029 season, with the Perth Bears, PNG Chiefs and either a second New Zealand team or a fifth Queensland team.
This reimagining of the post-season concept would see the finals expand from eight to ten teams, with 7th playing 10th and 8th playing 9th for the final two spots, while giving the top six a week’s break.
Corey Parker, while expressing his dislike of the ‘Play-In’ concept in the NRL, suggested the NRL go a different route for the post-season tweaks.
“So over half of the competition will be playing said finals,” Parker said on SENQ Breakfast.
“For me, I don’t enjoy that.”
“What I do need to see, and I think has to happen, is a week off before the Grand Final,” he continued.
“Now, how they factor that in, I’m not so sure.
“But I mean, imagine being Connor Watson (and) being ruled out of a Grand Final for a HIA that happened a week before.
“So, I’d like to see that over a week off over a wildcard.”
It’s not the first time the idea of a week off before the Grand Final has been expressed.
Andrew Johns and Brett Kimmorley have famously expressed the same idea, emphasising the 11-day stand-down while ensuring teams can field their best players.
“What we have to do, without a doubt, is have a week off before the grand final,” Johns said in 2023.
“Have the weekend off, have a two-week build-up for the game, then the stars can all play.
“Also, that way if someone gets a niggle, sprains an ankle, you give them 14 days to recover.
“Big games, grand finals, we need all the superstars.”
If the NRL made the change, it would heavily follow how the NFL’s lead into the Super Bowl.
The final two teams have a full week off after the AFC and NFC Championship games before the Super Bowl, allowing the game to be played on the second Sunday after the conference championship games to give injured players extra time to recover, and it also allows the media coverage a two-week runway.