{"id":878062,"date":"2026-09-03T01:32:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T01:32:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/878062\/"},"modified":"2026-09-03T01:32:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T01:32:15","slug":"nrl-2026-trent-robinson-backs-calls-for-a-wildcard-round","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/878062\/","title":{"rendered":"NRL 2026: Trent Robinson backs calls for a wildcard round"},"content":{"rendered":"

Roosters coach Trent Robinson is a fan of bringing in a wildcard round ahead of the finals that could eliminate the ongoing debate for clubs on whether to rest their stars or play them in round 27 when their ladder position can\u2019t change.<\/p>\n

The Roosters will likely finish fourth barring a series of unlikely events, with Robinson making the call to rest nine of his best players, while halfback Sam Walker is also out injured.<\/p>\n

They are now virtually no chance of beating the Rabbitohs on Friday night, with James Tedesco, Daly Cherry-Evans and Mark Nawaqanitawase just some of the stars who will be watching from the stands.<\/p>\n

The rest v rust debate has been going on for years for teams who have already locked up finals spots, with the introduction of a wildcard round one possible solution to eliminate the need for mass changes.<\/p>\n

The AFL brought it in this year and nailed it with two huge crowds and one epic finish in Melbourne, while American sports have wildcard rounds or play-in tournaments to sort out the final playoff spots.<\/p>\n

Under the proposed system, team seven would play team 10, while eight and nine would clash for the final top-eight spots. <\/p>\n

Robinson is a fan of the wildcard round, which would give the top six teams a week off and make sense when the competition expands to 20 clubs in 2028.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it makes commercial sense and football sense as far as the weekend off goes, making the finals series at its best for those teams,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cPossibly (you could be rewarding mediocrity for the lower teams), but as we expand the competition, probably going towards 20 teams, it\u2019s with some foresight. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not all four of those teams getting into the finals series; it\u2019s only two of them. You\u2019re not rewarding four teams; you\u2019re rewarding two teams that have to fight their way in.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not getting the same opportunity; they have to play an extra week. I think the mix between sporting and commercial sense is right.\u201d<\/p>\n

If the Roosters knew they were getting the week off, Robinson may have thought twice about resting his stars this week, especially with a new-look halves combination of Cherry-Evans and Hugo Savala to lead them in the finals. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere was some thought around that (playing the halves), but I also trust the way that they both play. They\u2019ve trained a lot together,\u201d the veteran coach said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought it was either both play or both rest because I want them to spend a fair bit of time together, and I decided for both of them to rest. Hugo hasn\u2019t played halves in the last couple of months, but he\u2019s also played a lot, so it was to get some training together.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe scenario was pretty clear that we were third or fourth, and trying to pick what was going to happen in first and second was very clear. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe looked at what was the best thing for us this week, and what players had played either Origin or a fair amount of time leading up to that game. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe have clear belief in what we can achieve tomorrow night with the team. They\u2019re all Roosters players and they\u2019ve been in our system for a long time. We\u2019re also really clear about the following week, so that was the choice at the beginning of the week.\u201d<\/p>\n

Robinson also denied the blockbuster rivalry was diminished given the stars who won\u2019t be there for Jai Arrow\u2019s 100th game for Souths.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got 17 Roosters going out there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re really proud of the players that we\u2019ve got. Just because somebody doesn\u2019t know them, they\u2019ve been in our system for a long time. We really value this game and I think we need to prove that tomorrow night.\u201d<\/p>\n

The system won\u2019t change next week with Walker sidelined, with Robinson still hopeful that the Origin playmaker will return this year after having surgery on his syndesmosis last Sunday. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe timeline is as quick as possible,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cThese injuries used to be three months, and it depends on the severity within the ankle, but they\u2019ve gotten quicker and quicker. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere are some pretty clear signposts along the way about games and what\u2019s possible. We just need to push it as far as he can handle it and see where we get to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Originally published as \u2018Makes sense\u2019: Trent Robinson backs a wildcard round to end rest v rust debate in the finals<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Roosters coach Trent Robinson is a fan of bringing in a wildcard round ahead of the finals 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