The third v fourth playoff between England and France at the FIFA World Cup finished 6-4 earlier this year in a game that had plenty of highlights, but lacked the intensity of any of the other knockout games.<\/p>\n
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It was reported over the weekend that something similar was being considered in the NRL as extra content, but it\u2019s hard to see a world where players and clubs would get up for it unless there were financial incentives. <\/p>\n
The Rugby League Players Association is yet to hear the proposal and have indicated that they\u2019d prefer a week off between the preliminary finals and the grand final.<\/p>\n
An extra game under this proposal wouldn\u2019t receive much support from the RLPA who have been pushing for fewer games, especially this year which features a packed schedule including the World Cup. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf it doesn\u2019t mean anything then I reckon you\u2019re better off just leaving it there,\u201d Mann said. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a big emotional rollercoaster, and usually when you have a massive emotional high and then you have the big comedown \u2013 which would be losing a preliminary final \u2013 the likelihood of getting injured or something going on in those next games is pretty high. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t really want that to happen to any of the players, especially if there doesn\u2019t need to be. If there\u2019s nothing in it for them, then it probably doesn\u2019t need to happen.<\/p>\n
Bulldogs utility Kurt Mann is not a fan of a proposed third v fourth match. Picture: Cameron Spencer\/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously some people would want to play, some people wouldn\u2019t. It\u2019s more dependent on the player, but me personally, I just think the risk of injury and the potential of losing players that the NRL wants on the field the next year is too high. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou just wouldn\u2019t want to risk it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bulldogs prop Max King says it would be a big ask on players to get up for another game after a heartbreaking loss but said he would do whatever\u2019s asked of him if it means more money for rugby league.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s unclear when this game would be brought in if at all, with the Sharks and Panthers the two teams who would have met in this game if it had been played last year. <\/p>\n
It would be a way to make extra revenue on the Friday night of grand final week, but head office still has a long way to go to convince the players. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll do whatever I\u2019m told,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
It would have been hard on the Panthers and Sharks to play an extra game last year after they lost in the grand final qualifiers. Picture: Albert Perez\/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a football player, it\u2019s a business, so I\u2019m respectful enough to know that. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut also it is one of those ones, it\u2019s such a tough sport that we play, you leave everything out there. You go home after game days and the next two or three days you\u2019re just a wreck. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo it is tough knowing you\u2019re out, but then getting up for (another game) from a player\u2019s side, it would be tough. But again, I\u2019m a player, I get paid to play, so whatever they tell me to play, I\u2019ve got to play it.<\/p>\n
\u201cParticularly about semi-finals intensity, you\u2019re putting everything out there to play for the grand final. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not waking up the next day all sore and battered going, \u2018oh, at least we\u2019ve got next week\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure it would be tough for the players, but like I said, if it\u2019s bringing in crowds, if it\u2019s bringing in revenue, I guess who am I to say it\u2019s a bad thing for the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014 Martin Gabor<\/p>\n
CURRAN\u2019S PARTNER HITS OUT AT BULLDOGS<\/p>\n
The partner of Bulldogs forward Josh Curran has hit out at the club\u2019s treatment of him after he didn\u2019t get on the field during Indigenous Round.<\/p>\n
Curran was part of Cameron Ciraldo\u2019s six-man bench for Friday night\u2019s match against the Roosters<\/a> but wasn\u2019t used by the coach.<\/p>\n Curran, a Darug man, led the Bulldogs out onto Allianz Stadium draped in an Aboriginal flag but that\u2019s the only time he made it out on the ground.<\/p>\n Curran\u2019s partner, Kyra Sutcliffe, reposted Instagram posts from Bulldogs fans who were angry about him not playing.<\/p>\n Josh Curran and Kyra Sutcliffe. Picture: Richard DobsonSource: News Corp Australia<\/p>\n MORE NRL NEWS<\/p>\n Last-placed Dragons shake up top-four race as fresh injury blow set to \u2018hurt\u2019 Sharks<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018Definitely\u2019: PVL reveals NRL\u2019s bold global plans…with \u2018World Cup\u2019 GF week game<\/a><\/p>\n Sutcliffe, who works with Indigenous youth, re-posted a comment that read: \u201cIt\u2019s crazy using Curran for clout for Indigenous Round & not giving him 1 minute on the field when he\u2019s been one of our best over last month. Make that make sense, family club…\u201d<\/p>\n Sutcliffe re-posted another fan comment which read: \u201cAs a Blackfulla, it\u2019s so disappointing to see your ONLY Indigenous player listed get no time on the field during the one round where we\u2019re meant to be celebrating our Indigenous players.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo better Bulldogs, for Josh and for your Indigenous supporters who went into that game excited to see someone they look up to representing their culture spend 80 minutes on the bench,\u201d it continued.<\/p>\n Josh Curran’s partner reposted InstagramSource: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n Sutcliffe responded to that comment with: \u201cPREACH Aunty!!\u201d.<\/p>\n Coach Ciraldo brought on bench players Kurt Mann, Sitili Tupouniua, Harry Hayes and Jake Turpin who came on after Bailey Hayward copped a head knock in the 71st minute.<\/p>\n Tupouniua only lasted five minutes after he re-injured his hamstring in his comeback game.<\/p>\n It will likely mean Curran will get plenty of game time in Canterbury\u2019s game against Souths on Friday night.<\/p>\n Canterbury invited Indigenous youths to training in the lead-up to the Roosters game as part of the club\u2019s Indigenous Round events.<\/p>\n SULLIVAN SPEAKS OUT ON NRL RULE<\/p>\n (via Martin Gabor, Newswire)<\/p>\n South Sydney utility Jayden Sullivan is the latest player to voice his displeasure at the NRL\u2019s six-man bench as he firms to replace the injured Ashton Ward in the halves for Friday\u2019s blockbuster clash with the Bulldogs. <\/p>\n Ward is expected to be sidelined for a while after he left Saturday night\u2019s game against Parramatta with a hamstring injury following an attempt at goal. <\/p>\n It opens the door for Sullivan to come in for just his third start of the season, with the playmaker featuring several times off the bench, while he\u2019s also been an unused reserve six times this season.<\/p>\n Ashton Ward suffered a hamstring injury during South Sydney\u2019s win over the Eels. Picture: Jeremy Ng\/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n That\u2019s been one of the unintended consequences of the six-man bench rule that is great if an outside back gets hurt early on but can be frustrating for specialist players who miss the chance to play 80 minutes in reserve grade. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been part of that six-man bench for a while now but haven\u2019t really been a big fan of the six-man bench,\u201d Sullivan said. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been healthy all year and only played 10 games this year, so it\u2019s been pretty tough. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m still young. I\u2019ve only played 50 games and I\u2019m still learning the game as a half. Not playing footy each week, especially if it\u2019s even Cup or NRL (is frustrating). The best way to learn is to play footy, and I haven\u2019t really been playing footy.\u201d<\/p>\n Sullivan has played seven games in NSW Cup this season and had open conversations with Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett about what the best plan is for him.<\/p>\n Jayden Sullivan has spent several games as an unused reserve on the bench. Picture: Matt King\/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cWayne\u2019s been my biggest fan for that,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n \u201cWe have really honest conversations. Unfortunately, it\u2019s a sh*t position to be in as well because I still want to be in that first-grade team, and whether that\u2019s being on the bench, it\u2019s kind of hard, so it\u2019s kind of a win-win or a lose-lose.\u201d<\/p>\n Sullivan will likely get an opportunity over the next few weeks with Ward out injured, with the 24-year-old keen for another crack in the finals after last playing in the post-season back in 2019 when he led the Steelers to a famous SG Ball Cup grand final win over the Sea Eagles. <\/p>\n \u201cSeven years is crazy, but I\u2019m grateful to play footy each week,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been healthy all year and only strung a handful of games together. Then last year and the year before, I was injured all year, so it\u2019s all good.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s good to have Wayne\u2019s trust. \u2018Wardy\u2019 is one of my closest mates, he\u2019s from Wollongong too, and I send my love to him. He\u2019s been outstanding this year and I can\u2019t credit him enough. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got a good friendship, and seeing him get hurt (sucks). Especially doing his hammy because I\u2019ve done a few hammies as well, so it\u2019s pretty sh*t for him.\u201d<\/p>\n STAGGERING DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PAY FOR WORLD CUP STARS<\/p>\n The rugby league World Cup is just two months away and a shocking difference in what players will be paid has been revealed.<\/p>\n The Sydney Morning Herald<\/a> is reporting that every Australian player will get a guaranteed $40,000 for putting on the green and gold at this year\u2019s World Cup<\/a>, but players from the other 13 nations could receive just $850 per game played. <\/p>\n It means the players from other nations who play all pool games and a semi-final and final will get just $4,250 as the Australian players get nearly 10 times that, no matter how far they go in the tournament. <\/p>\n The Aussie players will get more due to a deal made between the ARL Commission (ARLC) and the Rugby League Players\u2019 Association.<\/p>\n The ARLC easily has the funds to pay its players $40,000 each to turn up to the tournament.<\/p>\n Governing bodies of other nations can pay their players more than $850 a game if they wish, but many are stressed financially.<\/p>\n The problem with player payments has been laid bare by the Rugby Football League, the governing body in England, who is in a legal battle with the International Rugby League over unpaid fees from hosting the World Cup in 2022.<\/p>\n Players playing for Pacific nations such as Samoa and Tonga, who were involved in State of Origin this year, will notice a big difference in their match fees.<\/p>\n MORE NRL NEWS<\/p>\n \u2018One s**t decision\u2019: Ricky unloads, blames loss on Raiders star\u2019s \u2018fu***** brain explosion\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018We need to wake up\u2019: Fitzy\u2019s stern \u2018kick in the a***\u2019 message to Sharks after horrific loss<\/a><\/p>\n Australian players will be paid $40,000 to compete at this year\u2019s World Cup (Photo by Paul Harding\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n The likes of Stephen Crichton, Payne Haas, Brian To\u2019o and Addin Fonua-Blake made $30,000 per game in this year\u2019s Origin series<\/a> but are facing the prospect of getting just $850 per match at the World Cup.<\/p>\n Haas\u2019s decision to switch to Samoa from Australia will prove costly given he would be a lock for the Kangaroos had he decided to remain eligible to play for the Aussies.<\/p>\n It will be interesting to see if Tino Fa\u2019asuamaleaui sticks with Australia for the World Cup after speculation he might deflect to Samoa for the tournament. <\/p>\n Origin payments are part of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between players and the NRL.<\/p>\n