Let us pick when we play: Raiders ramp up finals push
Scott Bailey |
Ricky Stuart says Canberra should be given the right to pick when they play their qualifying final, adamant it’s only fair the minor premiers face Brisbane next Sunday.
The NRL will finalise their schedule for the opening week of finals on Sunday, with the top eight now locked in ahead of the last day of the regular season.
Melbourne will host Canterbury to open the finals series on Friday night, but the schedule for the two Saturday games and Sunday afternoon clash remain up in the air.
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Qualifying finals are traditionally played on the Friday night and Saturday, but the draw for the final round of the regular season has complicated matters.
Canberra’s last-round clash with the Dolphins on Sunday will come three days after Brisbane beat Melbourne on Thursday night.
It means the Raiders would have a six-day turnaround to Broncos’ nine if they play in the normal qualifying-final slot of next Saturday evening.
Raiders officials have been privately pushing the NRL for a Sunday afternoon final at GIO Stadium all week, but upped the ante on Saturday with Stuart voicing his concerns.
“We have (earned the right to pick when we play),” Stuart said.
“We’re minor premiers and we need the maximum turnaround as possible from the Sunday game tomorrow.
“We’re going to be playing against a team that’s got nine days, so it’s an unbelievable advantage (for Brisbane if the match is on Saturday).
“That one extra day is what we deserve for being minor premiers.”
Cronulla were forced to face Melbourne on a six-day turnaround to the Storm’s nine in last year’s finals, but on that occasion Melbourne were the minor premiers.
Playing the qualifying final next Sunday would mean the loser of Canberra and Brisbane would have a one-day shorter turnaround when they face a lower-ranked team the following week.
But the Raiders believe any disadvantage in week two pales in comparison to facing the Broncos off less than a seven-day turnaround next week.
Canberra have rested 11 front-liners for the last-round clash with the Dolphins, with centre Matt Timoko the latest player pulled out of the match.
“Resting players is one thing, but I’ve still got players playing tomorrow that are going to be playing next week,” Stuart said.
“I pulled Matty out because I don’t know when we’re going to get this game.
“In all fairness, we should be getting the Sunday.
“But not knowing and feeling as though we could be a Saturday, it was silly to play Matty as well because of the travel and the turnaround, it could’ve affected him.”
The other issue for the NRL to weigh up is the Warriors’ elimination final in Auckland, against Penrith or the Sydney Roosters.
If that match was to be played next Saturday instead of the Raiders one, it would go head-to-head with an All Blacks rugby Test against South Africa being played in Wellington at the same time.
Cronulla will host the other elimination final against either the Roosters or Penrith, with less complicating matters surrounding that fixture.
FINALS WEEK ONE FIXTURES
Melbourne v Canterbury (Friday night, AAMI Park, Melbourne)
Canberra v Brisbane (TBC, GIO Stadium, Canberra)
Cronulla v Sydney Roosters/Penrith (TBC, Shark Park, Cronulla)
Warriors v Penrith/Sydney Roosters (TBC, Go Media Stadium, Auckland)
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