They haven't got a competition structure yet, but the NRL have a date. Circle May 28 on your calendar. That's when the NRL wants to return following a marathon Thursday of meetings and discussions that resulted in the ARL Commission endorsing a return to the field in seven weeks' time. The constantly changing landscape was the reason they didn't want to finalise anything just yet. They want to give the players a four-week training block to prepare, so the NRL still have three weeks to iron out the details.

More: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6718771/nrl-aiming-for-may-28-return-date/?cs=14239

Let's Talk Huawei Podcast with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad

More: https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2020/04/09/lets-talk-huawei-podcast-with-charnze-nicoll-klokstad/

Project Apollo committee member Don Furner has promised to uphold the integrity of the NRL competition if the game is cleared to return at a meeting with the Australian Rugby League Commission on Thursday.

Despite calls from former stars Paul Gallen and Sam Burgess to scrap competition points and play for an entirely new conference trophy, Canberra CEO Furner has confirmed the NRL Premiership will just be taking a new form.

Furner sits on the NRL's innovation committee headed by league legend Wayne Pearce, and told AAP teams would be playing for the Provan Summons trophy in 2020.

More: https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/gallen-wants-nrl-to-change-name-trophy/b0c19e48-63c9-4227-a6e8-41f06724cacd

The Canberra Raiders' equal-best start to a season in 15 years will stand after ARL commission chairman Peter V'Landys stepped into to scupper plans to erase two rounds from the history books. The Raiders were one of six teams who stood to lose four points from the opening two rounds of the season, which were played before a coronavirus shutdown. It would have been a dagger to the hearts of long-suffering Raiders fans, who have become used to slow starts to seasons and fast finishes to clinch finals spots. The Raiders beat the Gold Coast Titans and the New Zealand Warriors before all play was suspended, leaving them as one of a handful teams unbeaten after two rounds. The Raiders have won two games in a row to start a season just twice since 2005, going back to back in 2016 and this year.

More: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6714527/raider-relief-as-nrl-aborts-plans-to-scrap-points/?cs=14239

After floating the option of resetting the Telstra Premiership ladder, ARL Commissioner Wayne Pearce has said it is set to be scrubbed from the long list of ideas being considered by the Innovations Committee.

The committee, which will next meet on Thursday, was considering the step as part of its mandate to look at ways to reschedule the season following last month's decision to suspend the competition due to the coronavirus pandemic. Pearce, who is heading up the committee, told the Sydney Morning Herald on Monday night that they would consider scrapping the competition points earned over the first two rounds of the season.

However, on Tuesday morning he said on Fox League that he would be against bringing in the controversial move.

"My personal view is when we get the competition up and running again we should carry the results from the opening two rounds," Pearce said.

"Players have worked extremely hard all off-season and clubs have lost players to injuries in those opening two games."

The theoretical resetting of the ladder would potentially have been an option as the rescheduled competition is likely to be split into two equal conferences of eight.

Under that scenario, teams would only play against the other sides in their conference as clubs would operate in a "bubble" environment to protect players and staff from contracting the virus.

Roosters coach Trent Robinson, Raiders CEO Don Furner, RLPA CEO Clint Newton, former politician Troy Grant, NRL chief commercial officer Andrew Abdo, NRL chief corporate affairs officer Liz Deegan and NRL head of football Graham Annesley are also on the committee.

Parramatta, Newcastle, Brisbane, Canberra, Penrith and Melbourne kicked off their campaigns with back-to-back victories while the Roosters began their quest for a threepeat with successive losses, while Cronulla, Canterbury, the Warriors, Titans and St George Illawarra are also winless. 



More: https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2020/04/07/resetting-ladder-option-set-to-be-ruled-out/