Broncos legend calls for NRL scheduling rethink

Corey Parker has taken aim at the NRL's scheduling, calling for earlier kick-off times on Thursday and Friday nights to ensure young fans can watch full games without falling asleep before the final whistle.

The former Broncos great argues that late start times disadvantage families, particularly when blockbuster matches including State of Origin and the Grand Final push deep into the night.

Currently, Thursday and Friday night matches begin at 8pm AEDT (7pm in Queensland), meaning games often don't finish until close to 10pm.

Parker believes this creates a barrier for younger fans, who are forced to miss crucial moments simply because of the late scheduling.

“In Queensland, by the time the game is finished, it's not too late,” Parker said, speaking on SEN.

But Parker is frustrated about the scheduling of games in New South Wales, questioning why they can't start an hour earlier to better accommodate families.

One of the biggest sticking points for Parker is that the State of Origin spectacle is becoming inaccessible to young fans, the very demographic the NRL should be looking to engage.

“State of Origin starts at 8:15pm and then finishes at 11 o'clock,” he said.

“Kids' eyeballs are hanging out and they don't make it to the second half.”

Parker isn't naive to the influence of broadcast deals, acknowledging that TV networks ultimately dictate scheduling to maximise prime-time advertising revenue.

“It's surely because of the dollars in the broadcasting deal,” he said.

In Sydney, the 6pm news slot plays a major role in determining when afternoon games can be scheduled.

Parker pointed out that there have been instances where Sunday afternoon matches have gone into extra time, only to be abruptly cut off for the nightly news.

“In Sydney, the news will start at 6pm so that the Sunday afternoon games at 4pm finish (on time),” he said.

“There have been instances where the game has gone into extra time and it cuts straight to the news.”

Beyond regular season scheduling, Parker has long been an advocate for shifting the NRL Grand Final back to an afternoon time slot.

He argues that the AFL consistently delivers a better Grand Final experience, largely because their marquee event is played in the daytime rather than at night.

“I'm still a massive believer in bringing the Grand Final to an afternoon like the AFL,” Parker said.

“The AFL do Grand Finals so much better than the NRL and has done for quite some time.”

“Part of that is because they play in that 3-4pm time slot in the afternoon,” he added.