The NRL is weighing up one of the most significant changes in the competition's modern history, which could see a major overhaul in the league's yearly draw.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the Australian Rugby League Association is exploring plans to cut the NRL's regular season from 27 rounds to 19.
The proposal, part of the league's long-term expansion roadmap, would align with the NRL's push towards a 20-team competition by the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
If introduced, the 19-round structure would mark the biggest scheduling reform in four decades, the last major shift occurring in 1988 when the Winfield Cup expanded from 13 to 16 teams.
Under the model being discussed, each team would face every other club once per season, alternating home and away fixtures annually.
The change aims to ensure a fairer draw following years of complaints about imbalance under the current 27-round format.
The NRL's current system sees 17 clubs play 24 matches each across 27 rounds. Critics argue the calendar is too demanding, with players often required to back up after representative duties or travel-heavy schedules.
A 20-team competition, expected to be achieved by the end of the decade, would coincide with the introduction of new franchises, the Perth Bears in 2027 and Papua New Guinea in 2028, before a potential 20th team is added by 2030.
South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett said the concept made sense from a player welfare standpoint but questioned its commercial feasibility.
“If you go from 27 rounds to 19 rounds, it's a fair reduction,” Bennett told the Daily Telegraph.
“If the broadcasters are happy to pay the same amount of money, fair enough, but I'm not sure if it will really happen.”
Bennett also cautioned that any reduction would need to be balanced against potential pay implications.
“Players won't accept being paid less, and clubs won't want to get less with NRL grants if we play fewer games,” he said.
The Rugby League Players Association has also flagged concerns about burnout under the current schedule, backing moves that promote recovery and welfare.
Ignoring finals, in 2025 each of 17 teams played 24 matches (and had three byes).
That is 408 matches.
In a 20 team comp, playing 20 matches would generate 400 matches. (How many byes each team would receive is irrelevant. That just determines the number of rounds played, not the number of games) The broadcasters would have virtually no difference in the number of games they could put on TV.
Cutting the number of games to 19 for each club would reduce the number of matches from 400 to 380. The broadcasters would almost certainly be willing to pay about the same as now for 400 matches, but would not be happy paying the same for just 380.
The problem the NRL will face is that over the next two years they are going to increase the number of team and matches. 19 teams playing 24 matches is 456 games. If nothing changes, the broadcasters will getting a bonus in 2027 and 2028 – more games and no extra fee.
The NRL ought to have seen this coming and negotiated a “price per game”, so that the broadcasters paid more in those two years, but the same rate per game when the number of broadcastable matches decreases back to around 380 / 400.
That negotiations with the broadcasters is easy compared to the negotiations with the clubs. As you say, the NRL will have to pay two or three more clubs each year. The RLPA will want salary cap increases too. I think the NRL will have to squeeze the players and who knows where we will end up. Strike action ? !
Those figures are wrong aren’t they ?
A 20 team comp with each club playing each other once is 20 * 19 = 380 (not 20*20=400)
Apart from that, maybe the rest of what I wrote has some merit…..