The NRL’s inaugural Pre-season Challenge is set to reward attacking teams with a number of wacky rule innovations and the overall winner could be decided by a coin toss.
The Daily Telegraph reported the details for February’s 2023 Pre-season Challenge, which awards the winning club $100,000 and a toss of the coin could decide competition as a last resort.
In a bid to generate fan interests and drive up spectator numbers at both the games and on TV, attacking play and risk taking will be rewarded, with bonus points available for innovative football around scoring tries, linebreaks and offloads.
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The Challenge competition will involve all 17 NRL teams, including the Dolphins in their inaugural pre-season and Super League champions St Helens, who are due to play Penrith in the World Club Challenge.
The WCC fixture will be included in the mini tournament, with every team competing eligible to win the Pre-season Challenge, including St Helens.
The competition will unearth a wave of new young guns, as well as unveil superstars representing their new clubs for the first time.
The scoring for the competition is where it gets really interesting with 12 points for a win and six for a draw.
However, teams can earn up to three bonus points if they score five or more tries, make five or more linebreaks or 10 or more offloads.
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The winner of the Pre-season Challenge and the $100,000 will be the team with the most competition points in the end, provided two teams are not equal, which could lead to a coin toss if all other avenues are exhausted.
In the event of a tie at the end of the competition, the NRL has introduced a series of tiebreakers to determine the overall winner.
For and against will be used to separate teams, and if they’re still equal, it will then be decided by who has the greater percentage of points scored, most tries scored, most goals kicked, most drop-goals kicked and then least number of penalties conceded.
If after all this the teams still can’t be separated, it will come down to heads or tails.
THE 2023 NRL PRE-SEASON CHALLENGE
When: February 9-12 and February 17-19
Prizemoney: $100,000 winner takes all
Teams: All 17 NRL clubs, plus Super League champions St Helens
TV: All games live and exclusive on Fox League
THE RULES
– 80-minute games
– No extra time or golden point. A draw will be declared it scores are equal
– Squad sizes: As many as 28 players for week-one matches and 26 for week-two matches
– Unlimited interchange
*World Club Challenge will have 17-man squads with an 18th player for concussion protocols, and 10 interchanges
– One referee
– Bunker in use
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THE LADDER
Competition points
– 12 for a win
– Six for a draw
– None for a loss
BONUS POINTS
A bonus point available for each of the following:
– Scoring five or more tries
– Making five or more linebreaks
– Making 10 or more offloads
Teams can earn a maximum 15 points for a win, nine for a draw and three for a loss.
THE WINNER
The overall winner will be determined by the most competition points.
– For and against (points differential), then if still equal;
– The greater percentage of points scored in for and against, then if still equal;
– Most tries scored, then if still equal;
– Most goals kicked, then if still equal;
– Most drop goals kicked, then if still equal;
– Least amount of penalties conceded across both games ,then if still equal;
– The toss of a coin
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SCHEDULE (All games AEDT live on Fox League)
Round One
Thursday, February 9
Warriors v Tigers Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland 6pm
Friday, February 10
Knights v Sharks Industree Group Stadium, Gosford 5.55pm
Rabbitohs v Sea Eagles Industree Group Stadium, Gosford 8pm
Saturday, February 11
Eels v Panthers BlueBet Stadium, Penrith 6pm
Dragons v St Helens WIN Stadium, Wollongong 8.05pm
Sunday, February 12
Storm v Roosters GMHBA Stadium, Geelong 1.50pm
Raiders v Bulldogs Ack Weyman Oval, Moruya 3.55pm
Cowboys v Dolphins Barlow Park, Cairns 8.05pm
Broncos v Titans Sunshine Coast Stadium 8.05pm
Round Two
Friday, February 17
Knights v Eels Industree Group Stadium, Gosford 5.55pm
Roosters v Sea Eagles Industree Group Stadium, Gosford 8pm
Saturday, February 18
Dragons v Rabbitohs Glen Willow Stadium, Mudgee 3.30pm
Panthers v St Helens BlueBet Stadium, Penrith 6pm
Broncos v Cowboys Sunshine Coast Stadium 8.10pm
Sunday, February 19
Warriors v Storm Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch 12.50pm
Tigers v Raiders Belmore Sportsground 2.55pm
Bulldogs v Sharks Belmore Sportsground 5pm
Dolphins v Titans Kayo Stadium, Redcliffe 7.05pm
