V’landys floats future wildcard round after AFL success
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NRL officials are weighing up introducing an AFL-style wildcard weekend in a bid to stop clubs from resting players in the final rounds.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports the game’s hierarchy will consider bringing in the change when the Perth Bears and PNG Chiefs join the competition.
Daly Cherry-Evans won’t play in round 27. NRL Imagery
The idea was first floated seven years ago, but it never got off the ground.
However, after the success of the AFL’s first wildcard round last week, rugby league could be set to join the rival Australian footy code.
NRL executive chairman Peter V’landys told club bosses during a weekly meeting on Wednesday that the idea was back on the table.
“My first reaction was, ‘Hmmm, interesting’. And then I thought more about it and I don’t mind it at all,” an unnamed club CEO told the Herald.
The news comes after the Sydney Roosters rested the majority of their big stars for their round 27 blockbuster against the Rabbitohs. Cronulla have also placed Nicho Hynes and Blayke Brailey on ice for the final round of the season.
The AFL brought in the wildcard round for the first time in 2026, which saw the teams who finished between seventh and 10th play in elimination games.
If the NRL had a similar format this season, the Knights (7th) would have played the Bulldogs (10th) and North Queensland (8th) would have met Manly (9th).
Storm legend Billy Slater spoke about the potential change to the NRL finals schedule in the future and thinks it could happen as expansion grows.
“Maybe down the track, when we get more teams in the competition,” he said on Nine’s The Billy Slater Podcast ahead of round 27.
“There is a lot of excitement around it and it brings more interest into the finals.
“It’s something I’m sure the game will look at once we get out to 20 teams, just to engage more people. I’m OK with it at the moment with 17 teams - I don’t think if you’re in the bottom half of the competition that you deserve to be playing finals.
“Once you stretch it [the competition] out a bit, that’s when it would be OK.”
