BY CURTIS WOODWARD

Dear Mr. Greenberg,

I have been banging on about this since 2013 and I will probably still be banging for the rest of my life. That didn’t come out right.

Anyway, I digress. Let’s get to the point, Mr. Greenberg. I don’t like you and you don’t know me. Actually, that’s not true. To be fair, I’m probably indifferent to you. That however doesn’t mean you can’t grant me my Christmas wish.

Please, Santa Todd, please.

Can we have an NRL Summer League?

Now I know what you’re going to say and yes I agree players shouldn’t be playing anymore footy than they already are. But we’re not talking about Cameron Smith and Johnathan Thurston here. Heck, we’re not even talking about players in the top 25-ish.

This Summer League is for legitimate fringe guys, uncontracted players, free agents, players returning from injury, guys playing in the local Perth premiership and the next big thing in France or Fiji.

Just hear me out, Todd:

THE SUMMER LEAGUE PLAN

• All matches played at night due to hot weather.
• Teams are: West Coast Pirates, Adelaide Rams, NT Rangers, Tasmania Devils, Wellington Orcas, Christchurch Bulls, Rockhampton, NSW Country.
• 45 minute matches played in three 15 minute stanzas.
• All game nights are double headers.
• Games can be played in primetime spots into rugby league markets on any night of the week – much like cricket’s Big Bash League.
• Each team is allocated two NRL clubs.
– West Coast: Sharks and Wests Tigers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08-tcOvg9Lg

– Adelaide: Raiders and Dragons
– NT: Eels and Cowboys
– Tasmania: Storm and Sea Eagles
– Wellington: Bulldogs and Warriors
– Christchurch: Roosters and Rabbitohs
– Rockhampton: Broncos and Titans
– NSW Country: Panthers and Knights
• NRL clubs can use any contracted players they please in their allocated team in any game.
• A team can use ten players off the bench if they saw fit – depending on the needs of the player during NRL pre-season.
• Each Summer League team is also allotted players from NSW Cup, QLD Cup and state leagues in Victoria, WA, SA, NT and New Zealand.
• Each Summer League team is also allotted a developing nation and must play minimum four of these players in each game (cannot be NRL or Super League linked players).
– West Coast: Ireland and Serbia
– Adelaide: France and USA

– NT: Papua New Guinea and Malta

– Tasmania: Wales and Russia
– Wellington: Samoa and Belgium
– Christchurch: Tonga and Cook Islands
– Rockhampton: Scotland and Canada
– NSW Country: Fiji and Italy
• Teams can sign uncontracted free agents looking to prove themselves in the seven week tournament and secure an NRL deal for the following season.
• Teams can fill three spots in their squad for retired former stars like Scott Prince, Craig Wing, Corey Parker or others.

Above all else, this is more than a glorified program for NRL players in pre-season.

This could be a seven week advertising campaign for rugby league outposts and developing areas. It’s a great idea for the likes of Perth, Tasmania, NT and Adelaide with AFL on hiatus, same too for Wellington and Christchurch (rugby).

Then there’s the fact that we have the chance to develop the world game and use all our resources to help the best players from the smaller nations.

At the end of the day, this would be a TV product for the Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne markets.

But it would be anything but for intrigued fans in places like Perth, Adelaide and Wellington.

@woodward_curtis