Harry Grant urges shorter NRL season to ease contract distractions
The Melbourne captain says a reduced club schedule could also create more opportunities for international teams to play together.
Australia hooker Harry Grant has proposed cutting the NRL regular season, saying it could help separate contract negotiations from World Cup commitments and make room for more representative matches.
The Melbourne captain suggested players could concentrate on the tournament before discussing their club futures. Nearly half of Kevin Walters’ Australian squad moved into the last 12 months of their contracts on 1 November.
Roster planning has become more pressing for existing clubs ahead of the Perth Bears’ arrival in 2027 and the PNG Chiefs’ entry 12 months later. The Sydney Roosters withdrew an extension offer to Sam Walker after his Australian Test debut, prompting speculation linking fellow squad members Ethan Strange and Tom Dearden with the club.
Grant also argued that reducing the club schedule could provide space for a stronger international calendar, including more opportunities for smaller Test nations to face elite opponents outside World Cups.
France and the Cook Islands were the only teams without a win at this World Cup. Grant questioned how often those squads had played together since the 2022 tournament and said New Zealand, Tonga and Samoa could also benefit from more international fixtures.
He called for collective discussion about changes to the calendar, while acknowledging that his own ideas were not necessarily the right answers.
