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Paul Gallen has questioned the necessity of NRL trial games, calling for a major overhaul to the league’s pre-season after a “terrible” weekend of footy.
Sixteen of the 17 clubs competed in warm-up matches over the weekend, with the Panthers travelling overseas for the World Club Challenge against Wigan.
Some clubs opted to send out their big guns for pre-season clashes, while others fielded half-strength or reserve grade line-ups for their respective fixtures.
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With plenty of errors creeping in and a lack of quality on the field, Gallen gave a damning assessment during an appearance on Wide World Of Sports radio and believes the season proper can’t come soon enough.
“No, it was horrible – another word for poo … it was terrible,” he said.
“Let’s take out the Indigenous (All Stars) game – they are there for their culture and to promote rugby league, I understand that, they are thrown together for two training sessions.
“But the rest of the games I thought were ordinary. They had a number of players that you don’t know their names and that’s the reason why the quality of the games was really ordinary and I can’t wait for the big guns to come back.
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“I do question the depth of the competition and the gap between first grade and reserve grade. Quite frankly, none of those players on the weekend are up to it.”
The retired Sharks and Origin enforcer went one step further, urging the NRL to scrap the trials altogether.
Gallen says the increased volume and intensity of training sessions, especially during pre-season, make trial games largely redundant.
“I think the days of trial games are over,” Gallen said.
“NRL have tried to incentivise the clubs [with money] … but nobody likes them, coaches don’t like them.
“Players train hard enough these days and they do enough scrimmage sessions throughout the pre-season.
“I don’t see the point these days in risking players – no one wants to play them. I don’t think it’s a necessary evil anymore.”
Dom Young was a high-profile casualty of the first week of official NRL trials, with the Roosters recruit suffering a neck injury against Manly, while Broncos young gun Brendan Piakura limped off with a knee injury.
The crusher tackle on Young will also rule Manly forward Tof Sipley out of going to Las Vegas for round one.
The second week of NRL trials will begin on Friday.
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