Peter V’landys has been forced to confirm NRL teams will not be stripped of competition points earned in the first two rounds despite a stunning push from Sydney Roosters boss Nick Politis.
The Australian Rugby League Commission chairman has again confirmed the NRL is not considering taking away competition points as it considers ways to restart the competition next month.
“The points will stand,” V’landys told The Daily Telegraph on Monday.
“There is no way we are taking anyone’s points away. It isn’t even on the table.”
Politis copped plenty of criticism for his renewed call to start the season again, with undefeated Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy saying the Roosters’ chief was “just trying to look after his own club”.
Politis argued all results should be wiped ahead of the planned May 28 resumption to ensure the “integrity” of the game, saying it had nothing to do with the two-time defending premiers’ 0-2 season start.
It’s the second time in a week V’landys has been forced to step in and quash the suggestion points will be stripped from the opening fortnight after it had been floated originally by NRL Innovation Committee head Wayne Pearce.
It caused uproar with fans and clubs, particularly the 10 teams who scored a win over the first two weeks.
“It would be pretty devastating, we obviously started the season pretty good and would have been a bit upsetting to have those points taken away,” Mitch Moses told Fox Sports. The playmaker steered Parramatta to the top of the NRL ladder with two wins.
Even winless Gold Coast believe results for the first two rounds should remain when the NRL resumes this year.
Fellow winless outfits the Warriors and Cronulla have echoed Politis’ controversial call and the last-placed Titans would be forgiven for doing the same.
Titans coach Justin Holbrook’s debut season started with two losses and a whopping -58 points differential.
But on Monday, the cellar dwellers said they couldn’t see the logic in starting the season next month from scratch.
“The results should stand,” Titans executive chairman Dennis Watt told AAP.
“All teams worked hard for those results and they should be very much part of the 2020 season.”