Some love it. Some hate it. Others don't care. The NRL's controversial wildcard playoff proposal has divided opinion at the Canberra Raiders as players wonder what might have been in previous seasons.
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The Raiders would have been the major beneficiary of a left-field idea to have a playoff between teams who finish seventh and 10th on the ladder, with the winners advancing to the finals.
The Raiders have finished 10th in three of the past four seasons and have played in the finals just once since the end of 2012.
But even Green Machine players are unsure about the proposal that many say will cheapen a spot in the finals because inconsistent teams can be a title contender.
Raiders second-rower Elliott Whitehead described the move as "ridiculous", Josh Hodgson wasn't a fan, Aidan Sezer was intrigued and Sia Soliola was undecided.
"You don’t want to go all season and not to deserve to be there, you want to earn that spot," Whitehead said.
"To finish 10th in a 16-team competition and still have a chance of winning the top thing is ridiculous to me. If that’s the way the NRL thinks the game should go, then that’s up to them. I’ll leave it to the heavy hitters to decide that.
"I don’t know if it’s the best way to go, you work all season to get into that top eight and whoever comes 10th beats you. I don’t know about the idea myself."
Raiders skipper Hodgson added: "Having 10 teams in there makes it a little bit different. If you sat in 10th and the team below you is eight points below you with three games left, then it’s nothing games," Hodgson said.
"Then you’ve got to think, ‘are people going to turn on the telly if it’s a bit of a nothing game?’ You could say that about the top eight and the teams that can’t make it, but you often see they want to unsettle them like we did at the back end of last year with the Roosters and Souths.
"If it’s not broke don’t try to fix it. If it’s going to be entertaining and bring more people to the game and the NRL thinks that’s the way to go, then whatever they choose, the players will buy in. I like the system we’re in at the minute."
The NRL is considering the wildcard move to revive interest in games featuring lower-ranked clubs during the final rounds of the regular season.
The governing body is desperate to keep fans coming through the gates or tuning in on television - but throwing more teams into the equation won't necessarily rid the NRL of dead rubbers.
The Raiders (10th) were five wins behind the eighth-placed New Zealand Warriors last year, but were just two wins short of the top eight in both 2017 and 2015.
"We'd have a chance to play finals over the last couple of years, so I'm for it," Sezer grinned.
"Hopefully we're not in that 10th position this year. If we went back in time it would be nice, and it's interesting. We always talk about entertaining fans, I think 'why not?'
"They change rules every year, why not throw it in and give an extra couple of teams a chance to win a comp. That would be intriguing for fans. There has to be valid and logical reasons."
The Raiders are hoping to force their way back into the playoffs this year for the first time since 2016.
They want to be entrenched in the top eight, like they were when they finished second three years ago, rather than scrapping for late finals inclusion. The Raiders have finished in the top five just twice since 2001.
"I like the finals how they are because the top eight rewards consistency. If you're giving out wildcards, it sort of defeats the purpose of playing really, really well throughout the season," Soliola said.
"It's definitely worth a discussion at something to explore. But we've only just changed the finals structure ... so leave it now. Keep it simple, there's a lot to look forward to anyway."
NRL ROUND ONE
March 17: Gold Coast Titans v Canberra Raiders at Gold Coast, 6.10pm. TV time: Live on Fox Sports.
