Alan Tongue calls for NRL innovation as Canberra Raiders retain earned points

Raiders players and fans let out a sigh of relief on Tuesday when the NRL aborted plans to strip teams of wins and losses from the first two games as one option to restarting the new-look season.

The Raiders won their first two games of the year for just the second time in 15 years before the season was postponed. Raiders forward Sia Soliola was relieved to hear Canberra wouldn't be punished after winning the first two games.

The theoretical resetting of the ladder was tabled as a way to start the season on a clean-slate, with the committee to consider splitting the competition into two conferences.

Tongue, who played 220 NRL games for the Raiders, says the league should use this season as an opportunity to experiment with unconventional rules and formats.

"There's ways we can use this season as it's not a traditional year. We can look at it as a playing solace, let's try some things we always throw about," Tongue said.

"We throw out ideas every now and then about how we might go about things, whether it be a conference system, players being on loan to another club for a period of time, or shortening the game.

"Could you half the game but have more points for certain styles of tries? Give rewards to teams who hold the footy? Bring back one referee, or go back to an unlimited interchange?

"There's always going to be an asterisk against the winning side this season, so why not just use it as an opportunity to play around with the rules? Let's grow as a game from it and be better for it."

The NRL is waiting to see what Wayne Pearce's innovation committee comes up with when they meet on Thursday.

They were initially set to consider set to scrapping the first two rounds and adopting a new conference format, but Pearce backtracked on the idea following a conversation with Peter V'landys on Tuesday morning.

The Raiders beat the Gold Coast Titans and the New Zealand Warriors before all play was suspended, leaving them as one of a handful teams unbeaten after two rounds.

They've won two games in a row to start a season just twice since 2005, going back to back in 2016 and this year.

But they haven't won three in a row since 2005, and have only managed the early-season hat-trick three times in the past 20 years.

Tongue says teams should be rewarded for their first two performances given how hard they worked in the pre-season to start strong.

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"The teams who put their best foot forward in those opening two rounds should be rewarded," Tongue said.

"I understand that when we get into the next part of the scenario it could be a whole new system, but how do you try to get that balance right?

"The Raiders have done well out of those first couple of wins, they would not have been completely happy with those performances but they were doing enough to get the two points and worked hard for eachother.

"The Brisbane Broncos have a pretty young squad and worked hard to get off to a good start. Then the Melbourne Storm always get off to a good start each year.

"There's merit in rewarding those clubs for those starts, but how it looks in the whole scheme of things I wouldn't have a clue."

Players are training in isolation and are waiting on the NRL's decision for the starting date and format of the competition. Raiders prop Soliola has backed the league's decision to uphold the results considering the hard work they put in.

"We did work for them and like in any industry or organisation, it would be pretty tough to work so hard but not get paid for it," Soliola said.

"I couldn't see any other club disagreeing with that decision as well. Particularly over the last decade four points is a lot for teams, especially when it comes to the back end of the season fighting for that eighth spot.

"We have done the work and I think it's the right decision that it still stands, albeit everything sort of depends on when we return.

"If we start later with minimum rounds, that would play a big part and I can understand why they would try to start from scratch. It's a catch 22 but I'm really happy with the decision they've made."