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Rugby League

Wigan propose reduction in games

26/01/2007

Wigan Warriors have announced that they will put forward a proposal for a reduction in the number of Super League games played each year.

The Warriors want to return to the traditional home and away format which would mean halving the number of games currently played each season.

Wigan chairman Maurice Lindsay said: "It is not fair on the supporters who have complained this year about the fact that their team are playing another team four times."

Lindsay believes that playing sides four times a year decreases the intensity of the traditional rivalries within the game and that fans become less interested as a result.

He also feels that the proposal would benefit the players, who the Wigan chairman thinks are suffering from burnout due to the number of fixtures they are expected to play.

Lindsay said: "More than anything we need to protect the players, particularly if we want them to perform at the highest level when they play international fixtures."

Wigan want to set their plan in motion now so it will be ready for the start of the 2008 season.

Although Lindsay accepted that the likely drop in revenue would inevitably not appeal to all of the other Super League clubs he argued that it would benefit the quality of the games played.

The club's head coach, Brian Noble, welcomed the plan: "It has long been the view of many coaches in the game that we are overstretching our playing resources, particularly with the stringent salary cap rules in place."

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