Bloated BBL is raising concern
season, barring injury.
It is difficult to imagine him wearing another NRL jersey but the main question around the former skipper is whether he wants to play on.
It is understood the 31-year-old will wait to see how the season unfolds before making a decision and there are several factors that need to be considered.
The tireless back-rower has put his body through an enormous amount of strain during his 280 appearances for the Warriors across 13 seasons.
Then there is the mental toll of carrying the under-performing side through the tumultuous last few years.
No-one has given as much to the club as Mannering and another poor season could prove to be the tipping point.
On the flip side, the arrival of Adam Blair and Tohu Harris should help lessen his workload on the field as well as strengthen the club’s leadership group.
And if the Warriors do show signs of significant improvement it could leave Mannering refreshed to keep going.
There are several examples of players in similar positions playing well into their 30s.
Fellow workhorse Corey Parker was 34 when he retired from the Broncos in 2016, while Paul Gallen is still running around for the Sharks, despite turning 37 in August. Few would doubt Mannering’s ability to do likewise. AS the Big Bash League comes to a close in today’s final when the Adelaide Strikers host the Hobart Hurricanes, there are growing concerns about plans to expand the season by another fortnight.
Fairfax Media has been told broadcasters, players and agents have expressed reservations about more matches being slated when the new broadcast rights agreement begins next summer.
This summer has seen the number of matches increase from 35 to 43, with ratings and attendances slipping. While ratings have still been healthy at about 1 million per night, those involved in the eight-team competition do not want it to reach a tipping point. Host broadcaster Channel Ten has seen an uplift in commercial ratings from 25 to 64-year-olds but the older age group has dipped.
The Melbourne Stars, with only two wins from 10 matches, were seen as drag on ratings and attendances, having been the glamour club throughout the tournament’s first six seasons – despite not claiming a title. That their finals hopes were extinguished early meant they were involved in several dead rubbers, and they attracted less than 20,000 supporters to their final home game last weekend against Hobart.
The Sydney Sixers, another big city team, also had a disappointing season, and have also been seen as a reason why ratings slipped this season. It’s understood the Sydney Thunder, Stars and Hurricanes have had attendances drop by more than 20 per cent.
BBL chiefs have raised the prospect of each team having a 12-game season, even a full 14 home-and-away matches, before semifinals and a final, which could mean powering into midFebruary, a time when the AFL women’s competition has begun, school has resumed and networks are airing major prime-time shows in the ratings period.
League chief Kim McConnie has said scheduling decisions will be based on what fans want, with more assessment to be done.
Ten secured the last BBL broadcast rights deal for A$100 million over five years but this is expected to treble under the new deal, with discussions intensifying with Ten, Channel Nine and other interested parties. But those involved in this season’s campaign have issued a warning. ‘‘Don’t rain on what you have got,’’ one executive said.
Overseas-based coaches and players have also raised concerns about having to remain in Australia for a longer period, for they often leave their families at home. The Age