Channel Nine plans to simulcast five Saturday night matches in the closing rounds of the National Rugby League season each year in the next broadcast cycle, "but could again miss out on the regular season's most pivotal match despite providing wall-to-wall coverage of this year's finals run-in," according to Adam Pengilly of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. Free-to-air viewers will have the ability to watch the NRL on four consecutive days in the last five weeks of the season -- and from '18 onward under the A$1.8B ($1.37B) TV deal -- after the head office released the scheduling for the final six rounds of this year's competition on Monday. But the "potential minor premiership decider between Melbourne and the Roosters could again be a ratings bonanza" for Fox Sports, which will exclusively televise the round 23 clash on a Saturday evening from AAMI Park. Nevertheless, Nine will screen "some crucial matches with finals implications on its rarely used Saturday night timeslot from round 22 which would have ordinarily been restricted" to pay-TV subscribers (SMH, 6/26).