Is State of Origin hindering NRL expansion?

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

Maybe get rid of International Rugby League and replace it with State of Origin between N.S.W.,QLD,New Zealand and Pacific Islands.
Maybe a strong England could tour every 10 years against those sides above as well as an Australian team.

:lol:

 

[Count Tackle]

I think there is some truth in what the OP is suggesting. Although SOO is a marquee showcase event for the game (very important, and marketable outside NSW and Qld) by its very nature it confirms that in real terms rugby league is a game from 2 states (at least in the perception of those who know it no deeper than that). So it is a bit of a wonderful strength, but in some terms a weakness (in expansion/relevance to other states/markets etc). Of course it is one of the major highlights, if not the highlight of the league season (I wonder if sometimes it seems to those outside of club interest/affiliation, i.e. casual SOO watchers from states outside NSW/Qld, that SOO is of greater importance than the NRL premiership). I think particularly in Melbourne, that is slowly building a league culture, the point is always confirmed come SOO time when the Storm's "home town" boys run around for Qld and NSW. Not sure it's a situation that can easily/readily/quickly change.

 

[Doug2234]

I hope one day to see a Vic v WA undercard game as well.

Hell yeah. We pay double for attending SoO then an NRL game why not get the same amount of games shown at SoO as NRL...

 

[Doug2234]

Bit off topic, but isn't Jeremy Smith the only Melbourne juniour (i.e. from Melbourne, not the storm) in the NRL?

Heard it somewhere but haven't had it confirmed.

He was born in NZ but played a lot of junior football for Altona Roosters in Melbourne.

I believe the Storm found him somewhere in QLD but so i dont know if he is technically a Melb junior or not....

 

[gronkathon]

Bring back the Bounty Cup

 

[The Engineers Room]

They could have a three way comp where the winner of the previous year waits for a two match series then plays the winner in a three match series.

If the two match series is tied the winner is the runner up of the year before.

Or if you don't want extra games a 2nd v 3rd playoff then a 2/3 match series as normal.

I like the barbarians as the third team.

 

[LESStar58]

I had some thoughts about this at work today. I mean it's difficult for many NSW/QLD'ers to get an idea of, (me included) but this fight over rights to be called "rugby league homeland"... I can't help but wonder... as it is only between 2 states, wouldn't the others naturally feel somewhat left out of the "ingroup".

- If SOO never existed would expansion be easier?
- If we had outright proof that canning the SOO would dramatically increase interest in rugby league from all states (yes... including Tasmania) would you support that move?
- Is this a major waste of the 20 seconds it took you to read this and the 2 minutes it took me to write?

What say people from outside NSW and QLD?

If anything Origin potentially gets folks interested in rugby league seeing as its the only kind of football beamed into the frontier states reguarly. If enough people show interest in Origin then that can be a catalyst for the NRL taking promo games to Perth (well that was a club decision more than anything) and Origin and or tests to other states.

 

[Jason Maher]

I definitely like the Barbarians concept, and I'm sure the players not elligible for either NSW or Qld would love a shot at being able to participate in Origin (alternatively, they could just do what they've done in the past and play for Qld). Some may poo-poo the idea and say we're not ready yet, but I think we should definitely be thinking about it. Perhaps an idea is a 3-way round-robin of undercard matches featuring the Barbarians, NSW B, and Qld B (or maybe NSW and Qld under 23s, picked from players with NRL experience but who haven't played Origin yet).

 

[Styles clash]

Probably

 

[titoelcolombiano]

No it doesn't hinder, it in fact helps interest in non RL states, just like Real Madrid v Barcelona (and other rivalry or derby games) helps La Liga and soccer in general around the globe. You don't have to be from either place to be invested in one side of the rivalry or just enjoy the spectacle as a neutral.

 

[THE CHAMP]

i think it would be cool to see a 3rd side introduced as someone said like a barbarians concept. it would mean that kiwis, the english and players being brought up in states other than nsw and qld could play origin. have a 3 game round robin and a final. gives broadcasters an extra game while players would still only play 3 rep games each.

the only thing is that the "barbarians" matches wouldnt have the feeling of the nsw v qld game, and i dont know if there is even the potential to build it up to that kind of level no matter how good their team is. i cant see me hating anyone more than queenslanders in my lifetime .

Haha the feeling is mutual skanky

 

[Danish]

State of origin hurt the international for a long time by poaching players who’d prefer to play for another into a kangaroos jersey just so they could enter the origin arena.

thankfully a few of the Polynesian players turned that trend around.

The only issue it causes now is an enormous weight around the neck of every NRL season where no one in the media can talk about anything else for 8-9 weeks. It grows a bit tiresome.

If they could limit it to the same schedule they established for covid - 3 games in 3 weeks - but maybe place it in the middle of the season on 3 recurring Wednesdays with pacific island tests running on the weekends that’d be ideal.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

If they could limit it to the same schedule they established for covid - 3 games in 3 weeks - but maybe place it in the middle of the season on 3 recurring Wednesdays with pacific island tests running on the weekends that’d be ideal.

This is the way
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[grobbelaar]

I would say yes.

 

[Jamberoo]

Don’t mess with SOO. You risk killing the goose that lays one of RLs very few golden eggs.
There are only 15 clubs in Victoria, not sure how many in the rest of Australia combined (outside NSW & QLD), but it would be ridiculous to suggest that any other team should or could compete against NSW & QLD.
It is good for the game overall in that in bring cash and media attention. As I don’t have a team playing, I have very little interest compared to watching Melbourne Storm, or the NRL finals.
So, perhaps it is holding back expansion into the AFL states, but is it good for the game. a definite YES.

 

[10$ Ferret]

I know this is not a popular opinion and I am not saying this to wind anyone up, but NRL expansion is overrated.
RL expansion is a good thing but you can't keep promoting it to the detriment of the existing participants of the game

 

[mongoose]

It's a double edged sword I suppose. I think Origin definitely hinders any motivation for the NRL to expand into AFL states. The AFL on the other hand probably had to aggressively expand into NSW and QLD as they are the number 1 & 3 states in the country. QLD alone has virtually the same population as WA, SA , NT and TAS combined.

 

[cumbrian Mackem]

I hate SOO and would much prefer to see a return of the 3 test trans-Tasman series which is criminally overlooked especially with the NZ team being the strongest it’s ever been in terms of player depth.

I would however accept cutting it from an annual 3 game series to a 1 off game which would allow a bigger window of international RL.

 

[Travitoh]

SOO is a great tool for expansion. It's an elite contest that showcases the best of what RL has to offer. AFL people are desperate for anything similar.

What holds back NRL expansion is the NRL and it's conservative approach.

 

[Quicksilver]

Why not put Victoria vs South Australia Origin on as the early game of the TV coverage?