Controversial: Origin needs to adapt to reflect a changing NRL - or die a slow death...

[Canard]

Why not keep SOO as it is
Give the entire league the week off and supplement it with other international rivalries

Concurrently to NSW vs QLD, you have the following 3 game series:

Nz vs England (if you can get the English to agree)
Samoa vs Tonga
PNG vs Fiji
Australia indigenous vs NZ Māori

5 games across Friday - Sunday
Chuck in u19’s SOO series for an extra game if you want

We basically had this and it was great.

Unfortunately TV and media deathrode it ever year it was on, and it was scrapped never to return.

I feel it peaked years ago and it thrives off reputation rather than the quality of games for quite some time now.
The changing make up of players means the best player in each position isn’t automatically from NSW or QLD however some are ‘persuaded’ to play origin anyway to the detriment of the international game.

The current eligibility rules mean that no-one arriving in Australia over the age of 13 can play Origin.

Origin has never been about the "best players", often it's about lesser players rising to the occasion.

 

[Matiunz]

The current eligibility rules mean that no-one arriving in Australia over the age of 13 can play Origin.

Origin has never been about the "best players", often it's about lesser players rising to the occasion.

Even with the current eligibility rules there’s plenty of NZ eligible players that will get persuaded with the extra paycheque that origin brings. With the current rules this pretty much only negatively effects NZ with those players who may have been eligible for NZ instead now able to align with a PI team through heritage and still play origin.

Yes on your second point but you could argue it’s marketed as the pinnacle of the sport which implies the best players.
With the changing make up of players the idea of a NSWelshman or Queenslander is is also diluted more and more

 

[SLRBRONCOS]

Personally I loooooooove SOO. But I’d love for it to be three weeks at the end of the season. Absolutely loved the 2020 series

 

[siv]

Victoria should play SOO

 

[Valheru]

Why not keep SOO as it is
Give the entire league the week off and supplement it with other international rivalries

Concurrently to NSW vs QLD, you have the following 3 game series:

Nz vs England (if you can get the English to agree)
Samoa vs Tonga
PNG vs Fiji
Australia indigenous vs NZ Māori

5 games across Friday - Sunday
Chuck in u19’s SOO series for an extra game if you want

This

x3

A 3 week break in the middle of the season for all of the above. Could make it a quad series between Samoa/Tonaga/PNG/Fiji. Add in some Women's SOO and internationals and you have full weekends for the broadcasters

 

[Valheru]

Personally I loooooooove SOO. But I’d love for it to be three weeks at the end of the season. Absolutely loved the 2020 series

I liked it too but unfortunately it didn't rate well (comparatively speaking) for whatever reason and if you did have it end of season then it really would impinge on the International game as it solely relies on that October-December window.

 

[Frailty]

Origin is clearly one of the biggest events of the Australia Sporting Calendar that it amongst the highest viewership's of the year. It's an event other codes have tried to mimic unsuccessfully and has other states bidding to host a game.

We should always look to tweak eligibility rules in the future, but changing it altogether is absurd.

 

[Canard]

Origin is clearly one of the biggest events of the Australia Sporting Calendar that it amongst the highest viewership's of the year. It's an event other codes have tried to mimic unsuccessfully and has other states bidding to host a game.

We should always look to tweak eligibility rules in the future, but changing it altogether is absurd.

It would be like killing the Melbourne Cup to ensure that the Ballarat Cup gets more attendance.

 

[Captain Apollo]

Origin "works" because of the chip on the shoulder mentality of Queensland which goes back to the 1960s-1970s era when the QRL clubs were constantly raided by NSWRL clubs as they could not pay them as much due to poker machines being banned in Qld, which limited the QRL clubs revenue raising ability.

Whilst things have changed, its that intense dislike between the two states that makes it work.

The 1997 Super League Tri-Series was overall a flop. Its been quoted what players like Laurie Daley said, it just didn't feel like a NSW game. If you bring in other groups, be it nations (e.g. NZ) or other states (e.g. Victoria) you don't have that history to tap into and work with.

If you doubt me, look at the AFL State of Origin series, it started to die the moment they brought in the "Alliance" team (which was all the other states and territories outside of Vic and SA) as no one cared about that team at all. It only took a few years and the AFL State of Origin series was literally dead.

As to expanding the eligibility to include players from outside the current Australian rugby league pathways, you just wind up turning it into a glorified all stars game. For mine, that is what Test football is for, international teams.

 

[mozza91]

Personally I loooooooove SOO. But I’d love for it to be three weeks at the end of the season. Absolutely loved the 2020 series

It just makes sense. Why f**k up 10 weeks of your regular season when you can do it after the GF? Surely the bad ratings had more to do with the mediocre QLD side (who still managed to beat our rabble) than when it was on?

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

As to expanding the eligibility to include players from outside the current Australian rugby league pathways, you just wind up turning it into a glorified all stars game. For mine, that is what Test football is for, international teams.

Agree, and as a NZer I don't want Kiwis playing Origin. IMO it'd dilute what makes it special.

I know its got a slightly different vibe these days but the parochialism amongst players is still very evident and I don't think anyone outside of NSW or QLD could ever manufacture that within themselves.

Even Brandon Smith, during a rare moment of lucidity, said something similar recently.

I'd like to see it remain exactly as is, but the scheduling changed. The idea of a 3 week rep break for Origin and test matches would be brilliant.

 

[Haffa]

Origin "works" because of the chip on the shoulder mentality of Queensland which goes back to the 1960s-1970s era when the QRL clubs were constantly raided by NSWRL clubs as they could not pay them as much due to poker machines being banned in Qld, which limited the QRL clubs revenue raising ability.

If you read Jack Gallaway's book it goes back to the 1920's where QLD won five straight but barely got a look in when it came to Roos selections.

 

[Desert Qlder]

Anyone that wants a Pommie or Kiwi to play Origin is f**king cracked in the head.

 

[Steel Saints]

I'd prefer SOO been played after the GF and have Test football mid season. With Test football there's multiple teams, which equates to multiple games. Therefore you can stop the comp for three weeks.

Unfortunately with SOO, it is only one game. Not enough content. That's why the comp still continues, but without the Origin players.

Origin ratings weren't great when it was scheduled after the GF in 2020. But do we judge it after one series? Plus the 2020 GF was held much later in late October,

 

[flippikat]

Here's an idea for Origin time.

Knock-out cup for 2nd tier, starting a couple of weeks before Origin.

Get NSW & Queensland Cup both to 16 team competitions.

Week 1 - 16 games - all NSW V Queensland Cup teams (all games being crossovers)

Week 2 - 8 games

Week 3 - 4 games - quarter finals

Week 4 - 2 games - semifinals

Week 5 - the final. Play it as a curtain-raiser to Origin 3 (maybe knockout Cup, women's origin game, men's game 3 as a triple header on a Sunday?)

The week 2, 3 and 4 games can help fill TV spots when the NRL itself has byes - and in fact week 2 of the knockout cup the NRL could even have a full weekend off.

 

[siv]

Origin should be played on Tuesday night

 

[shadowformz]

Maybe the arlc has seen the same writing on the wall and finally realised international RL should be the pinnacle of the game?

I , I think a three game Australia v New Zealand test series will eventually eclipse origin as the Pinnacle of Rugby League.

 

[Diesel]

I’m sure pre-SL, there were 2 weeks between origins. It should be over within a month, now it’s pretty much 7-8 rounds that are affected. It also seems to drag as the origin talk starts at round 1

 

[blue bags]

This

x3

A 3 week break in the middle of the season for all of the above. Could make it a quad series between Samoa/Tonaga/PNG/Fiji. Add in some Women's SOO and internationals and you have full weekends for the broadcasters

Could have the indigenous state of Origin
Koories vs Murray's
Queensland V's New South Wales
And add NZ Maoris. Tri series origin
Like superleague had the tri series origin
NSW. Queensland. NZ

 

[blue bags]

Origin "works" because of the chip on the shoulder mentality of Queensland which goes back to the 1960s-1970s era when the QRL clubs were constantly raided by NSWRL clubs as they could not pay them as much due to poker machines being banned in Qld, which limited the QRL clubs revenue raising ability.

Whilst things have changed, its that intense dislike between the two states that makes it work.

The 1997 Super League Tri-Series was overall a flop. Its been quoted what players like Laurie Daley said, it just didn't feel like a NSW game. If you bring in other groups, be it nations (e.g. NZ) or other states (e.g. Victoria) you don't have that history to tap into and work with.

If you doubt me, look at the AFL State of Origin series, it started to die the moment they brought in the "Alliance" team (which was all the other states and territories outside of Vic and SA) as no one cared about that team at all. It only took a few years and the AFL State of Origin series was literally dead.

As to expanding the eligibility to include players from outside the current Australian rugby league pathways, you just wind up turning it into a glorified all stars game. For mine, that is what Test football is for, international teams.

Allie's team