I think that a mid season break would work

[gypsy]

Have said it for a while, have a knockout comp every second weekend, with no NRL. This would include NSW/QLD cup teams and expansion chances...Perth, Adelaide, Singapore etc. 15 rounds of NRL with playing each team once. Like I say, have said a while, get the drums beating and the crowds back people!

I'm quite impressed with an idea for a snappier, shortened spectacle for midweek fixtures. Let's get NRL on each night. Nothing too demanding, perhaps 20 minute games. Worked for cricket after all.

 

[user_nat]

I'd rather just get rid of Origin, but that's never going to happen.

 

[georgesnmith]

bunniesman is actually spot on lol

the minute they stop the NRL for 3 weeks the crowd average will shoot up dramatically

being honest, watching NRL during origin is kind of a chore. especially with players out or even backing up.

one day someone at the ARLC will work it out, they will change it and everyone will realize how bad the current system is.

 

[billypilgrimnz]

Yep, a break is a good idea.

 

[Baron Vo Mandor]

NRL's shit during origin, but if the elite are still playing during that period how will this stop them whinging about playing too many games and such?

 

[Rod]

NRL's shit during origin, but if the elite are still playing during that period how will this stop them whinging about playing too many games and such?

If those players don't like it then they don't have to take the $50k per game or whatever it is they are getting now.

I think about a break of about a month is a great idea. It continues to make a big deal out of Origin without reducing the NRL to a farce where whoever happens to play the Storm and the Broncos on the affected weekends gets a free 2 competition points.

 

[georgesnmith]

NRL's shit during origin, but if the elite are still playing during that period how will this stop them whinging about playing too many games and such?

at least they dont have to back up for club games as they do now

 

[Tigger Madness]

I would love a mid season break but if they were going to do it, it would have been written into the last TV deal. No way it could happen under the current deal without serious compensation to the networks.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

I do support the mid-season break, but id rather see the Origin series played over 5 weeks than 3...

Give each match more of a build up and give teams the opportunity to do supporters events without it effecting the preparation....

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Also, instead of selecting the 17 each week, select a squad of 25(ish) and keep them all together over the origin period. Most of them wont play, but it would provide an extra dozen origin players that arent focused on the game and can do supporters stuff even up to game day.

Then let these blokes stand on the sideline with the bench players and trainers. Theyd be way more animated than the guys waiting to go on, so theyd effectively be cheerleaders and theyd give the sideline a bit of character...

 

[timka4]

I use to be against the mid season break but I think it is something that needs to happen now. Freshens the non origin players up abit, mid season transfer idea is good and for obvious reasons TV and crowds won't be affected.

Plenty of advertising for the return of NRL club matches after the 3 weeks during the actual origin games would be needed to ensure casuals know when the club matches are returning

 

[Slammin]

I like the idea, unsure when it could be first implemented. Would depend on the TV rights contract surely. Also would need to look at how much money clubs stand to lose over that period to consider it's viability.

 

[oikee]

It is not so-much about having faith in the product, it is more to do with opening the front and back doors to other codes.
That is the thing about the Australian landscape. we have 4 codes all ready to pounce, just like spiders when we drop our guards. So you dont want to give them free weekends by not holding any fixtures at all.

You do that and you will have Union playing more internationals in that time, gee whiz, they will probably just introduce Lion tours every year if that be the case, we open a window for them, or in this case the back and front door.
No, the best idea is to improve the scheduling.
I went through this before, yet everyone keeps thinking by holding less games we are better off.

Start Origin on the Monday , ten days later the seond game on the Wednesday, so we have free=air both those games, no other codes play, then the final game 10 days later on the friday, a real blockbuster and more people can attend, so if it is a dead rubber, we will still get a fullhouse, even at ANZ.
The code needs to plan and market the game better, not give free-air to other codes.
They love that, they live for leagues constant mistakes.
We also need to be growing internationals and start allowing players to play for their nations without penalties.
The game will never grow if we keep holding it back.
I would also introduce a Exiles team to play the Kiwis. Play it in Melbourne Perth or NZ.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

re: ^^^^

1. you keep going back and forth between supporting and opposing the idea, which makes it difficut to follow your argument or care about what youre saying. You need to make your statement and stick to it.

2. i dont think spiders pounce....

 

[juro]

I wouldn't mind seeing Origins move to Sundays, played over 3 consecutive weekends. We just need to get other games to be played on the Fridays and Saturdays to give us our regular fix of footy. There are a whole host of games that could be played on these other days too:
- internationals featuring NZ, PNG, Fiji, Samoa, Cook Islands.
- City vs country (maybe even bring it in for Queensland
- WA vs Victoria
- NZ Origin

If the NRL shuts down for a few weeks, it would let clubs release players to play more rep footy, giving more incentive for players to choose to play for these other countries.

And if we could convince Super League to have a similar break, playing games between England, France, Wales, ..., there would be no shortage of league action to be shown.

This could really work, and if it did, rugby league would be so much stronger than it is today.

And if it didn't work, we could always just go back to the current set-up...

 

[JoeD]

2 week break, origin played on 3 consecutive Wednesdays bookended by NRL games on weekend immediately before 1st origin and immediately following last. Week long origin camps are BS. Maybe adjust schedule so no Sunday games week before origin and no Friday games week after.

Or just scrap it all together.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

2 week break, origin played on 3 consecutive Wednesdays bookended by NRL games on weekend immediately before 1st origin and immediately following last. Week long origin camps are BS. Maybe adjust schedule so no Sunday games week before origin and no Friday games week after.

Or just scrap it all together.

Most of your points are bad at best....

But suggesting Origin be scraped proves your opinion is invalid.

 

[Lambretta]

You could improve the whole Origin farce purely by amending the schedule slightly

Origin effects 6 weeks of Rugby League, not 3 as everyone keeps stating

Three weeks the best players are out and on three occasions they back up or have to pull out as they're knackered etc

Play Origin on a FRIDAY and then have a reduced round the same weekend following on the Saturday and Sunday - two games on each day

Scrap the Origin camp week lead up bullshit where players are unavailable.

The week BEFORE Origin a full round is played on Friday and Saturday and then players all go into camp and play the following Friday. Then they go back to their teams for the following week

You could reduce the loading, the pressure on clubs, keep the same number of regular season games and not have whacking great gaps in the calendar where there is one flipping game a week.

It's not f**king rocket science

 

[Lambretta]

Most of your points are bad at best....

But suggesting Origin be scraped proves your opinion is invalid.

Why? Queensland keep f**king winning it and it causes my team to be weakened. Origin is purely there so Queenslanders can feel good about themselves for three weeks of the year. They don't deserve it. Scrap it.

 

[hutch]

I wouldn't mind seeing Origins move to Sundays, played over 3 consecutive weekends. We just need to get other games to be played on the Fridays and Saturdays to give us our regular fix of footy. There are a whole host of games that could be played on these other days too:
- internationals featuring NZ, PNG, Fiji, Samoa, Cook Islands.
- City vs country (maybe even bring it in for Queensland
- WA vs Victoria
- NZ Origin

If the NRL shuts down for a few weeks, it would let clubs release players to play more rep footy, giving more incentive for players to choose to play for these other countries.

And if we could convince Super League to have a similar break, playing games between England, France, Wales, ..., there would be no shortage of league action to be shown.

This could really work, and if it did, rugby league would be so much stronger than it is today.

And if it didn't work, we could always just go back to the current set-up...

This! I've been calling for this for years. It will improve rugby league as a whole. A greatly improved international schedule which helps out nations other than Australia for once, a massive focus on origin which will be over in 3 weeks instead of 3 months and the nrl doesn't suffer during the rep period!

Channel 9 will be happy, Sunday night is the biggest rating night of the week and it will be easier for fans. There are so many positives and very litte negatives!