State of Origin shouldn't be changed, warns ARLC chairman John Grant
Date
July 10, 2015 - 8:08PM
Adrian Proszenko
Chief Rugby League Reporter
NRL chairman John Grant has warned of the dangers of tinkering with State of Origin as powerbrokers consider the impact of the next broadcast rights deal on rugby league's marquee event.
The governing body is weighing-up whether to sell off the interstate series to TV networks as a separate entity at a time when new executive appointment Shane Richardson determines its place in the league schedule.
Global Media and Sports boss Colin Smith, who worked for the NRL on the last TV deal, believes the next league agreement could be worth up to $2 billion. By his estimation, Origin could account for up to 25 per cent of that revenue – meaning each interstate game could be worth up to $416,000 a minute.
At the same time, clubs are concerned about the toll Origin is taking on its marquee players while there are also fears the series results in a lack of interest in the competition proper.
Bulldogs coach Des Hasler, whose club provided five NSW players for game III, addressed the burnout issue again on Friday. The premiership-winning coach said the recovery process was harder than ever given the physical and mental demands on those participating.
"You look at how the game has changed, both at a club level and origin level - it is just the intensity of the games has increased enormously," Hasler said. "That's the cry, that I gather, from the clubs and the players, that they are asking be addressed. To [play] on Wednesday and back up on Friday, to back up Saturday. It's a toll on the players and probably not a fair one. That's something they have to work through."
Wayne Bennett has floated the prospect of 10-day breaks for Origin, which would result in one of the fixtures being played on a weekend. Roosters coach Trent Robinson, who is also on the NRL's competition committee, backed the proposal and said it was time to put player welfare before financial and broadcasting demands.
Grant said the ARLC was aware of all the viewpoints and that decisions would be made in the best interests of the game. However, he said all stakeholders must tread cautiously to ensure changes didn't adversely affect the game's flagship product.
"You have to be careful about mucking around with things," Grant said. "When you think about our broadcast rights compared to other sports broadcast rights, it is the unique difference. It has been a franchise that has been built up since 1980. It is fantastic so you have to be very careful with it. We know what it is worth to the broadcasters. The advertising bucks behind this and the brand value behind this is enormous. So you can expect us to leverage it and maximise the returns we can get from it."
Grant said the current broadcast rights deal limited the scope any meaningful scheduling changes until its expiration.
"The best indicator of the future is how things have done in the past," Grant said. "If you just think of it as a football property, it has been an appreciating property since 1980. You keep saying to yourself, 'Can this keep going, can this keep going, can this keep going?' And it does. The players live up to everyone's expectations …If we come up with a decision to change State of Origin than we will, because there will be good reason for it."
