Origin Concept that could benefit the game as a whole

[titoelcolombiano]

How good was the passion on display in the Pacific Tests yesterday? It is a passion that can only come about from a great and genuine rivalry. It got me thinking, the NRL seems to be moving towards an eventual and inevitable stand-alone weekend for Origin. What if this were three weekends in a row and were sanctioned RLIF international dates that could be used to foster the rivalries that exist in our game. Australia wouldn't want to play anyway which is no problem because as I said they will be playing state of origin in those three weeks but it allows for a three week window in which all professional players are not playing and therefore available for rep duties.

3 game series between:
Tonga & Samoa
PNG & Fiji
England & New Zealand
France & Wales
USA & Canada

This is just to name a few. This could be in addition to the end of season rep window that exists now. It would mean all nations that take part would have three mid-season tests and at least a few more at the end of the season also. I know there will be the usual ''injuries'' but on the whole most players will play and most will want to play to keep match fitness up over that three week period. Plus with all club matches suspended most nations will have a fair bit of depth to choose from anyway.

 

[Foreign Legion]

Looks good... ireland v scotland

 

[BuderusIsaBeast]

I agree that this looks great. Could turn into International weeks where no club footy in NRL or Super League similar to the International break in soccer. Although I can't see England or NZ players wanting to travel across the world mid season (even after what Hull did) so I would suggest NZ vs Samoa and Cook Islands can come in against Tonga. Whilst England can play in the Northern hemisphere. I would prefer if the countries who played each other swapped from year to year. So Fiji could play a 3 game series against PNG and the next year againts Tonga etc

 

[siv]

I beleive 2 rep fortnights in season one in mid May one in late June

This allows teams to travel

Play CvC and 3 SOO matches also at this time

This allows 4N series without Australia can be arranged also

 

[deluded pom?]

Some clubs struggled to release players for one weekend, imagine their reaction to three weekends? Unless their players were involved in Origin of course.

 

[flamin]

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...-citycountry-set-for-axe-20160508-gop2mb.html
The Pacific Test is expected to be moved to a stand-alone State of Origin weekend and City-Country scrapped when the NRL's new broadcast deal begins in 2018, while the eligibility rules for island nations are likely to be reviewed after the success of this weekend's representative round.

With the mid-season Anzac Test axed to enable a shorter 25-round competition in 2018, there were concerns at Pirtek Stadium after Saturday night's Samoa-Tonga and PNG-Fiji double-header about the future of the Pacific Test but Fairfax Media understands the fixture will shift to the stand alone weekend for the second State of Origin match.

 

[Foreign Legion]

Nz v england should be at least a 2 match test

 

[roughyedspud]

Lets get one game on the fixtures before we start whinging it should be 2

 

[RedVee]

Vossy was spruiking a NZ Samoa Tonga Tri series over 3 State of Origin periods.
He then said something along the lines of - at the end the Kiwis could picking a Test team from these games. Most of the Samoa Tonga players are born in NZ anyway.

I was a bit stunned so I may have it a little wrong. But it sounded like he was relegating the PI teams to feeders for the Kiwis; about 100% off from what we need IMO. Play the games fine, but as full Test matches between Nations.

 

[Perth Red]

PI tests were great. I'd like to see them p,at a three match series
Tonga v Samoa in Oz then each host a game
Same for Fiji v PNG

Then following year swap opponents. They could do this in the three years between world cups seed in for RLWC rankings based on these series
Drop the 4 nations back to a tri nations

 

[siv]

Increase the 4N to 6N but play it post season

 

[siv]

Some clubs struggled to release players for one weekend, imagine their reaction to three weekends? Unless their players were involved in Origin of course.

Club v Country

An age old argument

Just enforce a club match ban, even if they fail to pass a fitness test

 

[flamin]

Seems the Kiwis are looking to play one of the Pacific Islands during the rep window from 2018.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/league/news/article.cfm?c_id=79&objectid=11635542

"We are pushing for a home-and-away series at the end of each year and we are getting pretty close to that," acting NZRL chief executive Alex Hayton said. "Australia are looking at an extended international window after the NRL season and we have received some commitments on that. We will also still play a mid-year test, it just won't be against Australia. It will be with one of the Pacific nations."

 

[adamkungl]

I think we need to be playing about 12 weeks of internationals per year.

The NRL should drop 4 games off it's season for this reason, among many other reasons.

My question is where do you slot those games. 3 main options are

a) 4 weeks spread throughout the club season, 8 weeks post-season
PROs
-Small interruptions to club season
-Played during the sport's peak interest period
CONS
-Many interruptions to club season

b) 4 weeks mid season break, similar to Super Rugby (my preferred option)
PROs
-Internationals played during the sport's peak interest period
-Allows for increasing rep team form over weeks
-single interruption to club season
CONS
-long interruption to club season, potential for damage to club season

c) 12 weeks post season (dont forget the season ends a month earlier)
PROs
-No interruption to club season
-All internationals played in one continuous period
CONS
-potential for declined interest after club season


Either way, that first 4 weeks would look something like this

WEEK 1
Fri Origin 1
Sat PNG v Fiji - Samoa v Tonga

WEEK 2
Fri Origin 2
Sat NZ v Eng 1
Sun PNG v Samoa - Tonga v Fiji

WEEK 3
Fri Samoa v Fiji
Sat NZ v Eng 2
Sun PNG v Tonga

WEEK 4
Fri Origin 3
Sat NZ v Eng 3
Sun Pacific 4N Final

This is obviously from a largely Southern Hemisphere perspective - if SL was on board we could see European tests in this period too.

The next 8 weeks would alternate between tours, 4N series' and World Cups depending on the year.