Origins a drag on the Comp

[taste2taste]

Tonight’s dogs v bris game would have been a ripper.

shame all the best players aren’t playing.

 

[taste2taste]

Effectively forcing players to choose between NSW/Qld or Tonga/Samoa would only do damage to the international game.

While the payments for origin are 10x higher than international no one’s picking Samoa or Tonga.

if we have a Sam v Tonga series during an origin break where’s the appeal with the 10 best players missing ?

 

[newc18]

Tonight’s dogs v bris game would have been a ripper.

shame all the best players aren’t playing.

100% agree. It would have been a must watch game if both teams were at full strength.

At least I have the NRLW to watch this weekend.

 

[Wb1234]

$$$$$.

Gotta wait for more teams to be introduced. We will cut rounds but probably not until team 20 I think.

They might try for 2 less rounds in the new tv deal

Depends on how the bidding goes

 

[MKCS]

Effectively forcing players to choose between NSW/Qld or Tonga/Samoa would only do damage to the international game.

This is an entirely different discussion but personally I'd be in favour of making them choose if there were annual representative rounds and more games being played, it'd be weird if Samoa for example were in a World Cup qualifier the day before Origin and then someone who wants to play for Samoa in that very tournament is already playing for NSW or QLD in Origin.

Right now the rules make sense because Samoa has only played twice since the 2022 World Cup but if they're playing 6-8 games a year then it no longer makes sense really and key players should have to make a choice, this helps grow international rugby league also because Samoa for example may get Luai or Crichton exclusively to their nation.

Worst case scenario you allow the Samoan and Tongan national team players to play Origin and pick a side without them. Tonga wouldn't be impacted that much and Samoa I'm sure could find 3-4 replacements for their Origin players and still remain competitive. I wouldn't be for this idea so much but if it gets the idea over the line then go for it.

 

[Captain Apollo]

That happens when Laurie Daley is coach. It’s crazy the difference between him as a player and as a coach.

It's very rare for great players, in any sport, to wind up becoming great coaches in that sport. More often than not, they wind up being poor coaches.

 

[Desert Qlder]

North Queensland just sold out their game this weekend.

Not being a supporter of one of the fickle clubs with bandwagon-style fanbases, I don't have a problem with Origin.

 

[Wb1234]

It's very rare for great players, in any sport, to wind up becoming great coaches in that sport. More often than not, they wind up being poor coaches.

Best coaches like Bellamy and Bennett were averagish players.

Fulton was one of the few great players and coaches

 

[Vlad59]

100% agree. It would have been a must watch game if both teams were at full strength.

At least I have the NRLW to watch this weekend.

Yep. You’ve already complained about it. It’s what you do best.

 

[Bazal]

I do think this thread shows, again, a major issue with the NRL.

A large portion of the fanbase are completely change averse. Even talking about potential ways to improve both Origin and the NRL season proper generate howls of derision or just straight up resistance.

Origin hasn't evolved with the rest of the NRL, except to devolve further into a teledrama, and it risks becoming a sideshow. TV audiences only matter as far as they matter, what else is there to watch on a Wednesday night for a footy fan?

 

[The Axe of Druss]

I do think this thread shows, again, a major issue with the NRL.

A large portion of the fanbase are completely change averse. Even talking about potential ways to improve both Origin and the NRL season proper generate howls of derision or just straight up resistance.

Origin hasn't evolved with the rest of the NRL, except to devolve further into a teledrama, and it risks becoming a sideshow. TV audiences only matter as far as they matter, what else is there to watch on a Wednesday night for a footy fan?

You think millions tune in because there is nothing better to watch/do on a Wed night?

Thats very very reductive

FTR, if a viable alternative were to be presented I doubt many would have a problem with tweaking the format or timing etc. However most "solutions" presented tend to then create more issues than they solve when it comes to Origin

 

[Bazal]

You think millions tune in because there is nothing better to watch/do on a Wed night?

Thats very very reductive

FTR, if a viable alternative were to be presented I doubt many would have a problem with tweaking the format or timing etc. However most "solutions" presented tend to then create more issues than they solve when it comes to Origin

I'm not sure why you would consider I believe that's the only reason. But it's definitely a factor, and it's a factor in why viewing numbers stay high even when the game sucks. I think it's pretty reasonable to say that numbers will remain high even if the quality continues to drop because footy fans are in the habit of watching Origin.

It's not so much that it's the reason they watch now, as it is what's going to take them away from watching if the way it's scheduled is changed a bit?

I don't think anyone in this thread has called for it to be scrapped or even moved anyway, but one of the immediate responses was but but the TV numbers and I don't think it's as valid a point as some others seem to.

 

[Chins]

I'm not sure why you would consider I believe that's the only reason. But it's definitely a factor, and it's a factor in why viewing numbers stay high even when the game sucks. I think it's pretty reasonable to say that numbers will remain high even if the quality continues to drop because footy fans are in the habit of watching Origin.

It's not so much that it's the reason they watch now, as it is what's going to take them away from watching if the way it's scheduled is changed a bit?

I don't think anyone in this thread has called for it to be scrapped or even moved anyway, but one of the immediate responses was but but the TV numbers and I don't think it's as valid a point as some others seem to.

I have called for it to die but I want a slow natural death where it just becomes less and less relevant.

 

[Desert Qlder]

Noisy minority thread.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Right now the rules make sense because Samoa has only played twice since the 2022 World Cup

Samoa has played the 2023 Pacific Championships and toured England since the 2022 World Cup, 4 tests in total.

They'll play another three minimum this year as part of the 2025 Pacific Championships.

 

[Munky]

The NRL will soon have clubs in four states and two other countries.

If in twenty years the 'Pinnacle' of the sport is a provincial three game exhibition the expansion efforts failed.

 

[Chins]

The NRL will soon have clubs in four states and two other countries.

If in twenty years the 'Pinnacle' of the sport is a provincial three game exhibition the expansion efforts failed.

This guys gets it

 

[Gobsmacked]

While the payments for origin are 10x higher than international no one’s picking Samoa or Tonga.

if we have a Sam v Tonga series during an origin break where’s the appeal with the 10 best players missing ?

I think it would be good to have the Tongan and Samoa boys snub Origin for their nation. Representing your country should be the pinnacle of our sport anyway. The players who are left playing Origin will be elevated in status and experience, raising their profile.

We don't want to say the best players play in 2 teams QLD and NSW, we want our best players sprinkled throughout PNG, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, England, NZ ,France and of course Australia where you'll find the battle of the best we have in State of Origin.

 

[Gobsmacked]

The NRL will soon have clubs in four states and two other countries.

If in twenty years the 'Pinnacle' of the sport is a provincial three game exhibition the expansion efforts failed.

That's right. The hope is that Rugby league growth goes far beyond NSW and QLD

 

[Canard]

As some others have pitched I'd love to see a three week representative period. It seems to be the best of both worlds as the fans of international rugby league feel like there should be more games played throughout the year and it'd fix teams being disadvantaged by Origin.

For example if this weekend we had something like this all in Sydney how much more exciting would it be?

Thursday - Cook Islands Vs Lebanon

Friday - Fiji Vs Samoa, Australia Prime Ministers XIII (Featuring the best players not picked for Origin) Vs Papua New Guinea

Saturday - U19 Origin followed by Women's Origin followed by Men's Origin.

Sunday: New Zealand Vs Tonga

---

These games don't just need to be international friendlies, you could have tournaments or World Cup qualifiers during this time and it'd be a great attraction for NRL fans as not only do you have the incentive of going to Origin but you also have all these big star players playing in the supporting games.

From a business standpoint it's more games to sell to local government and TV networks, the fans are happy and the players get to keep busy and represent something aside from their club during this time period also.

You would still have 80% of the comp not playing.

Clubs aren't going for that.