Rep weekend - do you want it back?

[Titanic]

Until Origin, Qld played an annual CvC but called it Brisbane v Country after the Bulimba Cup faded into history ... who could forget the Thiess Toyota Country jerseys? Not having enough Qld players is a ridiculous statement as it was only after 1987 that the majority of Queensland players played in the NSWRL. Bring it back and use eligible for Queensland only QCup players to supplement those from the NRL.

As far as the weekend is concerned, add more internationals and Qld CvC then you get my vote too.

It is the International Rugby League's community that needs to man-up and find innovative ways to re-gain the interest of all those who say they have no interest in the fixtures. Exotic games were great when I was kid because television coverage was sparse but the game has to move forward to keep up with the saturation media we have now.

 

[RUG13Y]

More games!

PNG vs TONGA!

 

[Timbo]

My ideal would be:

Friday:

5.30 - Australia Women vs. NZ Women
7.45 - Australia vs. NZ

Saturday

3pm - NSW U20s vs. Queensland U20s
5.30 - Fiji vs. Samoa
7.30 - Queensland City vs. Queensland Country

Sunday

1pm - Auckland vs. The Rest of NZ
3pm - NSW City vs. NSW Country

With the test and two city/country matches to be telecast live by 9, the remainder on Fox.

 

[The Roth]

No.
It was my most boring weekend without football during a footy season.
City/ Country is a farce.

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

I'd be open to getting rid of City v Country if there was an NRL round dedicated to Country football.

It's 8 games. Surely it could be done. Queensland teams could take matches to Qld country locations.

 

[Big Pete]

The City v Country cops enough criticism as it is, expanding it to Queensland isn't going to fix matters.

Representative Weekend should be scrapped and the ARLC should consider expanding the Origin format to their own stand-alone representative weekends where international & junior football is also showcased.

However, if representative weekend was to be kept around I'd like to see a few changes.

I like the idea of the U/20s Origin game but don't see the sense of it being played outside of the Origin season itself. For mine, the logical game would be Australia v New Zealand U/20s and I believe it'd produce a higher quality game as well.

Another test match featuring the minnow nations would be fun.

As for addressing the Queensland disinterest in the City v Country fixture, how about putting on a Queensland Cup double header?

 

[Version 6]

Where is this second city country game stuff coming from.

There is genuine debate as to the merits of ONE city v country game every year. There's very little to no desire in the market for another one.

If the current calendar continues, we'll need to find some games to fill the rep weekend, but they need to be games that there's going to be at least some appetite for.

 

[betcats]

Does QLD even have the depth for it? Take out the AUS players and factor in injuries and clubs pulling players out and you will end up with another game no one cares about and the QLD one will be a lower quality game then the current CvC most likely.

 

[soc123_au]

I seem to be in the minority, but I enjoyed the weekend. A few more games featuring PNG, & a few more Islander sides would have iced it. Probably asking a bit much, but to get the Poms & Frogs involved would be epic.

I also like City vs Country, it does mean a lot to most of the bush folk. I agree it is not really an Origin trial, but who gives a shit. I reckon most of the guys playing that know they arent a realistic chance at ever playing Origin were happy to have a run. Any rep appointment will see players improve further.

 

[Kurt Angle]

Get the ARLC / NRL to underwrite NZRL wages for Oz-NZ tests.

All 34 players get say $20k for the game, +$10k for the win.

NZ players will start playing for the win.

If we want rep footy to be the pinnacle, we've got to incentivise it to be that way.

It's the perfect time as far as the calendar goes, it can be built up to something bigger and better after Anzac day.

The round feels like a let down because there's 2-3 games on TV, not 8.

Let's build it up to 8 games.

Also, how any RL fans can look at the Fiji-Samoa test and not enjoy it is beyond me.

That was better than any NRL game with 2 bottom 4 sides that aren't my team (so this year, say Sharks vs Raiders) could ever be.

 

[lockyno1]

Nope, although was a good weekend to catch up on sleep though. More important matches this week. Watched more of the other sports this weekend which was okay (tennis, etc)

 

[bondy064]

Friday Aust v NZ. U 20 Aust v NZ

Saturday. Pacific Tests eg. Fiji v Samoa. PNG v Tonga

Sunday. NSW City v Country. Qld Cup v NSW Cup.

Promoting the Woman's game would also be a good option

 

[BuffaloRules]

You need a bigger game for the Sunday than City v Country.... I'm sure that it would be the lowest rating Sunday game of the year by some margin...

I wonder if it was just coincidence that the A- League final was on at the same time?

 

[Timmah]

Like say, Womens all stars before AUS v NZ as played on Friday night? ;-)

 

[madunit]

Just how high do the Sunday Channel 9 games rate anyway?

delayed telecast in this day and age is so antiquated

 

[oikee]

The City v Country cops enough criticism as it is, expanding it to Queensland isn't going to fix matters.

Representative Weekend should be scrapped and the ARLC should consider expanding the Origin format to their own stand-alone representative weekends where international & junior football is also showcased.

However, if representative weekend was to be kept around I'd like to see a few changes.

I like the idea of the U/20s Origin game but don't see the sense of it being played outside of the Origin season itself. For mine, the logical game would be Australia v New Zealand U/20s and I believe it'd produce a higher quality game as well.

Another test match featuring the minnow nations would be fun.

As for addressing the Queensland disinterest in the City v Country fixture, how about putting on a Queensland Cup double header?

Wow, just wow.
Yes to all your ideas. The last one as well if they included the new PNG team who had the bye this weekend i see.

 

[oikee]

Does QLD even have the depth for it? Take out the AUS players and factor in injuries and clubs pulling players out and you will end up with another game no one cares about and the QLD one will be a lower quality game then the current CvC most likely.

Spot on, we dont have the depth. Many dont think about this enough. The game is very weak across the code for depth, and was mentioned why we should be careful expanding at the moment.

 

[oikee]

I seem to be in the minority, but I enjoyed the weekend. A few more games featuring PNG, & a few more Islander sides would have iced it. Probably asking a bit much, but to get the Poms & Frogs involved would be epic.

I also like City vs Country, it does mean a lot to most of the bush folk. I agree it is not really an Origin trial, but who gives a shit. I reckon most of the guys playing that know they arent a realistic chance at ever playing Origin were happy to have a run. Any rep appointment will see players improve further.

Whiting Fifita and Mead all look like Origin material, along with Hoppa.
The game was pretty good quality.

 

[ozenzud]

Scrap the midseason test imo the kiwis never win it anyway. I'd scrap the whole weekend actualy CvC is a dead concept and Samoa V Fiji was an enjoyable game to watch but I only watched cause there were a few panthers involved.

If the Kiwis scrap the mid season test, the NZRl will have to scrap the National Provincial Championship, the National Schools Championship, the NZ Residents tours etc etc.

People, this is how the NZRL makes money to run the local game. NZRL does not ahve the NRL television deal to pump millions into the local game. It has total revenue if around $6 mill. About the same as the ARL commission spend on morning tea at Phillip Street!

The test is IMPORTANT....end of broken record.

BTW, its rated about a million viewers. More than the Bloodyslow series ever achieves, ever.

 

[chrisD]

The four islander teams should play, make it a double header at Penrith if they can't get a decent crowd to a split event.