SOO Revamp

[Sackyhack]

I'm sure this would have been covered else where, but buggered if I could find it.

Some of the main topics i see around SOO are - 1. Eligibility Rules; 2. Weekend Games; 3. Everyone non QLD-NSW wanting in on the action (inclusion of other states/NZ). Here's my ideas.

1. Leave SOO as it is! Tighten up eligibility rules for NSW/QLD rep and play games in NSW and QLD only (maybe take it elsewhere once every three years or something if there's significant financial/strategic reason).

2. Switch it to weekends - the biggest issue against this is the lack of footy over this weekend if club games are suspended - see notes 3 & 4.

3. With the success of the Storm team over the years (cheating aside ), and the desire to expand into VIC; I think they deserve a shot at building their own state team. I would suggest a VIC vs. a combined QLD/NSW A (players who just missed out on origin selection for their state). 3 games running in sync with the SOO series, with 2 games played in Melbourne and one in the state which is only hosting the SOO once that year. With tough eligibility rules, it may be tricky to field a very competitive VIC side for a few years; but there's nothing like a huge underdog tag to get the fans on board; and make that inevitable first series win a thing of Rugby League folklore.

4. To bring the Kiwi's in on the action, I wouldn't mind seeing something like NZ vs. rest of pacific island nations (nations like PNG, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Is etc). Again another 3 game series played on the SOO weekend. The three representative games on the weekend should remove the problem of not enough footy during that time.

I'm sure other people have idea's or even tweaks on the above, but I see the benefits as:

1. Maintaining the purity of the original SOO;
2. Expanding into VIC and potentially developing a fan base every bit as passionate as NSW & QLD diehards - as long as they have a nickname to rival toads and roaches; like slugs, rats or pubic lice (suggestion welcome!)
3. Other nations like NZ, PNG, Fiji etc are exposed to more international level games throughout the year; increasing their own competitiveness at the international level and reduce the gap between AUS and everyone else.
4. More footy!!

What do you reckon?

 

[hellteam]

Would love to see it on a weekend...

 

[Sackyhack]

4. To bring the Kiwi's in on the action, I wouldn't mind seeing something like NZ vs. rest of pacific island nations (nations like PNG, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Is etc).

It was suggested to me, that instead of a NZ team (which would obviously just be the NZ international team); why not make it an NZ City Vs Country. With City being players from Auckland, Wellington etc; and country being country NZ as well as eligibility from the other Pacific Island nations.

I like it.

 

[The Great Dane]

I'm sure this would have been covered else where, but buggered if I could find it.

Some of the main topics i see around SOO are - 1. Eligibility Rules; 2. Weekend Games; 3. Everyone non QLD-NSW wanting in on the action (inclusion of other states/NZ). Here's my ideas.

1. Leave SOO as it is! Tighten up eligibility rules for NSW/QLD rep and play games in NSW and QLD only (maybe take it elsewhere once every three years or something if there's significant financial/strategic reason).

2. Switch it to weekends - the biggest issue against this is the lack of footy over this weekend if club games are suspended - see notes 3 & 4.

3. With the success of the Storm team over the years (cheating aside ), and the desire to expand into VIC; I think they deserve a shot at building their own state team. I would suggest a VIC vs. a combined QLD/NSW A (players who just missed out on origin selection for their state). 3 games running in sync with the SOO series, with 2 games played in Melbourne and one in the state which is only hosting the SOO once that year. With tough eligibility rules, it may be tricky to field a very competitive VIC side for a few years; but there's nothing like a huge underdog tag to get the fans on board; and make that inevitable first series win a thing of Rugby League folklore.

4. To bring the Kiwi's in on the action, I wouldn't mind seeing something like NZ vs. rest of pacific island nations (nations like PNG, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Is etc). Again another 3 game series played on the SOO weekend. The three representative games on the weekend should remove the problem of not enough footy during that time.

I'm sure other people have idea's or even tweaks on the above, but I see the benefits as:

1. Maintaining the purity of the original SOO;
2. Expanding into VIC and potentially developing a fan base every bit as passionate as NSW & QLD diehards - as long as they have a nickname to rival toads and roaches; like slugs, rats or pubic lice (suggestion welcome!)
3. Other nations like NZ, PNG, Fiji etc are exposed to more international level games throughout the year; increasing their own competitiveness at the international level and reduce the gap between AUS and everyone else.
4. More footy!!

What do you reckon?

Why not have VIC vs ACT, lets be honest a VIC SoO team could not compete with a NSW/QLD backup team and neither could the ACT, so why not have them play off against each other as an opener to NSW vs QLD.
I would make selection open to players from the NYC, NSWC, QLDC as well as the NRL so there are as few ring ins as possible.

With the whole nickname thing I would pick five or so names (derived from pest animals of course) and hold a poll in the oppositions sate/territory to decide the name and create some publicity.

 

[Tone83]

Eligibility rules need a major overhaul, they're outdated to the point of actually being racist. Where you're born shouldn't matter at all, and you shouldn't have to swear allegiance to australia to play for nsw or qld. They have that cool little intro in SOO where they say what grassroots club they played for - that's all that should matter. Did you play grassroots league in nsw or qld? If you didn't then it has nothing to do with you, but if you did it doesn't matter if you're from NZ or England or PNG or fiji or whatever, you qualify for SOO and you can still play for your own country. I met Karmichael hunt in a toowoomba pub having his 21st birthday party with a bunch of bogans, trust me when I say that dude is a QLDer. No one has a right to say otherwise. He's also a new zealander, and that's just a fact. He should have been playing for new zealand and qld.
I also know james segeyaro. That dude is a qlder. He has poured blood and sweat onto dry hard qld footy fields since he was a small kid. He's also papua new guinean. He's equally proud of both of these things. Making him choose is actually immoral and ignorant (some of you might say he'll never have to choose, but I have my suspicions he will).

It's really quite simple, people know what they are and no one has a right to tell them otherwise, we should all want them playing for the teams they feel a connection to. Not forcing them to play for a team they couldn't care less about (usually the kangaroos).
That said obviously every tom dick and harry would want to play SOO even if it had absolutely nothing to do with them, so they should have the condition that you played grossroots club footy for a club in the state you wish to play for as a kid and/or teenager.
Seems such an obvious solution, but typical of the NRL to f up the bleeding obvious.

edit to add: You'll note this solution would improve SOO, improve the international game immensely, and keep the players happy.

 

[Hutty1986]

Having it on weekends would be great. Thursday work hangovers hurt big time

 

[Joker's Wild]

Having it on a weekend is the only workable idea in there