State of Origin is irrelevant

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

Er yes, that's right, because crowds in Melbourne and Sydney are the level by which we measure what's bigger in the rugby league world...

Brisbane too. As it should be tbh

You wanted to bring crowds in to this and origin smashes the shit out of the World Cup.

 

[Shorty]

Which is roundabouts NRL average. So no one cares about NRL?
Uhhh no they don't. Most players will agree the Australian jersey is a higher honour. Most will put their Four Nations triumphs at the same level as an Origin series win. Do you really think NSW players put losing a series higher than winning a Four Nations?
Who gives a shit about what commentators say?

Read between the lines, Springs...they're being polite.
Listen to a players voice, look at their facial expressions when they speak about playing for Australia compared to Queensland\NSW or the fact that the freaking test game is treated as players putting their hand up for origin!!
The fact that its actually easier to get an Aussie jersey compared to a state one should tell you this.

 

[hutch]

Read between the lines, Springs...they're being polite.
Listen to a players voice, look at their facial expressions when they speak about playing for Australia compared to Queensland\NSW or the fact that the freaking test game is treated as players putting their hand up for origin!!
The fact that its actually easier to get an Aussie jersey compared to a state one should tell you this.

You do realise other countries play rugby league right? As for that last statement, what a load of crap.

 

[Rod]

Even if Origin is bigger than internationals (which it is) I don't know why that would be a source of pride for Australian rugby league fans. If anything it reflects the arrogant approach of the ARL and the insular nature of the game in Australia.

As easily the country with the most money and sway in world rugby league instead of constantly patting themelves on the back about the success of Origin Australia should be embarrassed that as a result international league falls by the wayside.

Criticise union all you want but at least in Australia and NZ that sport has their priorities in order.

 

[attila_the_gorilla]

I take it that this is sarcasm, and that the previous comment that I responded to was also sarcastic.

No, I meant it. If Australians care a lot more about their state than their national team, then there should be a way to line up state teams against international sides. A Tri series also involving the KIwis could work.

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

Players pull out of test matches at the preference of recovery. Players will downplay injuries to play in state of origin.

The players prefer origin. The fans prefer origin.

Just face the fact that internationals are not cared about on the same level as NRL let alone Origin.

 

[JonnoM]

Considering the Australian Rugby League Test Team have a winning record of over 95% over the last 30 years,its no surprise that NSW and Qld have turned to origin in that same period.

Provide decent international competition and maybe the tide will turn with the Australian public

 

[Shorty]

Even if Origin is bigger than internationals (which it is) I don't know why that would be a source of pride for Australian rugby league fans. If anything it reflects the arrogant approach of the ARL and the insular nature of the game in Australia.

As easily the country with the most money and sway in world rugby league instead of constantly patting themelves on the back about the success of Origin Australia should be embarrassed that as a result international league falls by the wayside.

Criticise union all you want but at least in Australia and NZ that sport has their priorities in order.

Well what are we supposed to do, get excited about flogging NZ in a test game?
SOO makes RL money ...why shouldn't we be proud of it?

 

[Perth Red]

At least they don't call the SOO winning team world champions like USA comps, but I wouldn't put it past them!

 

[hutch]

Players pull out of test matches at the preference of recovery. Players will downplay injuries to play in state of origin.

The players prefer origin. The fans prefer origin.

Just face the fact that internationals are not cared about on the same level as NRL let alone Origin.

Do English, French, New Zealand, png players prefer state of origin?

 

[Perth Red]

ssshhh if its not NSW or Q'land it doesn't matter. SOO is a good vehicle for raising awareness of the game but for the majority of the country and the world the result matters little.

 

[Perth Red]

Considering the Australian Rugby League Test Team have a winning record of over 95% over the last 30 years,its no surprise that NSW and Qld have turned to origin in that same period.

Provide decent international competition and maybe the tide will turn with the Australian public

Recent major competitions:
2006 Tri nations NZ
2008 World Cup NZ
2009 4nations Oz
2010 4nations NZ
2011 4nations Oz

Hardly dominating the silverware!

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

Do English, French, New Zealand, png players prefer state of origin?

Let's hear what Sam Burgess has to say about the matter:

"There is a World Cup in England at the end of the year but I'm not really looking that far ahead just yet," he said.

It sounds like you would seriously consider the switch?

"I'm not really looking that far ahead at the minute," he smiled again.

"I think every player would (love to play Origin). I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't love to play in that game. But the rules are I simply can't play."

...

Burgess went along to the series opener last week with his brothers and says he walked out feeling envious.

"I have never seen an international game draw so many fans to a game, draw so much hype to a game," Burgess said.

"I'm not going to sit here and tell you that it is not (a better atmosphere than international football).''

LINK

So Sam Burgess (1 of 2 players worth playing Origin that are ineligible: the other being SBW) thinks the atmosphere is better in Origin and internationals aren't grabbing the attention of fans like Origins do. Oh, and he wishes he could play Origin while not even paying attention to the World Cup later in the year :lol:

 

[Rod]

Well what are we supposed to do, get excited about flogging NZ in a test game?
SOO makes RL money ...why shouldn't we be proud of it?

As a spectacle by itself you should have every reason to be proud of Origin. I'm not disputing the quality, success or popularity of Origin (although the powers that be are currently doing a good job of ruining what makes Origin so great but that's another argument.

What I'm saying is that I don't see the point in constantly bragging about how about much better it is than internationals. Not only is it an argument that has a pretty obvious answer but it's not really any sort of achievement that rugby league fans should be proud of. You constantly read from people on this site about ways to grow and expand the game as much as possible, yet meanwhile trumpeting that the best competition in the world is a 3-game series between two states in one country.

Like I said before, it's no wonder that league continues to lag so far behind union internationally when the prevailing attitude is that internationals are something that should be tacked on to the end of a 30-week club season and the competition that the sport's most influential country is primarily focussed on is an interstate 3 game series.

 

[JonnoM]

Recent major competitions:
2006 Tri nations NZ
2008 World Cup NZ
2009 4nations Oz
2010 4nations NZ
2011 4nations Oz

Hardly dominating the silverware!

2006 Tri nations NZ?

Must of missed that one,because I seem to remember Australia winning

Again,despite your error,a couple of losing games over the last 5-6 years doesnt change a thing.
30 years of Australian Rugby League dominance has increased the relevance of State of Origin in this country.

 

[Joker's Wild]

Recent major competitions:
2006 Tri nations NZ
2008 World Cup NZ
2009 4nations Oz
2010 4nations NZ
2011 4nations Oz

Hardly dominating the silverware!

Um, Australia won the '06 Tri series champ

and all the Anzac Tests in between?

 

[JonnoM]

Since 1980
NZ has played Australia
61 times
NZ have won 10 of those games.

Since 2000
NZ has played Australia
26 times
NZ has won 4 of those games

Its kind of hard to get too excited about Trans Tasman Rugby League.

 

[Springs]

Let's hear what Sam Burgess has to say about the matter:

LINK

So Sam Burgess (1 of 2 players worth playing Origin that are ineligible: the other being SBW) thinks the atmosphere is better in Origin and internationals aren't grabbing the attention of fans like Origins do. Oh, and he wishes he could play Origin while not even paying attention to the World Cup later in the year :lol:

He said the atmosphere was better, not that the game was more important. He said he wasn't looking that far ahead at the moment, hardly not caring. If he thought Origin was more important he would play Origin and not for England idiot. :roll:

It's strange that even though Origin is the most important thing in the rugby league world lol, all these English and Kiwi players chose not to play it.

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

But they're envious they can't play Origin just ask Burgess or SBW ;-)

 

[Shorty]

He said the atmosphere was better, not that the game was more important. He said he wasn't looking that far ahead at the moment, hardly not caring. If he thought Origin was more important he would play Origin and not for England idiot. :roll:

It's strange that even though Origin is the most important thing in the rugby league world lol, all these English and Kiwi players chose not to play it.

But some don't....that's the whole point, none should consider it but some do and it's a decision made to strengthen their careers or they want to be apart of it.