State of Origin

[Blair]

May as well start a new thread for this year's series, although it seems far from popular on this forum.

If anything, where I live, it's a chance for the community to get together on a mid-week winter's night, often you'll catch up with people you haven't met since, well, last year's Origin.

Here's a question, let's pretend NZ was still briefly a part of NSW.

How many of the current Warriors would make the Blues side to be picked later today?

(Konrad Hurrell wouldn't qualify because he's committed to Tonga).

 

[reykaine]

http://www.nrl.com/bulldogs-flavour-in-new-look-blues-side/tabid/11019/newsid/78593/default.aspx

NSW Blues
1. Jarryd Hayne
2. Brett Morris
3. Josh Morris
4. Michael Jennings
5. Daniel Tupou
6. Josh Reynolds
7. Trent Hodkinson
8. Aaron Woods
9. Robbie Farah
10. James Tamou
11. Ryan Hoffman
12. Beau Scott
13. Paul Gallen (c)
Interchange:
14. Trent Merrin
15. Anthony Watmough
16. Luke Lewis
17. Tony Williams

 

[reykaine]

Matulino might make the side but doubt anyone else would.

 

[jamaman]

Matulino, Johnson, Hurrell

 

[Meth]

I used to love Origin (as recently as 2 seasons ago). Mal Meninga and the like ruined it for me. I will watch it because its League on Wednesday. Kinda hope NSW win.

 

[vvvrulz]

Kinda hope NSW win.

I've been hoping that for a while simply because I'm neutral and Queensland owning them all the time has taken the sting out of the contest.

It always staggers me how die hard some of the fans in New Zealand are, usually towards Queensland. Follow and support a team sure, but the hate NSW get is just bizarre. Why do we care so passionately about an all Australian derby again?

 

[jamaman]

NSW x 2 at Suncorp = annihilation!

 

[Blair]

I've been hoping that for a while simply because I'm neutral and Queensland owning them all the time has taken the sting out of the contest.

It always staggers me how die hard some of the fans in New Zealand are, usually towards Queensland. Follow and support a team sure, but the hate NSW get is just bizarre. Why do we care so passionately about an all Australian derby again?

Probably the history. Origin was a huge thing in the late 80s/early 90s when it was first broadcast live on NZ TV, we hadn't seen anything like it.

Queensland were always underdogs and 'rural, farmer & country town types'. NZ could relate to that, even if you lived in the middle of Auckland!

Mal was very popular as a player, he would have won over a lot of fans.

Graham Lowe took over the coaching role in 1991 (at the peak of Origin?) and that brought kiwi support for Qld to a whole new level (they won an exciting series 2-1 with a decider at Lang Park and a famous fight in the rain at the SFS).

Benny Elias played for NSW in those days, which was enough alone to drag support away from the Blues.

 

[jaseg]

Matulino + Mannering for sure. Johnson would push VERY hard (I'd have him in the side other every other half but Hodkinson without a second thought - Hodkinson's kicking game would push it so close though), and if you counted Konny as available he's probably be there.

 

[vvvrulz]

Probably the history. Origin was a huge thing in the late 80s/early 90s when it was first broadcast live on NZ TV, we hadn't seen anything like it.

Queensland were always underdogs and 'rural, farmer & country town types'. NZ could relate to that, even if you lived in the middle of Auckland!

Mal was very popular as a player, he would have won over a lot of fans.

Graham Lowe took over the coaching role in 1991 (at the peak of Origin?) and that brought kiwi support for Qld to a whole new level (they won an exciting series 2-1 with a decider at Lang Park).

Benny Elias played for NSW in those days, which was enough alone to drag support away from the Blues.

Yeah good point, this is going back before my time.

I understand the whole blue collar vs white collar thing but it doesn't make a lot of sense in today's SOO world.

Great games mind you and a great rivalry to watch, but the way some of my peers absolutely rip into NSW just seems odd to me. Maybe if they are all a bunch of unlikeable twits but they're not really, in fact there are just as many unlikeable players in Queensland if you ask me.

 

[vvvrulz]

How many of the current Warriors would make the Blues side to be picked later today?.

Mannering and Matulino would push for selection but wouldn't be automatic.
Johnson maybe in todays NSW halves stock.

Martel at his very best is good enough, but when is the last time anyone saw that.
Locke in 2011 might have raised an eyebrow.

Long story short, not many Warriors if any would make the cut.

 

[Blair]

Yeah good point, this is going back before my time.

Well believe me it was a phenomenon. We only had two TV channels in those days and had only recently had the Sydney GF broadcast live too.

In 1989 I was at university and living on campus, we couldn't move in the TV room of our hostel when SOO was on. All the girls were watching too. Some thought it was dumb of course but they were there for the event.

Maybe there was nothing else to do on a freezing Wednesday night in Palmerston North. But I suppose that's part of the appeal, it gave us some entertainment. Monster hits, great rivalries, a bitter Qld with a chip on their collective shoulder and out to prove a point to their flash big city cousins.

I kind of miss those days of rugby league, and definitely of Origin.

However, in general things are better now, as we have our own team in the NRL. The Warriors became a big part of my life, as I'm sure they have for most rugby league fans who are old enough to remember having support another team in the (then) NSWRL.

 

[Alan Johnson]

Good entertainment and as already mentioned it's nice to have a big sporting event on a Wednesday.

I must say though that I've been somewhat disappointed with what has been served up over the last two or three years. It still gets talked up to high heaven but I'm not convinced the reality quite matches the hype. Although perhaps I've been spoiled by the ever-increasing intensity and competitiveness of the NRL. In fact I think the best NRL games get right up there with Origin.

 

[Bengal]

I understand the whole blue collar vs white collar thing but it doesn't make a lot of sense in today's SOO world.

There's another angle as well, the underdog or little brother QLD taking on big brother NSW. The power-base of the game is still very much in NSW and as long as this holds true then QLD will always be the little brother regardless of how many titles the cockroaches win. And kiwis tend to root more for the underdog than the favourite. And as Blair said earlier, having a kiwi coach QLD helped usher in a lot of kiwi support for that state that hasn't waned a lot over time.

 

[LeagueNut]

 

[LeagueNut]

I started cheering for the Blues when I was a young impressionable lad just starting to notice Rugby League. My mum's boyfriend was a right knob and supported Queensland, so of course I had to choose the opposition.

I find it hilarious these days to watch all the drama around team selections and the frenzy that people whip themselves into. At the end of the day we get to watch a pretty decent game of footy, no Kiwis get injured and an Aussie team is guaranteed to lose. Sounds pretty damn good to me.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

Probably the history. Origin was a huge thing in the late 80s/early 90s when it was first broadcast live on NZ TV, we hadn't seen anything like it.

Queensland were always underdogs and 'rural, farmer & country town types'. NZ could relate to that, even if you lived in the middle of Auckland!

Mal was very popular as a player, he would have won over a lot of fans.

Graham Lowe took over the coaching role in 1991 (at the peak of Origin?) and that brought kiwi support for Qld to a whole new level (they won an exciting series 2-1 with a decider at Lang Park and a famous fight in the rain at the SFS).

Benny Elias played for NSW in those days, which was enough alone to drag support away from the Blues.

Sums up exactly why I side with Queensland, add in Wally Lewis and Alfie Langer.
Man I hated Benny Elias.

Gone off it with Qld dominating so much and it continuing to steal Kiwi's and the hype to be the pinnacle of the sport, when really Internationals should be getting that money and attention.

Will still watch, but wont lose sleep either way.

 

[JJ]

Matulino is imo the only Warrior that would be considered (obviously Hoffman next year will be interesting)

Mannering is of that calibre, but I don't see how he gets in that back row... I guess Scott is similar but is only there because of suspension and injury [well, Lewis being recently back] (Mannering 50:50 with Scott, maybe), and has been playing exceptionally well when I have seen them.

 

[WellsNZ]

Still love Origin personally. Went over for game three last year and the atmosphere was amazing.

Blues fan for as long as I can remember. Hated the Broncos, loved the Bulldogs so the choice for Origin was pretty easy.

#UPTHEBLUES

 

[Fast Eddie]

I started cheering for the Blues when I was a young impressionable lad just starting to notice Rugby League. My mum's boyfriend was a right knob and supported Queensland, so of course I had to choose the opposition.

I find it hilarious these days to watch all the drama around team selections and the frenzy that people whip themselves into. At the end of the day we get to watch a pretty decent game of footy, no Kiwis get injured and an Aussie team is guaranteed to lose. Sounds pretty damn good to me.

Unless Tamou or Papili get injured.