The Origin 'Grind' and the 'Football' at Internationals

[Twatface Magee]

I think you'll find the younger Burgess boys could have qualified.

Are you stupid?
How would they have qualified...

 

[strong_latte]

Tom and George were still playing in England in 2010 which would have made them 17-18yo

Cant see how they could have been eligible even before the rule changes

Ah fair enough. Thought I'd read they came out before that. I stand corrected. All the same, I doubt they'd have chosen to play Origin over representing England. SBW had the choice and he immediately went for the Black jersey over the blue one

 

[Canard]

The reason international League hasn't had the hype of Origin is simple: competitiveness and perception. In the 80s and 90s the Kangaroos rarely dropped a game and NZ had a virtually non-existent player pool. But now the NRL is flooded with Kiwis and the have their own club team. A fact that has seen the Kiwis beat Australia in tournaments more often the NSW has won Origin over the past 10 years.

Your either a newbie, or not much of League fan.

Test match footy right up until the early 90's was extremely competitive between the big 3, and France had a decent (if second rate) presence. Kangaroo Tours were the equivalent of Ashes Cricket in terms of media coverage and hype.

There were also quite a lot of Kiwis playing in the NSWRL/ARL and a lot more Englishmen than there is now. And where is this ridiculous notion that Origin is the "best v best"? Its never been about that, its an inter state rivalry? QLD for example have often fielded players that were barely even NRL standard let alone best in the world. That's what makes it great.

Why are people so absolute about this? Why can't we have a thriving Origin and International scene, why does it have to be on or the other only??

 

[franklin2323]

Why are people so absolute about this? Why can't we have a thriving Origin and International scene, why does it have to be on or the other only??

That's been my point with these butt hurt poms on here. SOO is worth $100m pa and not going anywhere. Instead of trying to bring it back to the international standard we should be trying to lift the international standard.

regular televised tests are the stepping blocks. Make this players that are sitting out hoping. Actually see what they are missing

 

[PARRA_FAN]

A 3 test series between England and NZ these days would be FAR more entertaining than origin. Their last 2 games have been the 2 best rep matches I've seen in over 10 years.

Origin used to be an exhibition in what the best attacking players could do when you put them all together. Now its just all the most hated parts of our game dialled up to 11... but most don't notice as the rivalry between the 2 states has become so huge.

Internationals are far more entertaining and a much better display of actual football.

I rate the World Cup semi final last year as one of the best Rugby League matches Ive ever seen overall, including club games, Origins, tests.

Given the last two clashes between the two nations have been great to watch, it sets up a great series.

I hope Fox Sports covers the 3 test series, its a shame Australia is having a rest year but would be good to watch the Eng/NZL series.

 

[Ernest the Sheep]

I rate the World Cup semi final last year as one of the best Rugby League matches Ive ever seen overall, including club games, Origins, tests.

Given the last two clashes between the two nations have been great to watch, it sets up a great series.

I hope Fox Sports covers the 3 test series, its a shame Australia is having a rest year but would be good to watch the Eng/NZL series.

the world cup semi was exciting for sure, but the standard of play was not high. As a conoseur of the game, I preferred the final. Yeah, it was one-sided, but that doesn't matter. To witness 80 mins of near perfection was a rare treat!!

 

[deluded pom?]

the world cup semi was exciting for sure, but the standard of play was not high. As a conoseur of the game, I preferred the final. Yeah, it was one-sided, but that doesn't matter. To witness 80 mins of near perfection was a rare treat!!

Stop sucking up to the Aussies Ernie, have you no shame?

 

[Red Bear]

Origin 1 this year was one of the best games of League ever.

If you didn't like that then you don't like Rugby League.

Yeah, that.

I really want to see International footy suceed, and I think it's been pretty quality of late. England/NZ game in laast years world cup was a cracker, this whole tournament was pretty enjoyable. Not sure i've seen a game of international footy with the same intensity of origin I though. Some of the Ashes games in the early 2000's the closest I can remember.

 

[Scubby]

That's been my point with these butt hurt poms on here. SOO is worth $100m pa and not going anywhere. Instead of trying to bring it back to the international standard we should be trying to lift the international standard.

regular televised tests are the stepping blocks. Make this players that are sitting out hoping. Actually see what they are missing

We want both but just don't want the hyped up media to keep calling it the pinnacle when it is not the best 34 players in the NRL.

It probably barely has more than 50% of the best players in the NRL. James McManus, Trent Hodkinson, Josh Reynolds and James Maloney are getting gigs in Origin FFS.

Origin is talked up at the expense of Internationals - year in year out. Australians are choosing not to recognise both equally - with their cash cow and eligibility attitude. And don't get me started on City v Country - neither of those sides could beat an egg.

City v Country, Queensland v NSW U20s, changing of Australian Schoolboys are all trying to get players to commit to NSW/Qld. They are s*** scared of the growth of Polynesian players who may want to play for countries other than Australia. Instead of embracing diversity they are fighting it.

 

[Ernest the Sheep]

We want both but just don't want the hyped up media to keep calling it the pinnacle when it is not the best 34 players in the NRL.

It probably barely has more than 50% of the best players in the NRL. James McManus, Trent Hodkinson, Josh Reynolds and James Maloney are getting gigs in Origin FFS.

Origin is talked up at the expense of Internationals - year in year out. Australians are choosing not to recognise both equally - with their cash cow and eligibility attitude. And don't get me started on City v Country - neither of those sides could beat an egg.

City v Country, Queensland v NSW U20s, changing of Australian Schoolboys are all trying to get players to commit to NSW/Qld. They are s*** scared of the growth of Polynesian players who may want to play for countries other than Australia. Instead of embracing diversity they are fighting it.

erm ... if they are s*** scared of poly players wanting to play for countries other than Aus (actually really just NZ), then why did they introduce an arbitrary and discriminatory rule to exclude many of them from origin?

They may well be s*** scared, but it is NSW s*** scared that Qld will recruit some big poly players to the cause, and Qld vice-versa. You can bet NSW were happy when Tamalooa rejected Qld for the kiwis!!

 

[franklin2323]

We want both but just don't want the hyped up media to keep calling it the pinnacle when it is not the best 34 players in the NRL.

It probably barely has more than 50% of the best players in the NRL. James McManus, Trent Hodkinson, Josh Reynolds and James Maloney are getting gigs in Origin FFS.

Origin is talked up at the expense of Internationals - year in year out. Australians are choosing not to recognise both equally - with their cash cow and eligibility attitude. And don't get me started on City v Country - neither of those sides could beat an egg.

City v Country, Queensland v NSW U20s, changing of Australian Schoolboys are all trying to get players to commit to NSW/Qld. They are s*** scared of the growth of Polynesian players who may want to play for countries other than Australia. Instead of embracing diversity they are fighting it.

You do realise the world is more then the SH? Is SOO responsible for little to no improvement in France? Or England not playing a home test this season?

As for SOO being talked up. The 3 highest rating Sports programs of 2014 are SOO. The games are sold out... So it lives to the hype. U20's kids rarely kick on but better to get that sorted ASAP.

 

[Scubby]

You do realise the world is more then the SH? Is SOO responsible for little to no improvement in France? Or England not playing a home test this season?

As for SOO being talked up. The 3 highest rating Sports programs of 2014 are SOO. The games are sold out... So it lives to the hype. U20's kids rarely kick on but better to get that sorted ASAP.

Yes, I agree that SOO is massive but it has to adapt to the times. It is no longer the top 34 players in the NRL as it was 15-20 years ago. When some of those champions are pensioned off in the next couple of years will it still be referred to as the 'pinnacle' - of course it will.

 

[franklin2323]

Yes, I agree that SOO is massive but it has to adapt to the times. It is no longer the top 34 players in the NRL as it was 15-20 years ago. When some of those champions are pensioned off in the next couple of years will it still be referred to as the 'pinnacle' - of course it will.

The media can say they want most want it still in Black and white and the thuggery it was. Do the players feel it's the pinnacle is the question? If so they will still choose SOO over tests. I care more about the game then Australia winning all the time so let the dinosaurs stay in their bubble.

I might be naive but I think these nations playing regularly in televised tests. With sponsors, Match payments etc will get the likes of Mateo, Mead off the lounge and on the field. The majority of them are no chance at SOO anyway

 

[Brutus]

the world cup semi was exciting for sure, but the standard of play was not high. As a conoseur of the game, I preferred the final. Yeah, it was one-sided, but that doesn't matter. To witness 80 mins of near perfection was a rare treat!!

Rubbish.

 

[Matterhorn]

For origin in the 80s we had: Sterling, Kenny, Meninga, Lewis

In the 90s: We had langer,fittler,daley,stuart,johns

In the 00s: We had Lockyer,Thurston,Slater & Inglis

That's when Origin was Origin - after the latest crop above retire I don't see anyone filling those shoes yet.....................

 

[Ernest the Sheep]

Stop sucking up to the Aussies Ernie, have you no shame?

another thing I noticed about the final, which hasn't got much of a mention because the game was so one-sided, but that pommy ref in the final did his best to help the kiwis out, but in this case, they were way beyond any help!!

 

[deluded pom?]

another thing I noticed about the final, which hasn't got much of a mention because the game was so one-sided, but that pommy ref in the final did his best to help the kiwis out, but in this case, they were way beyond any help!!

Do you type whilst holding a large wooden spoon Ernie because I've never seen a bigger shit stirrer than your good self?