Time to clean up Origin?

[langpark]

It seems to be getting progressively worse year on year now. This was probably the worst I've seen it though. There were so many high tackles and there seemed to be an elbow on the face after every tackle (as Gallen himself even said)...

I live in a country where Rugby League is in its infancy and I play, ref and coach it here. I was watching it with some of the guys, most of which have only been playing the game 6-12 months. They kept asking me "is that allowed" after seeing several (blatant) high shots and 'facials' afterwards and I felt like an idiot having to constantly say "uh no, but they let a lot of these things go in Origin"...

I'm all for Origin being a little bit 'tougher' and the refs being a little bit more lenient than in NRL, but I think now enough is enough. If we don't draw the line, how much worse can it possibly get?

It can still be a great spectacle without all the grubbiness and high shots...

 

[user_nat]

Yes please.

It's not even rugby league anymore. Instead of seeing 34 of the best players actually play, we get to see them give each other face massages for 80 minutes. Look how tough I am, I can elbow you in the face.

 

[Dragon2010]

Might as well just make them wear skirts and prance around the field to "I will always love you". The voting can be determined by Justice Crew.

 

[Vic Mackey]

I don't care about all the elbows, facials etc. I just want tackles to go for less then 17 seconds and the 10m to be 10m not 7m. Deadset the slowest game of football I've ever seen. Both teams may aswell pick 17 front rowers for game 3 if it's going to be played like that.

 

[I Bleed Maroon]

The officiating needs to be cleaned up as well. Don't jump down my throat, NSW, I'm standing up for you too.

The Hodges shepherd, The Aaron Woods chest touch, the speculator on the Inglis try, the jersey pull professional foul on Slater, hometown penalty counts.....Refereeing blunders are having way too much effect on Origin and they need to pull their f**king heads in.

 

[Masoe_eats_babies]

Something needs doing about the ruck speed for sure, but you get the feeling the referees can't keep up anymore and are slowing the game down for their own benefit as much as anyone else.

Facials etc after a dominant tackle whatever, marginal high shots i'm okay with that too, push and shove same story. I don't think it's the borderline niggling that's the issue but the way the ruck is being refereed is 100% slowing the game and stifling enterprising football.

(I actually thought last years series was worse though actually despite looking like it will have a lot more tries scored.)

 

[Usain Bolt]

We need more MMA fighters in NRL

 

[Masoe_eats_babies]

We need more MMA fighters in NRL

It would prove a boost to the international side of the game if nothing else

 

[Meth]

I don't care about all the elbows, facials etc. I just want tackles to go for less then 17 seconds and the 10m to be 10m not 7m. Deadset the slowest game of football I've ever seen. Both teams may aswell pick 17 front rowers for game 3 if it's going to be played like that.

yes.

Speed up the ruck and get rid of the stupid punching rule?it makes the inevitable skirmishes look like a homoerotic opera

 

[umina panther]

Get rid of the stupid punch rule and JT would have been sorted out

 

[super_coach]

If we keep dishing up games like last night the round ball game will go past rugby league in a flash

 

[typicalfan]

Lol. No. Best spectacle in Australian sport. Don't fix what isn't broken.

 

[Twizzle]

It is very inconsistent reffing. Its basically illegal but if one gets away with it early, a la JT, then that sets the standard for the rest of the game so its open slather.

For mine the players were more obsessed in trying to intimidate their opponents in the first half than playing footy.

 

[taxidriver]

The officiating needs to be cleaned up as well. Don't jump down my throat, NSW, I'm standing up for you too.

The Hodges shepherd, The Aaron Woods chest touch, the speculator on the Inglis try, the jersey pull professional foul on Slater, hometown penalty counts.....Refereeing blunders are having way too much effect on Origin and they need to pull their f**king heads in.

you loved it when it gifted you many games and a couple of series in the 8 straight

 

[I Bleed Maroon]

you loved it when it gifted you many games and a couple of series in the 8 straight

No, I didn't, but you won't believe that anyway.

It is toxic for our game and needs to be f**ked off in a hurry.

 

[Canard]

The no punch rule has caused this.

But way to overreact the last game was an all time great.

 

[lazza]

Some wound argue borderline match fixing

 

[davi]

"The ref did this - the ref did that". I love when players make mistakes their glossed over but when a ref makes mistake it's the end of the world. Sorry guys but refs are human too. This call by Bill Harrigan to drop the refs is a joke and is made by someone who ran the worst video refs in the history of the game.

Also while there were too many blow ups in the first half which took the rythem out of both sides attack. I don't think its wise to call wholesales changes to State of Origin after one game. The first game was a cracker- while Game 2 admittley was ugly scrappy affair which won't likely be repeated in game 3.

And for the record I'm a Queenslander...........

 

[Dazzat]

The no punch rule has caused this.

But way to overreact the last game was an all time great.

I agree ... the no punch rule has led to this pathetic niggle that last night ruined the game. There was an error (on average) every four minutes. Let's face it - that was a pathetic excuse of a game, with the Hodges break representing the only piece of quality rugby league.

Not sure what's said in camp and training to prepare players to play in that manner, but fair dinkum, if I payed to see that game Queensland or NSW supporter, I'd be very angry.

 

[Glen]

They need to speed up the ruck - the wrestling element can be hard to police but so many tackles in game 1 and 2 were allowed to just pile 2-3 extra guys on after the tackle is complete. They also need to stamp out the forearm to the face of the tackled player - there's nothing tough about it and it's obvious.

The only way they can do this is by clearly communicating it will be done prior to next year's series then blowing early penalties from game 1 to enforce it