Comments on: Let’s have a Rugby Union State of Origin

By: rugbyfuture

rugbyfuture — Fri, 21 May 2010 03:05:55 +0000

woah, that was clever.

By: Kuri

Kuri — Fri, 21 May 2010 02:31:06 +0000

Could you see the NRL releasing a further 36 players (sorry not sure on squad sizes) from the competition to allow a NZ series though M1tch?
It’s highly unlikely and the clubs would be up in arms.

yes the NZRL is useless but they are up against it

By: M1tch

M1tch — Fri, 21 May 2010 02:19:37 +0000

totally agree..the NZRL is terrible, they want the NRL to do everything for them..I dont know why the Warriors dont play 3 games around their nation every year – England is showing us up by going to Wales and the magic weekend in scotland and taking a game to Spain, while we have only have perth and adel 1 game each.
The Pacific Islands could have awesome teams if they played more and had something to play for..hopefully the Pac cup is the beginning of that.

By: Kuri

Kuri — Fri, 21 May 2010 02:16:20 +0000

Another reason why League is only big in 3 countries and two of those countries it would be a push to say it’s a big sport.
I like league don’t get me worng I just find it astounding how league does nothing to promote itself to new markets.

Why NZ doesn’t have a Island of Orangin series or a Coastal Clash at the same time of origin is also a bit of a miff, What a lead in to an Origin game to have the Kiwis battling it our first in their own match then State of O kicking off 2 hours later.

Sadly the NRL would never allow this to happen as it doesn’t see league anywhere else othan than Australia as important

By: M1tch

M1tch — Fri, 21 May 2010 02:12:07 +0000

Current rules are very dodgy, but thats what happens when everyone wants to play Origin and the RFL ignore the pacific islands for so long

By: Kuri

Kuri — Fri, 21 May 2010 02:08:28 +0000

Jared Hayne TT another who played for Fiji at the WC in 08 now playing for NSW, how the hell do you work that out.

Wasn’t Australian enough for the WC but shows some class and all of a sudden hes Australian enough for the Kangaroos and origin

By: Kuri

Kuri — Fri, 21 May 2010 02:05:11 +0000

And Queensland could just about play as the 6th NZ franchise

By: Paul Robertson

Paul Robertson — Fri, 21 May 2010 02:00:07 +0000

The problem with a State of Origin rugby union match is that its rugby union – a crap sport!

By: katzilla

katzilla — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:33:46 +0000

Who would play for QLD though Spiro?
They have more NZ born players then the Auckland Blues. Not that thats saying much

By: JK

JK — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:26:11 +0000

As I understand Oikee, you are a Kiwi, whilst I’ll give you origin, the thing you need to understand is QLD V NSW rivalry extends to EVERYTHING.

By: Apelu Tielu

Apelu Tielu — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:45:35 +0000

I agree, totally, Chris. ACT can field a competitive team. Spiro needs a lesson in geography.
Also, many top players were born overseas, so well have to be spectators. So what’s the point. The tribalism is not quite there, i think, folks.

By: Joh4Canberra

Joh4Canberra — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 22:04:00 +0000

… or Long Beach, California. Let’s not forget that in 1987 the leaguies experimented with playing State of Origin football in the US.

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:13:28 +0000

Spiro, Canberra is not in NSW and I can assure you that Canberran’s sure as hell don’t consider themselves New South Welshmen.

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:48:37 +0000

Exactly, I was born in the UK, but I don’t support them. I chose to live here, I chose to support Australia… and I’d love to play for them, if I’d been talneted enough.

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:39:08 +0000

Stupid idea. The reason why League has been slow to develop outside of NSW and QLD, is because the pinnacle of the sport in this country is between these two states only. How can someone from outside of those states get involved? They watch it for entertainment value but they lack the passion because they see the game as a NSW and QLD only sport, they are not represented.

In AFL the State of Origin concept was dropped for a number of reason, one of which was because it was dominated by Victoria, so they developed the ‘Others team’. Back in those days, Victoria’s success cemented in my mind (rightly or wrongly) that its primarily a Victorian sport and that’s where the talent pool lay. The recent success of AFL’s expansion has ridden on the ability to make all communities feel included. NSW and QLD are beginning to see it as the AFL not the VFL.

A Union State of Origin is a massive step backwards, that will disengage follows in ACT, WA and Victoria, at a time we are trying to expand the Code.

The League State of Origin is a great spectacle that Union will find hard to emulate. Union should be an innovator, not a follower.

By: PuntPal

PuntPal — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:20:53 +0000

HAHAHAHAHA!

Oh mate – if Union tried to create its own State of Origin it would be hillarious! They wont do it because it would show once and for all what a boring and antiquated game Union really is.

Thanks for giving me a good lunch time laugh!

By: young gun

young gun — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 22:31:43 +0000

i still agree with the concept of the possibles vs probables matchand i can name 2 teames right now

1-alexander
2-tpn
3-baxter
4-horwill
5-sharpe
6-mumm
7-smith
8-palu
9-burgess
10-gituea
11-tuquiri
12-barnes
13-mortlok
14-mitchell
15-aac
16-frier
17-henderson
18-kimlin
19-hoiles
20-lucas
21-tahu
22-ioane

the other team

1-robinson
2-moore
3-dunning
4-caldwell
5-mcmeniman
6-waugh
7-pockock
8-brown
9-sheean
10-cooper
11-hynes
12-oconer
13-cross
14-turner
15-shepard
16-hardman
17-kefu
18-tohmson
19-mowen
20-holmes
21-beale
22-gerrard

By: canberrabear

canberrabear — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 23:41:13 +0000

Geeze, sorry Spiro, but I hate the idea! It only benefits NSW and QLD supporters. You forget that the Brumbies and Force are also supported by large fan bases. Their fans would take great offence at their players pulling on a blue or red jumper each year. I think the problems lies within the culture of the Reds and Waratahs. The Brumbies have a very loyal bunch of players and tribal supporter base.

Even if this concept did take off, why couldn’t the ACT be included? Remember, the ACT represents ACT and southern/NSW. If you use the same qualification rules as league (place of birth or first senior rugby game), the Brumbies would field a strong team, including -

Shep, Faingaa, Henderson, Kimlin, Salvi, Henjak, Gits, Tyrone Smith, Norton-Knight, A Faingaa, Fainifo, Halangahu etc.

These guys would step up to try and beat the bastards from NSW!

By: TonyClubCollaroy

TonyClubCollaroy — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 05:12:02 +0000

Wowww Andystath… you usually write jibba jabba here but i have to agree with you about the NRL state of origin rules …..as with steffy that is a life long journey educating her. good luck.

By: The Link

The Link — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:47:48 +0000

sheek, being a bit cute there, can’t count the ACT for Union and not League. Raiders were around for 14 years before the Brumbies.

By: Terry Kidd

Terry Kidd — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:36:17 +0000

Yeah, I’ve had a change of mind too. I’ve got to admit that SOO is too limiting and excludes quite a few players especially when we are trying to grow the game. I don’t like the Poss v Probs concept either, I reckon they are a waste of time. But I do like the concept of the S14 franchises Tahs, Reds, Brumbies & Force playing each other home and away, make it an annual thing for the ARU Cup. Play local rugby matches as curtain raisers, with schoolboy games as pre-curtain raisers. Possibly get the franchises to form 2nd 15s from their academies and play those as well. Make it a festival of rugby over 4-5 weeks in each of the major centres.

Put it on free to air telly. Promote the games. It could eventually grow its own tradition and build a genuine interstate rivalry, and it could grow as a fifth franchise is introduced. Thoughts?

By: Simon

Simon — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:28:22 +0000

Yeah, I’ve changed my mind on this one. I wouldn’t create a SoO for the above reasons. Roger’s few comments made the best sense to me. I would still try a possibles v probables though.

By: sheek

sheek — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 23:12:23 +0000

Billo,

Thank you, I agree with you. Instead of a state of origin concept, we ought to be concentrating our energies on a national domestic comp.

The S14, despite its revenue appeal, is severely flawed on a range of matters – time zones, 3 countries, Australia has ONLY 2/7′s of the teams, poorly identified regional teams, etc.

Like the Australian cricket 3 team one day tournament, S14 is purely revenue driven, despite being a flawed concept. But then the one day tournament has survived 30 years despite its obvious faults.

The Super concept has its place, but alongside a national comp. And I think it would work better along the lines of a Heineken Cup format.

By: Knives Out

Knives Out — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:52:42 +0000

I think Ohtani raises a rather significant point. South African rugby has history and tradition, and I think that is more valuable to New Zealand than the Bledisloe and a host of mediocre S14 sides. The whole world is interested in South African rugby, despite some poor results over the last decade, and to that extent Australian rugby supporters seem to drastically over-state their nations own importance on the test stage.

By: ohtani's jacket

ohtani's jacket — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:53:50 +0000

The NZRU already said they wouldn’t back a trans-tasman competition. They won’t back any form of Super 14 that excludes South Africa. South Africa generates the most revenue under the present agreement, hence the NZRU’s position.

Australian fans might not care about the South African teams, but New Zealanders don’t overly care about the Australian teams and as a NZ rugby supporter there’s no way I’d accept jumping into bed with the Aussies like that.

By: Billo

Billo — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:02:50 +0000

Spiro,

This would be a good idea if there wasn’t already a State of Origin contest in league. To create a rugby State of Origin game would always be to have that game seen as second rate compared to the league game.

The best thing for Australian rugby is to create competitions and events that are uniquely rugby in nature.

One thing I would suggest is to ditch the South Africans from the Super 14, create a fifth Australian franchise in Melbourne to use the new stadium being developed there, and then to have a ten-team competition with the five NZ Super 14 teams. A full season, home and away, would give 18 matches with play-offs to follow, with the potential to bring in other sides from the Pacific Rim.

Part of the problem with the perception of Super 14 in Australia is that most fans are, frankly, not too interested in the South African teams, even though, in my view, they play some great rugby. TV audiences are crucial, and I think they would be higher without the South Africans.

By: Ben J

Ben J — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 12:04:13 +0000

Australia should have a real hard look at where the game is at the moment and the topdown approach is quite perplexing. Is the SOO there to simply make more money or to develop the game? If its to make money then fine and say so but would it attract a bigger crowd than a traditional Reds/NSW game. If the answer yes then you are in bigger trouble than you can imagine.Fine if it’s a once-off barbarian style celebration match but injuries to key players might be a cause for concern.

What is being done to develop school and clubrugby in Aus? Are the games televised on a regular basis because that is where the future lies.

By: Andystath

Andystath — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 11:53:33 +0000

Thanks Steffy,only the ARL were stupid enough to throw away 180k on that concept.Latham would have to play NSW as he started at Randwick.Why would you copy an idea?Rugby needs to innovate rather than immitate.Immitation shows a distinct lack of original thought and JON is getting the big$$$ to be innovative and grow the game.

By: OldManEmu

OldManEmu — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 11:22:20 +0000

It would be interesting to see whether Chris Latham, were he still playing, would playfor NSW or Qld.

By: ohtani's jacket

ohtani's jacket — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 11:06:05 +0000

Ben,

I live in Tokyo, so it’s good for me. It’ll be interesting to see where it’s staged and what sort of marketing job they do. The extra Bledisloe fixture will continue unabated. It’s far too lucrative to drop. It’s the same thing with the end of year tour. As much as people bitch and moan about Northern Hemisphere rugby, our unions want their cash.