Can the All Stars game ever be bigger than Origin?

 
Steve Kaless Roar Guru

By , 12 Feb 2010 Steve Kaless is a Roar Guru

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Johnathan Thurston (l) during the Indigenous All Stars team training session on the Gold Coast, AAP Image/Dave Hunt

With the inaugural NRL All Stars set to kick off this weekend, perhaps just one thing is left to be discussed before we focus on the action on the field: can, or will, the concept ever become bigger than Origin?

It might sound crazy at first, but as the weeks have gone by, I’ve become unsure that Origin will always be seen as the number one event in the game.

Now, before anyone gets too heated, let me put out the disclaimer that I’m undecided. But here are some things which have, in my mind, shortened the odds on the All Stars game.

1. Passion.
The passion with which the Indigenous players speak of their pride in the selection is almost of a bygone era. It has a real similarity to the passion with which the Queenslanders first used to talk about the Maroon jersey.

2. Gen Y.
The interactive nature of the All Stars selection is likely to make it a bigger hit with younger generations. The fact that they can have a say in the process is far more important to many young fans than, say, letting a bloke who might have a clue what he is on about picking the team.

3. Big Ticket Event.
This sort of event is massive in the US, who is to say it won’t become as big here. We might bemoan American pop culture invading our shores, but it seems pretty good at winning over the masses. I know people who knew the winner of, or even watched, the Super Bowl who wouldn’t watch another sporting event all year. It becomes the thing to do. I just hope we never get so excited about the ads.

4. Bringing in the Kiwis.
While the game is largely about recognising the Aborginal history within the sport, it also has the attraction of featuring some of the best Kiwi talent. Players who will never play Origin. Imagine NSW with Benji Marshall (Imagine NSW even with a 5/8 who could pass).

5. Finally, its unfair to compare the modern juggernaut of Origin with the All Stars first game. It won’t challenge Origin this year or probably for the next five years. It’s like that shampoo: it won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.

Injuries have been cruel to the inaugural event, but the talent is still there to present a memorable game.

Let’s remember people were unsure about the concept of Origin until Big Artie Beetson nearly took Mick Cronin’s head off in the first game.

We are a bit more sensitive these days, but hopefully Saturday’s game will provide a seminal moment that will secure its place in the game’s calendar.

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