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Why we should keep City Country

Remember the good old days of The Pest and Fitzy? Country will take on City for the last time. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch)
Roar Rookie
21st April, 2013
30

I get sick of hearing that City versus Country shouldn’t be on the representative calendar for the NRL season.

I hate how the term ‘Origin trial’ is associated with the game because its foundations were not built on that.

Sure it doesn’t hurt your claims to play well in the game but it is not a trial and I believe it has the legitimacy to stand on its own merit.

Here is why.

City Country has been around well before the concept of State of Origin was born, 1930 to be exact.

Under the residency rules for the first 56 years of it’s existence the Country side was made up purely of players who played for fun in Country rugby league.

A family friend of mine was Country’s halfback twice during the 1980s under these rules and holds it as his biggest achievement during his career.

Players from the bush would come up against players in the city who had all the facilities, the best players and the best coaches.

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Country played for pride (and still do) and representing their people during those times as well as the opportunities to test themselves against the best players from City.

Playing all of my junior rugby league for the Coonabarabran Unicorns in Group Four and 14 I always dreamed of wearing the Country jersey.

I was not alone on this and I can whole heartedly say almost all players who played their junior footy in the country, whether or not they went on to the NRL, would tell you they had a great desire to wear the Country jersey.

You only have to look at some of the players to wear the jersey and how many of them who cherished the opportunity they got to represent Country.

Names like Johns, Langlands, Churchill, Lazarus, Roach, Fulton and Clyde were all chosen in the Country team of the century.

While Churchill never played for Country he spent his formative years playing in Newcastle and then played for the Moree Boars in 1961 towards the end of his career.

Andrew Johns speaks of the great times he had playing for Country and relished every chance he got to don the colours.

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Bob Fulton himself never got to wear the Country colours but learnt his trade playing for Wests Illawarra.

The only thing that stopped them from playing for Country was the ‘residency rule’ and they played their careers out in the Sydney competition.

I would love to see players from the country getting a chance to represent Country while the NRL stars can still make themselves available.

Wouldn’t it be great if four spots were made available for players running around in country rugby league?

Bush footy may be on the decline but the best bush footballers would be able to make the jump and play for Country.

Open up some spots in the team and mix them in with the NRL based players who play for Country and then you have a legitimate game.

Bill it as Country taking on City in a ‘who’s the best’ type of match and not an ‘Origin trial’.

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Get back to its foundations and it makes the match more legitimate.

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