The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

MASCORD: Origin should transcend the Brisbane-Sydney connection

18th June, 2015
Advertisement
Michael Jennings doesn't deserve a Blue jersey this season in his current form. (AAP Image/Joe Castro)
Expert
18th June, 2015
113
2105 Reads

The plan to play two Origin games in Queensland next year, followed by two in NSW in 2017, should be scrapped following the blazing success of Wednesday night’s MCG thriller.

The battle over whether Origin should be used as a marketing battering ram in new territories has been around for a while now and the NRL has sensibly outlined an even-handed strategy of taking a game on the road every third year.

This takes care of concerns that NSW have been responsible for most of Origin’s missionary work in previous years.

But I find it difficult to remember a more impressive rugby league occasion in Australia in 29 years as an accredited journalist than Wednesday night’s Origin II, watched by 91,513 fans.

Not only was it a record crowd for an interstate match but – aside from the idiots who interrupted the minute’s silence for Ron Clarke – the atmosphere was uplifting, the pre-match entertainment hit the spot and the match itself lived up to the hype.

I say ‘in Australia’ because the Challenge Cup final at Wembley remains the sport’s no. 1 occasion to me, by virtue of it not just being a match but almost a defacto Northern Pride parade in London each year, with fans of all clubs and the sort of singing you don’t get in Oz.

This year’s will be even better, falling as it does on the 120th birthday of the game itself. But I digress…

Going back to two games each in Brisbane then Sydney looks, in the cold light of day after Wednesday’s triumph, a retrograde step.

Advertisement

Every sport needs a pilgrimage, an event that brings its supporters together in the midst of a campaign where they are forever on opposite sides of a fence.

Wembley does that for rugby league supporters in England and Origin could do it on an annual basis for fans in Australia and New Zealand.

It was actually refreshing to hear the TV news presenter here in Melbourne on Wednesday refer to Origin II as an event “rugby supporters” have been looking forward to – there is satisfaction to be had as the invading, misunderstood hoards from the north.

Imagine if, each year, rugby league fans could plan a trip to Auckland or Perth or Adelaide of Abu Dhabi or London (Dubai, you are dead to me) for an Origin game – while the game’s coffers were filled by incentives from the local governments.

This would also render the competition itself more even – one home game each plus a missionary visit to territories new.

Before we hear the arguments about other sports not stooping to sell off their blue chip products, have we not had a Bleidisloe Cup in Hong Kong, NFL matches in London, etc?

If there was only one Origin game each year, I could understand this argument – selling it off to the highest bidder would be morally desolate. But three? It’s built for compromise.

Advertisement

Look, I know that changing the plans for the next two years would be akin to a broken election promise. It’s not going to happen.

So after we go to the new Perth super-stadium in 2018, let’s just make sure we keep Origin on the road each season so we have more occasions to savour like this week’s.

close