A long time ago in a rugby league universe far, far away, City versus Country signalled the beginning of the sport’s representative season.
It was a chance for talented players from the bush to stake their claim in the game and maybe get picked for the New South Wales team in their annual clash against Queensland.
In 1975, Country Firsts shocked their City counterparts with a 19-9 win at the SCG. This was the last time a Country team won a match against City until Origin rules were brought in.
However, the game was a trial, and remained so while there were light blue jerseys up for grabs in the state clashes. Of course, from there, an Australian team was selected to play either the touring Great Britain side or a three-Test series against New Zealand.
From the mid-’70s to the early ’80s, the City Firsts, NSW and Australian teams were virtually identical in make-up, given that the cashed-up Sydney clubs were raiding rural and interstate talent while they were still taking their first tentative sidesteps.
State Of Origin changed everything.
In fact, State Of Origin became a bigger game than any Test match: more fiercely contested, more watched, more anticipated than the lopsided contests with Great Britain. Only a fractured Australian squad in the mid ’80s, where divisions based on state boundaries splintered the team, resulted in New Zealand coming close to a series win.
It was about then that we should have left City-Country behind.
Now, the game has even less meaning, as it is played on or after the same night as Australia’s annual Test against New Zealand. (As an aside, this was supposed to be an ANZAC tribute match, which sounds fine except that the Kiwis and the Australians were on the same side at Gallipoli and the game is never played on ANZAC Day anymore.)
In fact, rugby league’s entire representative season is muddled with the first international happening weeks before State Of Origin. Apart from the obvious rivalry, it now takes meaning away from State Of Origin because players aren’t playing for a green and gold jersey. However, Origin has created an annual border war, and the marketing geniuses of commercial TV are milking it for every cent they possibly can.
City-Country inspires nothing of the sort. It is an anachronism and if I was an NRL coach, I’d be mighty cranky if I lost a player or two to injury from this meaningless fixture.
Also worth noting is that City-Country is squeezed into the schedule – there is no split round like there is for the Origin series. It’s as if the rugby league hierarchy feel it’s like the troublesome visitor who has outstayed his welcome at the barbecue, who brings no snags or beer, but the host is too polite to say anything.
It’s time to show the unwanted interloper the door and banish City-Country to the archives.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
Just when you think NRL tipping is getting easy, it bites you on the backside. Last round looked like a pretty open and shut…
Whether it is for his football form or comments around his Aboriginal heritage, Mitchell may just be the most talked about player in the history of the game.
With the odds of Wayne Bennett returning to the Rabbitohs next year shortening by the hour, there is one question he should be asking…
The lawyer representing former Manly prop Lloyd Perrett in proposed legal action against the Sea Eagles has predicted a spate of more civil suits…
All the team list information for Round 9.
The latest Paul Kent fracas has livened up things for rugby league fans this week, and looks like providing plenty of storylines over the…
