I would like to see some rugby matches involving NSW, Queensland, ACT and WA, where the players represent the provinces they came from. It could come after the Tri-Nation series and run at the same time as the Currie Cup in South Africa and NPC in New Zealand.
It could involve NSW playing Queensland home and away, and the ACT playing a Perth-based team home and away. Shorten the NSW and QLD club seasons by a month and those states could field B teams to play each other.
You can fill in the spaces, but I’d like to see a genuine QLD team: Moore, Sharpe, Chisolm, Elsom, Brown, Genia, Cooper, Hynes, Barnes, Mitchell, O’Connor Res. Horwill, Ioane
They could play a NSW team: Robinson, Polota-Nau, Alexander, Dennis, Mumm, Smith, Waugh, Palu, Burgess, Beale, Turner, Horne, Cross, Ashley-Cooper. Res Dunning
I believe such a match would generate a lot of “tribal” interest for the players and public alike. Most people probably don’t even know that guys like Elsom and Chisolm are Queenslanders.
ACT could include in their line-up Giteau and Peter Kimlin, as well as other ACT locals, and WA could include David Pocock and the best of their local competition.
Obviously, this isn’t ideal (eg. Giteau playing in a lower standard match), but Steve Waugh played for Bankstown occasionally.
Put the matches on for a season, promote them and see what the response is like from the public and the players.
It’s not perfect, but it doesn’t have to be perfect in the first season.
State of Origin started with one match and evolved into a three match series and it certainly has an enormous profile now- much more so than back in the early ’80s.
TigerMark
Roar Rookie
You're right about one thing, there aren't too many people caring about rugby in Australia at the moment. Interest is dwindling!
TigerMark
Roar Rookie
A strong Queensland team generally bodes well for the Wallabies and Australian rugby. My point exactly!
TigerMark
Roar Rookie
Not many people are interested in the Super 14 any more. The playing numbers in Australia have been overstretched to provide four teams in the Super 14 and the quality of our teams is poorer. It's not an issue of copying the NRL, it's about getting some more interest in Australian rugby.
TigerMark
Roar Rookie
I'm thinking about this in line with the Currie Cup and NPC. It's emerging that this once popular Super 12/14 concept is going down hill. The crowds in SA and NZ are more excited to go to national provincial matches than Super 14 matches. So would I. I don't give a hoot for structures and I don't even want it called State of Origin, I just want to see NSW play QLD with players representing their home states. I'll tell you what is stupid, the current calendar of matches in Australia's domestic season. Less is more!
Pippinu
Roar Guru
There's probably more of an imperative to do something like that in 7s than in the XV a side.
chief
Roar Rookie
Its a good idea actually, I really do like it. I think it should simply be a one off match, no series one game. Rotation each year. Could really bring QLD's spark back to the game.
brad
Guest
Best to have it in 7's LOL!
Ben
Guest
no-one cares - bad idea
Ben J
Guest
I said in another thread that there should be no reason why a mini provincial competition involving the existing Aus Super teams cannot exist. No wonder the other codes are capturing market share in the "competitive" Australian sports market when the only uncompetitive player is the ARU.
Pippinu
Roar Guru
SOO is unique - forget about it - it grew out of very specific circumstances - the old NSWRL taking the best Qld players - and grew from there. Those circumstances don't really apply in Union (and perversely, is a contributor to Union's current malaise - for example - if the NSWRU had been much, much stronger than the rest, had kept the Canberra Kookaburras in the comp, had invited the best Qld teams to join them - the fabled national comp would have been a reality 14 years ago). The AFL found that once the Eagles and Crows joined the comp, there was less of an imperative for their own version of SOO (which was the original one I might add). Union is in the exact same situation - state clubs are playing each other all the time - why have something else alongside it? (which means very little)
sheek
Guest
RU state of origin? Sorry.....stupid suggestion. Well meant, but still stupid. For starters, Australian RU is structured differently to RL.
Gary
Guest
Play it with no Super 14 Players eligible. Then we really would see some emerging talent. There is plenty in the Premier Grade Competitions.
TigerMark
Guest
I don't think either the ACT or WA should play against NSW or QLD. They can just play against each other. It might generate some interest for players and spectators in WA if their local players have a goal of making a representative side. Apparently Perth has large NZ and SA expat populations that might contribute players of a reasonable standard to take on an ACT rep side. Besides my main point is that I would like to see all the players that were born or raised in QLD that are currently playing in other Super 14 sides play together for QLD if only for a couple of games a season. They would be quality games played with a lot of passion. If it doesn't work out having Giteau and co. playing for ACT then maybe they can represent NSW like Campo used to. The game is quite boring at the moment. The tests get some publicity but when Australia is losing it's bad publicity. The popularity of the Super 14 in Australia is waning so I think putting a few other quality games on a season is a good thing.
Republican
Guest
No point in including WA, they have NO homegrown players to speak of, certainly not enough to make up a side in competing with the likes of NSW or Qld. The ACT would also struggle these days, given their academy has little to no local product, preffering Vic talent in looking to their future. Perhaps Vic should be the third origin contestant, they would certainly offer more local product than either WA and suprisingly the ACT, it would seem.
Chris
Guest
No, no and no!
M1tch
Roar Guru
most of the players in the NRL..not ALL
Bay35Pablo
Roar Guru
So WA will have 2 blokes and ACT say 10? Fill in the gaps with club players from each state who then get massacred because they are amateur club players? RL Origin works because it is between the 2 states that produce all the players. Origin would only work in union if it was between NSW and Queensland, BECAUSE THEY PRODUCE ALL THE PLAYERS. it's like suggesting Victoria play in the RL Origin because of the Storm, and then realising they aren't Victorian.
M1tch
Roar Guru
John O'Neil said they play Origin every week a few years back lol