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This isn’t just a moan from a bloke looking down the barrel of getting a big goose egg next to his tips for the weekend, after all statistically it is just as hard to get every tip wrong as it is to get every tip right.
But as I watched an under strength Dragons succumb to the Raiders I was left wondering whether it was right for all these sides to be putting out teams missing their big guns.
Yes, I know, I know, if you don’t want to lose players over the rep season don’t sign rep players. I believe it myself and used it on Friday.
But would everything work better if the Origin series was held on a stand- alone weekend?
I know there are a number of issues to work through regarding the draw and fitting in the club matches, but I think it’s a discussion worth having. After all even Elton John knows that Saturday night is alright for fighting.
Should Origin, one of the highlights of the rugby league calendar, be on a Wednesday?
Should players who go through be asked to back up just days later?
And in these days when everything has a price and everyone talks about the TV deal, has the question been asked as to whether the State of Origin series would be worth more if played on (and therefore broadcast on) a Saturday?
I must admit the pressure of the deadline means I haven’t even made up my own mind before posing this question, but I know the one argument I won’t buy is “it’s always been on a Wednesday”. Surely that something has a tradition of being mid week is the poorest reason to keep it there.
Maybe Origin has finally grown to the point where by it deserves its own weekend/s.
Looking for a quick solution for the club matches would be starting the season a week earlier and running it a week longer. And given how abbreviated the rounds are before an Origin, I’m not sure what we are missing.
Or hell, cut a few games. The clubs don’t play everyone twice anyway so it can potentially trimmed more.
The Origin period is always known for tossing odd results (perhaps something I should have factored in when making my weekly tips!). While this often is seen as a good thing, as some battlers get some unexpected wins and the gun sides are forced to roll out the kids, you could also argue that enough is already done to level the playing field, and a further leg up for the weaker sides is the last thing we need.
In the end maybe all we should hope for is that clubs continue to take this oddness on the chin and don’t complain about rivals for semi finals spots getting a free kick by taking on sides missing large chunks of their best team.
At least the Tigers all seem to be on speaking terms again.
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