Craig Bellamy made an interesting comment earlier this week when he was asked by former AFL champion Alastair Lynch if he had any concerns about releasing his players for State Of Origin.
Bellamy replied: ” Origin is a huge thing in our sport. Probably the grand final is about the only thing that might be a touch bigger… if it is.”
Could a mid-week best-of-three concept competition like Origin really be more important than the game that decides the season?
From a supporters perspective it probably is. An entire State follows each of the teams and the TV ratings and crowd for Origin II last Wednesday were comparable with those for last year’s Grand Final.
But if players had to make a choice would they really choose playing State of Origin over winning a premiership? From what I have witnessed during the last fourteen years, I think the answer is yes.
The importance of State of Origin to the players cannot be underestimated. Firstly, with a dearth of competitive international teams it is the highest standard of rugby league in the world.
Just as importantly, it appears the representatives of each State loathe each other which adds a spiteful physical element to the sublime skills.
As a Victorian following the game for the first time, I was surprised by the huge importance attached to these representative fixtures and the ferocity with which they were played.
I was glad for my team’s players to be selected as it was a recognition of their achievements and the esteemed status of the team but my eye was always on the big prize at the end of 26 gruelling rounds and the do-or-die finals matches. State of Origin is a magnificent spectacle but it compromises the team I follow.
You find yourself riding every big hit (which most tackles are in Origin) and just hoping your team’s players survive.
Unfortunately the players are not of the same mindset. It is the pinnacle of their game and they will do anything to play even if they’re not fit to do so. They will deny anything is wrong during these games and risk season ending injuries.
Should Billy Slater really have played the second half of Origin II with a torn posterior cruciate ligament? Was Neil Henry screaming through the television at his man Brent Tate to stay off the ground after he hobbled to the sidelines (only to return immediately to the brutal defensive line).
When Sharks coach Shane Flanagan saw inspirational captain Paul Gallen stay down after a tackle did he fear his team’s premiership chances were shot?
Bellamy did mention that Origin is a good for clubs because ” you think they [Origin players] are going to come back better for the experience”. While playing would certainly help prepare you for the pressures of a grand final it’s a fact that playing Origin is severely taxing on the mind and body. It must feel like you’ve played at least three grand finals already.
The coaches must decide whether to play their representative stars, or rest them and risk compromising ladder position.
Despite what some fans may say it’s difficult to know if Origin has cost teams a premiership. The Broncos, who have provided a hefty chunk of the Queensland squad over the years, haven’t lost a grand final; although Origin may have cost them a place in several of them.
The growth of Origin has been quite staggering, especially when you consider that Game 2 of the first series in 1980 drew a crowd of 1638. Wednesday’s game attracted 83,111.
When the panel of ex AFL players interviewing Bellamy couldn’t understand how NRL coaches could let Origin compromise their teams’ premiership aspirations, Bellamy explained: “All the players want to play Origin. All want to play at the highest level. It’s something we cherish”.
You can’t argue with that.
brad hayes
Guest
that`s a no brainer, YES
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Bearfax I note the Chinese are talking about spending $2bn on road infrastructure in PNG.It will indeed be a long process,but having a team in the Qld cup, filtering players into the u20 and then NRL teams, will only boost their international presence. LNG and PNG may rhyme, but will add immensely to the GNP of the country. I just find it irritating with some of these trolls who delight in bagging this country and by inference rugby league (3rd world at present) with a population of 6 million and having rl as their national sports,as being one of iimmaturity and dare I say it a little bit of jealousy.
Bearfax
Guest
Thing with Papua New Guinea is that it is still primarily agrarian. They have a few cities but not large urbanisation at this stage other than Port Morseby and perhaps Lae. Their infrastructure in general has a lot to develop, not just in Rugby League.Politically it is also still volatile But I suspect over the next 50 years, PNG, as long as they can get their politics right, will develop very quickly given the amount of untapped resources there. Knowing what the Chinese are doing in Oz and in Africa to get resources, they no doubt have an eye on this large island state and will probably invest heavilyt in improving infrastructure as part of a deal to get access to their mineral deposits. Australia is already doing this but to a much smaller extent to what China could. I suspect PNG will soon move quickly up the rankings of economically viable nations. Rugby League natrually will benefit big time from that development.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Err!! the international rules event,fixture,extravaganza kennoth, to be correct. Last I heard they use a round ball and a hell of a lot of netting,goal posts.. And what is their(PNG's) type of culture? Poverty? Lack of infrastructure or decent school?Many villages? Or the future with great resource development going on,which will improve the country. No wonder the AFL is keen to get a slice of the action there,which makes your culture comment ludicrous. The very same culture that involved a group of very special people in the WW2 (the Fuzzy Wuzzies) who saved many an Australian soldier's life,at personal risk to himself. I do not have to live in PNG to know what is happening there,although I knew a middle rating diplomat who worked there for a couple of years.Just as I do not have to live in Kings Cross .There is crime in every city and country . LOL estimated and guesses ,that advertisers put their faith in,Tv stations fight over,all because it is absoluely a waste of space.that is about he best I have read to date. Yet when G/F are replayed and get huge Tv ratings ,you suggesting they are guestimates,Demetriou doesn't believe so. The same guess that secured $1,25bn for your code.The more you write the deeper you dig the hole. How does News Corp virtually own the game of rugby league.Please explain?.They have no 50% partnership now.They have a share of the Broncos and own the Storm.You are really struggling on that one.There is no iron clad guarantee they will get rugby league on Foxsports.. No one is arguing the crowds,members and participation of AFL,you seem desperate to do so.You have the bull by the horn and don't actually read what was stated. I will spell it out one more time.Rugby league is after a niche market in the other states,they have the highest number of participants playing their game than any time in its history in this country.The numbers are growing in every state. the Tv ratings are so close to the AFL accumulative wise,there is perhaps a struck match between them. Rugby league has expanded into Victoria and NZ in the NRL,and this has not affected the SOO series. At least the Wookie an AFL man,has a clue what is going on . Them's the facts,deal with it.Or dispute them with real facts to make my day,instead of trying to be an Olympic Class troll..
Pot Stirrer
Guest
Get of the RL site your troll, your opinions are nausiating and were sick of the AFL propaganda, If your so happy with your game then why are you reading league articles?
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Bearfax interesting points.Also as far as Fiji is concerned quite a bit of rl activity happening there,in fact quite a lot. http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=204301 When a sport is growing to the extent it is running out of grounds,thing are moving in the right direction.
kennoth
Guest
Crosscoder has said "where rules or balls don’t have to be bastardised to get a game going" . Are you saying the SHERRIN is a bastard of a ball ??? please explain ! Having lived in P.N.G for over 10yrs I would say RL is a ideal sport for their type of culture. TV ratings and estimated audiences are just that i.e guesses made up by the media for the media interests. Dont forget News corp virtually owns the game of RL Bums on seats , club membership, sport participation is what make AFL the national footy code and will remain so. Now try and tell me that RL has more registered players Australia wide than AFL then i will really LOL !
Bearfax
Guest
In fact Fiji has a population of over 900,000 and wait for it, Papua New Guinea (without Irian Jaya) has a population about as large as NSW, at over 6 million...and they love Rugby League. Gosh we are missing an opportunity if we dont get them into the comp.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
There are also some ex WA,I can understand you are surprised,because according to some the code is not played in other states.There is one from SA,who played for the Titans last weekend. And a niche is all the code is after,just as your code is achieving in the northern states.Yet rl has more kids playing the game in the southern states than ever before,meaning growth. in fact more plying the game in the country ,than any time in the code's history. Footy love the term,means different things to different people. NZ is taken by ru and the PI.We will stick to national code of PNG,which has a population as big as VIC/WA/SA/TAS combined.You stick to the national code of those 3/4 states.. Playing teams from other countries amounts to nothing LOL 1.5million watching on TV in Oz the last NZ v Oz test suggests a lot of nothings.International matches ,where rules or balls don't have to be bastardised to get a game going. Always a pleasure to assist.Moderated in a rl forum for ,defending the game again, shame.
kennoth
Guest
Surprised to learn that there are at least 6 NRL regulars ex NT comp. Nt should be eligible for SOO competition very soon ...I'd like to see that !! Anybody that seriously thinks that NRL can grow beyond token value in southern states has rocks in their heads. ITS Just "not footy" my friend ! You can have NZ and pacific islands they amount to nothing in the whole picture.
dishes
Guest
sorry, i got a bit carried away with the whole 'american sports' argument. i think i (sort of) made my point apart from that.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Really kennoth,perhaps you an explain the so called current impact of the Lions,Suns,GWS crowdwise,all involved in non heartland states and all having little impact on the non heartland Tv ratings. And I could add the Swans despite their appearance at the top of the ladder. The Lions losing money hand over foot,the other two being propped up financially and with the pick of youth by head office all well and good for expansion,but telling me not having SOO assists belies the figures. Of course one knows the ratings impact and crowds for both the Qld NRL teams,suggesting SOO has no impact on their crowds,norTV ratings which your code would love to secure in the sunshine state. In effect regardless of the numbers of so called true blue Qlders playing AFL,has done littel to boost the crowds and Tv ratings there. Next you will be telling us like I have heard before,Qld is an AFL state. And the NRL have had at least half a dozen players from the NT ,so that says little about SOO impactsAnd 8 running around in various NRL U20 comps.. I understand your genuine concern that SOO rates so well and has big crowds,thus offering the code substantial financial benefit,but as the saying goes thems the breaks. The fact the NRL clubs acknowledge the importance of SOO,the fact the players want to play it,suggests your comment not having a SOO is somehow beneficial to growth,when the code has alrready expanded to NZ and Melbourne,and no doubt Perth in 2015,looks rather hollow.And quite frankly they also happen to be the facts.
kennoth
Guest
NO impact .ha ha ! Consider this "crosscoder", over 50 true Qlanders pulled on a boot to play AFL at the highest level in the last few weeks. Thats more than Bronco/ Cowboys combined. And all this in spite a media blackban on all things AFL. No impact. Get the facts. Its on your face !!
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Kennoth. The impact being made in the other non tradittional states(by not having a SOO series) is hardly setting the world on fire.Depsite all the promotional activities,money spentby the AFL. So I would not use not having a SOO ,as a basis for growth in new areas.It falls flat on its face.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
I have read the comments by other AFL people as to SOO,.some of their points are considered and IMO worthwhile conrtibutions.I am not asking for your respect RedB ,I don't need it..
Nick
Guest
Which American sports? Ice Hockey and Basketball are both Olympic sports. Baseball was an Olympic sport up till 2008 and there were 16 countries in the last baseball world cup. Besides American Football, most major American sports are international sports.
Leaping Larry
Guest
Just to clarify, we're Melbournians, not Melbournites.
josh
Guest
It will get bigger! Next year Mal will anounce the selection of Lebron James on the wing, given his eligibility from once considering a holiday on the Barrier Reef. Next Lionel Messi will be flown in to kick goals for the Maroons as his girlfriend saw a Tourism QLD advertisement in her latest copy of OK Magazine, and just to keep things competitive Clay Mathews will lock the scrum for QLD as he was spotted by Des Morris partying in Surfers on an end of season trip - all above board mind you.
dishes
Guest
I'm not sure how you think not having representative games is a "plus" for AFL. What you don't get Kennoth is we don't want a 'national game' with no representative games. We want to play New Zealand and England in rugby league, and we want state representative games because they are a pathway to those national games. We don't want a shallow game only played within Australia and nowhere else. That's what I dislike about american sports, they are all played amongst themselves in one country, and the same goes for the AFL. You need some perspective on rugby league, it is a sport that engages other countries too, like cricket and soccer (although too a lesser extent).
kennoth
Guest
...as usual NRL is playing catch up to Rules. AFL abandoned soo 20 years ago to enable to code to grow to its national level today. Its just too late for RL to ever make any impact in any states beside QLD and NSW. Embrace soo by all means but suffer the national consequences.