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Friday night’s so called ‘ANZAC’ Test is meaningless for many Australian and Kiwi fans as there is no context to it.
What is the ANZAC Test? It is a one-off Test between Australia and New Zealand played in April each year and has been going since 1998.
If the Kiwis can win on Friday night, what does that mean? Is New Zealand now the team to beat? By winning a one-off game?
Kangaroo coach Tim Sheens raised an interesting issue this week. Having to defend the timing of the early season Test between Australia and New Zealand and it’s relevancy, he said: “I know it (the Test) is before State of Origin, but that is a little out of sync as Origin was invented to be a trial for the Tests.”
State of Origin is now no longer a trial for an Australian jumper.
It is a spectacle in itself, a showpiece that has become a standalone event over time. Players are selected because they are Origin players. Test form is irrelevant.
Part of this is to do with the treatment of the event – it is scheduled for the middle of the year, over six weeks, and players go into camp.
It sounds awfully familiar to The Rugby Championship.
On this basis, let’s schedule State of Origin in April and May, when the bulk of the players are still fresh. Select players who have potential to wear the green and gold, and players who can make the step up into the next level.
Then, after the Australian selectors have a good look at the Origin performances, use June, July and August for a Test series, Four Nations or Tri-Nations model and select a team from there.
Apparently officials are meeting in Canberra this week to discuss the possibility of the British Lions touring in 2015. That would be brilliant.
Why does Origin have to be played mid-year?
At the moment the Rugby League International Federation has a chance make changes to the Test match program.
The Four Nations has been great, built on the Tri-Nations success, and the World Cups in 2013 and 2017 are firmed. They could do worse than follow the success of rugby union – they know how to compile a strong Test program.
State of Origin will always be it’s own entity. That doesn’t have to change.
But if we want to hear the same arguments about meaningless one-off Tests, the NRL and RLIF need to take action with their Test program and make some hard calls about the season schedule. We can only dream.
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