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Pacific Cup the answer to Origin scheduling

Roar Guru
13th August, 2013
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Roar Guru
13th August, 2013
25

If the NRL wants to have average crowds of well over 20,000, one of things they must do is improve NRL scheduling around State of Origin.

For too long, NRL matches have been played without Origin players during the Origin series. Not only does it cheapen the product of the NRL, it also rips off fans who go to the games at the ground.

The current tv deal expires in 2017, which means we are stuck with the current arrangements of players missing club matches due to Origin commitments.

Plus, we are stuck with the ANZAC Test and the ever popular (I’m not sarcastic at all) City/ Country game.

However, one thing the NRL could do is reduce the gaps between Origin matches been played, where instead of having them every three weeks, have it every two. That way, at least the NRL competition is protected by two weeks.

In one of my previous articles, I suggested the idea of having a four team tournament called it the ‘Provincial Origin Championship’, comprising of two New Zealand teams, Auckland and Counties, the English Super League Exiles and the Papua New Guinea-Pacific Islands.

That idea didn’t fare well with too many Roarers. However, I’ll have another go with an idea already mooted on this site, and yet it is probably the most sensible one.

From 2018 onwards, have a Pacific Cup tournament during the State of Origin series. Schedule it on three separate, stand-alone rep weekends, with the NRL comp taking a break.

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New Zealand could have their own Origin match or series. At the same time, scrap the ANZAC Test and City/Country game.

The Pacific Cup would be contested by four teams, with each team playing each other once over three weekends.

Nations to compete would be the likes of Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa. The winner of the Pacific Cup would qualify for the Four Natons tournament and join the big three – Australia, New Zealand and England – after the NRL season.

I understand the Pacific Cup won’t be as high standard as Origin or a Test match between the ‘big three’, however, the players taking part, whether it’s from heritage, or where they were born, would put so much passion into their respective countries, which was highlighted earlier in the year in that Tonga v Samoa Test match.

It would make the Pacific tournament very meaningful.

Roughly 70 to 90 players would take part, depending on form, injuries or suspension. However, the NRL doesn’t have up to 90 players born from the Pacific, so it needs to have the right eligiblity rules in place to allow players of Pacific heritage who are born at either Australia or New Zealand to take part.

In the beginning, relax some of the eligiblity rules to allow players like Akuila Uate of Fiji, who has played State of Origin, to come back playing for their country of birth.

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But once the tournament matures and becomes established, then those rules need to be strict. Example, if a player chooses to play State of Origin, or play Test football for either Australia or New Zealand, then they are not eligible to go playing for another country.

The one thing the Pacific touranment needs to avoid is for it to be dominated by 90% of players that are either born in Australia or New Zealand. If it’s around 60-70%, that would be a good start.

But with hard work and good recruiting from NRL clubs, along with shrewd planning from the NRL, the Pacific tournament could become a legitimate concept, even as early as 2018.

There are also players from the Island countries below the NRL level at either NSW, Queensland or Under 20s Cups.

In the Queensland Cup, there’s Eastern Suburbs Tigers and Papua New Guinea hooker Tom Butterfield. In the NSW Cup, Samoan born half Penani Manumalealii plays for the Cronulla Sharks. While in the NRL Under 20s Cup, Parramatta second rower Tui Kamikamica hails from Fiji.

In another positive development, there is a chance that next year, Papua New Guinea will field a team in the Queensland Cup.

That would be a significant step forward for Papua New Guinea rugby league – not only because it enhances Papua New Guinea’s future prospects of a side in the NRL, but it also gives Papua New Guinea players a genuine pathway towards the NRL.

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Slowly but surely, Papua New Guinea players will come through to the NRL via their Queensland Cup side. Not only would it be good for the NRL, but also great for the Papua New Guinea Kumuls, as it strengthens their national side.

IThe NRL should also expand to 20 teams in the future. Not only would the NRL want to go to new areas like Perth, Adelaide or Wellington, but it also creates new spots/vacancies for players from other countries.

The NRL needs to be a comp where the world comes to play, similar to the English Premier League, but obviously on much smaller scale.

In a roundabout way, improving the scheduling around State of Origin, would not only benefit the NRL competition, but also international rugby league.

It’s a win-win situation.

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