We all know Queensland have dominated NSW for eight years running, it’s no surprise as the team is basically the Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos.
It’s not surprising we as fans of the great game watch it each year with anticipation to see if NSW can upset Queensland, however – short of NSW coming up with some fantastic players, a new coach and trainer – I don’t foresee a series win for the Blues in a while.
After watching this year’s series, I’m not really excited about next year’s, not necessarily because I’m a NSW supporter or because my love of rugby league has diminished over the years, but because it’s not as entertaining anymore.
Firstly, if we look at the great players of the game they have all played 20 plus State of Origin games over the space of their careers (if they are retired).
As well as having three every year if you play well enough to get picked for the team for, say, five years in a row, you have 15 games under your belt.
To make the series even more interesting maybe we should extend the gap to two or three years between a series, in order to make it a more substantial contest as well as make it more important to players who get picked for their respective sides.
Secondly, the mass marketing of the matches, with ticket sales and advertising the game, is too much.
If you’re a true supporter you would already know the day the State of Origin is on and you would have a gigantic red circle of it on your calendar at home, counting down the days until the big match.
An easy solution to the mind numbing contention for TV advertising space among the codes is simple and rather cheap in comparison to the millions of dollars spent of State of Origin advertising each year – minimize advertisements using maximum placement.
For example, millions of people listen to the radio on their drive to work and you can guarantee most people are at home by 6:30 eating dinner and watching TV.
I find it ridiculous even though you’re watching the State of Origin an advertisement for the next one comes up on the bottom left hand side of the screen every five minutes.
It’s distracting me from the game they want me watching – seems silly to me.
Third and last is the big hoo-hah at the end of the game. One win in a series isn’t worth a victory lap, when you win the series, come let me know and I’ll cheer for you then.
In conclusion I suggest four main ways of improving the State of Origin’s watchability:
1) Turn the competition into a one series every two or three years.
2) Reduce advertising (it’s like a federal election most years).
3) Don’t be repetitive (every year some Aussie singer no one’s heard of comes along and murders our national anthem, it’s sad to see).
4) When looking into the Queensland team, watch this:
Ed Norton
Guest
This article is....sorry
deanp
Guest
What a gawd awful song, sung in a horrible self-satisfied poncy voice. That abomination of a song illustrates exactly what is wrong with modern Oz society. Too many loud mouth bigots. Petero is a proud Qlder. Oz is a multi-cultural nation now, with 25 percent of the population born overseas. It's time for the bigots to accept that fact, or p!ss off, because they are not needed.
Brett Osmond
Roar Rookie
In reply to all the comments, i do have pulse, and in all honesty the 5 minute flashes of the next game really aren’t a reason to not watch the game, i just find it annoying. I don’t think my article is crazy, granted i knew a few things in it would cause a stir, but hear me out on my one major point, the gap between series. Think of how big it is right now, I would have to agree it is the biggest NRL competition bar none, the rivalry, the camaraderie etc. Now, I urge you to have a look, at my side of the argument. if we had the state of origin every 2 years, it would bring, bigger crowds, more money, also Australia would need larger infrastructure to support the massive crowds, as well as the publicity it brings itself, the game play would be better, it would turn into a Mini-World Cup "although ill get some scathing remark about how Australia isn't the world", but hear me out. For a player like Billy Slater who hasn’t missed an origin side in forever, what would it force him to do to make the team, simply put... Play better! In a 2 year competition, its not just who was the best players for the 6 months that they were looking, but for a two year period... they would take the best of the best and pit them against each other. All im suggesting is there is the possibility of turning a ‘great game’ as you say fantastic.
Glenn Innes
Guest
Superstar - This site seems to have a large number of people who dislike Origin because they view it as provincial and it annoys them that in Australia it so much bigger than Test Football. The reason it is so much bigger is because four games out of five it is so much better simple as that.People are not complete morons marketing can take you so far but as the Americans say when the rubber hits the road you have to produce the goods and for thirty years origin has.
Glenn Innes
Guest
Crazy man cazy - I was talking to an old work mate of mine just the other day who retired to a small Victorian town called Warrnambool- I was asking him about what sort of interest there was in Rugby League there, and his reply - nobody cares less about it except State Of Origin they all watch that.
Mantis
Roar Guru
I hope we win next year. Realistically though, its unlikely. QLD will have the same team, and two games in QLD.
Daniel Szabo
Roar Guru
But what's not to like about Origin? You can't honestly tell me that something as trivial as an ad for the next game in the bottom corner of your screen puts you off watching the highest quality rugby league on the face of the earth.
Muzz
Guest
Brett, Do you have a pulse mate? : )
cowelly
Guest
I stopped reading when you started to come up with ideas. puting a couple of years gap between the comp? Why? Next year NSW will win. Their demise came from not putting time, money and effort into development unlike the Queenslanders.. NSW has adopted this a few years ago and they will eventually become victors. And when they do, Origin will again be one of the closest, most incredible rivalries in world sport.
ctar
Guest
Your article is crazy... The ARLC won't be changing a thing about Origin. It is just a massive cash cow for them and Ch.9. The problem with Origin is that is has become so big that is overshadows the International game and even the grand final to many casual fans.
Jo
Guest
Worst article ever. Destroy the stronghold of RL strategic broadcasting.. Derp.
Ken
Guest
So your evidence about it failing is that each of the 3 games stands near the top of the yearly ratings lists every single year? Ratings are not absolute numbers, they are a comparative tool - and compared to any other individual event, and far more than any other series, State of Origin is immensely popular.
Scott
Guest
Keep in mind that the AFL GF also pulls on average 4-4.5 million as well. Not that this is a code-comparison argument, but in the context of ratings, Origin is still one of the biggest events going. You can’t put it in the context of total population: look at when new TV shows from America are pumped. “20 million Americans watched!”…yeah, out of 300 million. And yet, it’s still massive over there. Out here, whenever anything cracks 3 million viewers, it’s massive. 4 million is mind boggling.
Scott
Guest
Brett Osmond
Roar Rookie
I would have to agree 4.855 Million people is an incredible number, and as you say 21% of the population is a lot of people, however, no matter which way you look at the number it is still a minority with roughly 79% of the population uninterested or un-entertained.
eagleJack
Guest
4.855 million in a country of 23.272 million is an incredible number (approx 21%). This would suggest that a lot of people LOVE the concept.
Dylan
Roar Pro
"I find it ridiculous even though you’re watching the State of Origin an advertisement for the next one comes up on the bottom left hand side of the screen every five minutes. It’s distracting me from the game they want me watching – seems silly to me." On the big screen at home or the local pub this stuff is minor at best. No, you just seem silly to me
Brett Osmond
Roar Rookie
Storm Boy It’s apparent that many people in this country don’t like the State of Origin for example: 'LAST night's third State of Origin decider was the highest rating game since the introduction of the OzTam TV rating system in 2001. The game, won by Queensland and shown on Channel Nine, and Gem in WA, recorded a peak audience of 3.103 million and an average of 2.699 million viewers. It was the number one program of the night, peaking at 4.855 million and averaging 4.195 million viewers. It was seen by 1.61 million in Sydney, 865,000 in Brisbane, 464,000 and 95,000 in Adelaide.' http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/television/last-night8217s-state-of-origin-decider-was-most-watched-game-since-oztam-system-was-introduced/story-e6frfmyi-1226681637020 Current Australian Population is estimated at - 23,272,467 http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs%40.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/1647509ef7e25faaca2568a900154b63?OpenDocument You do the math...
Dylan
Roar Pro
wow brett. just wow. and you call yourself a fan
Storm Boy
Guest
You're not entertained by Origin anymore Brett? Crowds, ratings & chatter suggest you are speaking for the minority.