The underdog New Zealanders almost caused one of the great upsets on Friday night, Samoa and Fiji was the rugged game of footy we all knew it would be, while the annual City-Country contest repaid the faithful who braved a cold Dubbo afternoon to see a thrilling 26-all draw.
Don’t forget the New South Wales under-20s team who claimed a third consecutive victory over their Queensland rivals at Sportingbet Stadium, or the ladies who took the field at Allianz Stadium for an historic All Stars encounter.
But was it enough for the fans who watch eight quality games over most weekends of the NRL season?
You have to say no. The representative weekend has a place in a long rugby league season, but some tweaking is in order to get the most out of the weekend to ensure fans still get their serving of the greatest game of all.
The first thing we need to do is scrap the Australia-New Zealand Test and move the game to October, allowing players the chance to earn selection through State of Origin and club football. The Australian side being selected before Origin defies logic.
We could then schedule Origin over three straight weekends, giving NRL clubs a mid-season break which would also allow for a free-agency window.
This all still leaves plenty of space for other representative games.
If the Super League was willing, a Great Britain side could come across and play New Zealand on each of the Friday nights of Origin, giving us a legitimate mid-season Test series. There is your Friday timeslot all locked up.
City and Country could face off on the first Saturday afternoon at the family-friendly time of 3pm, followed in week two by the Queensland equivalent. A side can be picked from those two games to play a France or Italy in week three.
Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and Papua New Guinea could play a three-week Pacific Four Nations tournament, which would give us six games through the representative period.
Sunday afternoon’s Origin curtain raiser in week one would see the NSW under-20s facing Queensland, followed in week two by the increasingly popular women’s version before the best of the NSW Cup and Queensland Cup face off in week three.
Here are some possible teams from the second-tier competitions.
NSW Cup
Adam Quinlan, Cheyse Blair, Ryan Morgan, Dane Nielsen, David Williams, Luke Kelly, Sam Williams, Mark O’Meley, Matt McIlwrick, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs, Corey Paterson, James Hasson, Pat O’Hanlon. Bench: Shannon Boyd, Sione Lousi, Jack Buchanan, Matt Hilder.
Queensland Cup
Javarn White, Kyle Feldt, Stewart Mills, Jordan Kahu, Kalifa Faifai Loa, Cody Walker, Robert Lui, Mark Ioane, Jake Granville, David Hala, Ethan Lowe, Brendon Gibb, David Stagg. Bench: Matt Keating, Tim Natusch, Ricky Thorby, Todd Lowrie.
And on top of it all is State of Origin, the showpiece event that goes from strength to strength.
Representative weekends are a great idea, but we’ve got it backwards. Australia versus New Zealand on a Friday night isn’t enough to carry the concept alone, and needs more back-up than a Pacific Test match and a City-Country fixture on the Sunday.
If we’re going to do the representative weekends then we need to go all-in and really give it a chance.
POSSIBLE SCHEDULE
WEEK ONE
Friday
New Zealand v Great Britain (Auckland)
Saturday
City v Country (Country NSW)
Papua New Guinea v Fiji (Sportingbet Stadium – Double Header)
Samoa v Tonga (Sportingbet Stadium – Double Header)
Sunday
Under-20s State of Origin
State of Origin 1
WEEK TWO
Friday
New Zealand v Great Britain (Wellington)
Saturday
City v Country (Country Queensland)
Samoa v Papua New Guinea (AAMI Park – Double Header)
Tonga v Fiji (AAMI Park – Double Header)
Sunday
Women’s State of Origin
State of Origin 2
WEEK THREE
Friday
New Zealand v Great Britain (Christchurch)
Saturday
Prime Minister’s XIII v France or Italy
Papua New Guinea v Tonga (Auckland – Double Header)
Samoa v Fiji (Auckland – Double Header)
Sunday
NSW Cup v Queensland Cup
State of Origin 3
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
I don't know about boring but I do agree wholeheartedly that the season should be shortened and representative fixtures should be played after that season. I think that rugby league can have the best of both worlds - a thriving and meaningful domestic season AND international season.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
"RL needs to understand that for the game to grow they need Interrnational games." Someone who gets it!
turbodewd
Guest
NZ Origin?! They are flat out fielding a top quality test side. let the Kiwis determine if they want an SOO - not us.
code 13
Roar Guru
To be honest the only reason I support the City vs Country concept is because it's a top level rugby league match that promotes the game in a regional area. If the NRL took a round or a number of games across the season to these areas then it would only be a Possibles vs Probables and I do question its worth given NSW has had the alleged advantage of the trial match and still lost for the past 8 years. If the NRL played regular games in the bush then I'd only keep the City vs Country brand as a second tier game (Under 20s, Reserves/State Cup, regional group players).
turbodewd
Guest
I dunno, do we need even MORE games?! People barely watch rep games as it is. Fiji needed Petero to come out of retirement...i mean...thats a worry. How about a Country Qld 7s v Brisbane 7s comp as a curtain-raiser for Origin???
Curtis Woodward
Expert
Happy with any one of them in the side mate.
Nicholas Kutnjak
Guest
Curt i agree with the idea and scheduling but i would also add the RMC vs QLD Rangers match as well. Now please explain this NSW Cup squad you pick. Where is Nathan Smith, Geoff Daniela, Josh Mantellato and Mitch Conish?
Luke
Guest
Boring. All rep footy should be played after a shortened season. 3 straight weeks of origin and then tests. Nz need there own origin to run at the same time as ours
Gregg
Guest
I agree NZ and GB need to play 3 tests while SOO is on and thats why 3 stand alone weekends would be the right schedule. Have the pacific tests on as well and we would have a fantastic 3 weeks while also not making players back up after playing 2 days before or having players not being able to play for there NRL clubs. Then let Australia play internationals at the end of the year. NZ and England playing regular tests would really bring up there standard to test Australia regularly and the pacific teams would grow and grow. RL needs to understand that for the game to grow they need Interrnational games.
turbodewd
Guest
Hang on...whats this City v Country crap?! Dubbo failed to sell out their venue. This appendix of the NRL must be removed. Its a fake rivalry that doesnt exist. NSW v Qld is a real rivalry in real life, as in Aus v NZ.
Leonvsgodzilla
Guest
Good concept Curtis. You shld start a revolution, I will rally behind u......... In opposite world!
cwrigh13
Roar Rookie
Seriosly great idea. I would agree that a NZ origin series might be very interesting. Or maybe NZ Maor All Stars vs Australian Indigenous All-Stars.
Curtis Woodward
Expert
Pacific 9's would be entertaining for sure.
Curtis Woodward
Expert
Would love to see that.
turbodewd
Guest
How about Cook Islands vs someone. How about a 9s Pacific tourney?
jamesb
Guest
If NZ v GB game doesn't come through, then how about a NZ origin game.
ZooMan
Guest
Perfecto scheduling Curtis hope rugby league is listening.
Lion Down Under
Guest
This scheduling also takes showpiece games out of pre-season which is a good thing. Pre-season should start with the Auckland 9s, expanded to include Superleague sides and perhaps other teams and then it should be up to the clubs to arrange games but with a rule from the NRL that all games (except the Charity Shield between Souths and Dragons) must be played in regional and country areas that don't get NRL games.
Lion Down Under
Guest
Very good scheduling. If I was designing the season though I'd take this concept and put it at the end of the NRL Season. When the comp expands to 18 teams go to a regular season of 17 weeks (each team plays each other once in the regular season, home one year, away the next) and then the Finals series. This would be played every week, no byes, no interruptions. Coordinate with the Superleague in Europe so that the Grand Finals of both comps are played on the same weekend. Then have a week off , then play the World Club Challenge (taking it out of pre-season where it's a bit pointless). Then another week off and then play the three weeks you've outlined above. I'd also add another couple of games. Before the City - Country games you could play a CRL v NSW Cup game in NSW and a QRL Cup v Qld Districts game in Qld. Also to replace the Indigenous All Stars I'd pick composite teams of the best players from the Koori and Murri knockout comps, throw in a few NRL "ringers" and have them play each other as a further warm-up game to one of the Origin clashes