While it is great for New South Wales to finally win back the Origin shield, the standard of competition in the NRL has dropped.
Origin is the pinnacle of the game and for some great servants – such as Paul Gallen – who haven’t achieved premiership glory, it becomes like a grand final every time they step out in the NSW jersey.
But what toll is Origin having on the fairness of the main competition?
First of all, NRL games have become easily predictable over the Origin break. In Round 11 I tipped five from five, Round 13 I had eight from eight and Round 14 I tipped four from five. If you looked at my tipping results from the rest of the year you would know that I am no tipping genius.
In an age where the salary cap has made the competition closer than ever, missing two or three marquee players can pretty much end your chances of winning.
The next issue is the bye schedule. This is an incredibly difficult task to complete, and the NRL do their best to comply with most teams requests, but it’s hard to deny that some teams get a better deal than others.
Looking at the draw, the key byes are those preceding an Origin match. Origin stars are rested, so if you are a team with no rep players then you can pretty much add two points to your tally. If your team is brimming with talent then those weekends are a nightmare.
Is this simply the cost of success or does it make the competition uneven? In 2014, seven teams have both their byes in rounds without rep players, while five teams have their byes both fall outside of these rounds.
The Warriors, who have byes in Rounds 14 and 17, would have loved to have games on both of those weekends, as Jacob Lillyman is their only Origin player. The Rabbitohs get to play these games and are only missing Greg Inglis, and even though he is a massive loss, other teams are missing much more talent.
On the other hand, the Bulldogs have games in all three Origin effected rounds, with both of their halves unable to play, along with Tony Williams and Josh Morris for Round 11.
Having already lost in Rounds 11 and 14, it’s no wonder Des Hasler is blowing up about the unfairness of the draw. With a Round 17 match up against the table topping Manly side (who will likely be missing just Daly Cherry-Evans for Origin 3), Canterbury are looking at three losses from three for 2014 Origin rounds.
As much as I love Origin on a Wednesday night, probably because it is all I’ve known, it might be time to make the change to ensure the NRL season doesn’t become so predictable and subpar for nine weeks in the middle of every year.
Whether that be having Origin on three consecutive weekends, like Wayne Bennett suggests, or another solution, 2014 should be the year that marks the end of fans having to pay good money to see their team play minus their biggest stars.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Alex Not arguing the point on higher $ per player head, partly due to the undersold last Tv deal by Gallop that is a given and will not be corrected perhaps til 2018.And NRL players who represent both SOO and Tests get a whole lot more ,nothing to do with the salary cap,that should also be included.. The fact the NRL is using $40m plus of its Tv deal for the future fund ,is one reason the clubs are not getting a huge salary cap.Part of the reason the code got Touch Footie on board. In fact any NRL player can, if he is able to but agree doubtful ,secure limitless dollars from non NRL sponsors not associated with either the NRL or his club Don't know where you get your stats from Alex,but the NRL salary cap for a starters is based on 25 players.In fact from what I have gleaned, the Swans had 38 players on their primary list in 2013 stretched into their salary cap. It's all very well holding up a sport to be the epitome of a business,but even then there are anomalies. You cannot ignore clubs like W BUlldogs lost $143,000 (not big) Saints $2.6m Melbourne $1.7m and Brisbane with $1.57m and that is at the end of a run of losses.And the largesse of $20m pa into two clubs to assist must also be viewed as outside the bounds of normal .Matter of fact many an AFL fan bagged rl for having clubs relying on them (poker machines)for revenue,yet ignored the same situation with quite a few Melbourne clubs.It was always kept pretty qiuiet in the Northern media. As for the NRL yes there are clubs losing money but just to put things into perspective ,the Sharks were on the way to a break The even 2013,and ASADA intervened.Souths I understand made a small profit. The Sharks will have $50 m behind them within the next two years putting them in the top 4 -5 NRL clubs.They get SFA monies from the licensed club/poker machines,as it stands now.. The Knights with Tinkler out of the equation are in the best financial situation since their existence.The Tigers board is being re viewed .Any monies lent by the nRL will have to be returned. Melbournë's annual losses have been reduced substantially ,and the new owners are looking at break even in 5years from 2013.' I suggest NZ Warrior's revenues are well up on 2013. The NRL would never even with the future fund, underpin new teams to the tune of $20m pa in non heartland areas.They will not do it in heartland areas . I reaffirm what I earlier stated,football clubs are not money making ventures as a whole.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
Crosscoder, the AFL salary cap is over 9.5 million for the AFL for 22 players in the team, for the NRL it's 6.5 million for 17 players in the team -- the AFL is higher per head. Obviously with the second tier cap, rookie/vet listings, etc it's a bit more complex though, but the average wage of an NRL player is half that of an AFL player. Of the AFL clubs in 2013, 5 are profitable without non-football revenue (mostly poker machines), and the majority are profitable which is the bottom line. The NRL can't make the same claim, only 3 NRL clubs are breaking even (let alone profitable) without non-football revenue (those being the Broncos, Bulldogs, and Cowboys, of those 3 only the Broncos make a substantial profit) and half of them are losing money (Gold Coast, Souths, Manly, Newcastle, Melbourne, NZ, Wests, and Cronulla) -- the other 5 break even due to leagues clubs (so, also poker machines).
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Alex two more teams .higher salary caps indeed ,yet needed for larger player numbers,and support staff.I would be careful with your comment as to the financial security of clubs in the other code.I can name three that are losing money hand over foot,one in another state continually losing money and calling for help ,and two being propped up to the tune of $20m pa.Some even needing poker machine revenue .Let's not get too cocky. You can generally run a business better if you have the financial backing.Gallop has to take some resposnsibiltiy for underselling the code,thereby reducing the available funding. Football clubs are generally(yes there are exceptions) not profitable enterprises in this country.
The Barry
Guest
The whole channel 9 are super villains is tiresome . 9 enter into negotiations with the NRL, they pay a lot of money and are entitled to make some coin off the back of it. Looking after and protecting the game is the nrl's responsibility.
The Barry
Guest
Buggy - the point isn't about bagging or weakening origin it's about keeping origin as the pinnacle without slaughtering a third of the NRL season. I love origin and think game 1 is up there with the greatest games I've ever seen but the standard of the NRL has been terrible over the last 6 weeks. What worked thirty years ago in terms of elite players backing up and missing games doesn't work any more. I agree with you that origin needs to remain the priority but what sport ruins a third of its comp for the sake of a rep or all stars game? If the whole of European soccer can manage to schedule international games involving 30 or more countries without impacting 5 or 6 elite competitions, surely the NRL can find something better.
Vivalasvegan
Guest
May be right TD, but we used to have it back in the day in the uk. I followed Wigan in the second division. It was the clubs getting too much power and not wanting to be punished for failure that ended it lets be honest, collecting a wooden spoon does not have the drama, or the terror, of dropping a division and looking at playing Cronulla, Canberra, Adelaide, Central Coast... The Warriors would be up and down like a bride's nightie...
Jim Jones
Guest
I agree, teams know there is going to be Origin every year. Why don't they structure their team in such a way to minimize the impact?
john badseed
Guest
So nine paid $100m a year just for 3 games? Hope they break even.
Michael Buggy
Roar Rookie
Starting with the article, this whole page is predominantly a complaints forum. "Something has to be done" is the predominant theme. Origin is the greatest thing league has. Game 1 was an experience every footy fan should savour. For this reason how can anyone advocate changing the current set-up? There is a flow on effect in that club footy drops off to an extent. The only complete solution to this so-called predicament is to abandon Origin. Is anyone calling for a solution prepared to go without Origin? Of course not. Club footy drops off because of the disparity between the highest and lowest paid players. This flow on effect from Origin can be rectified by lifting the second tier salary cap. If Reynolds and Hodkinson play Origin and their replacement is a part time barman named Damien Cook, of course Canterbury are going to struggle. The second tier cap is only $440,000. That is nothing. There are many things wrong with rugby league but instead of criticising we should spend more time celebrating everything that makes the game great. If we want the NRL to thrive in 5, 10, 20 years we need to promote and not denigrate our great game
Michael Buggy
Roar Rookie
Origin on Wednesday night is here to stay. It generates too much television revenue as the highest rating TV program of the year. The NRL took a break for Origin in 2001 and the fact it lasted only 1 year reflects the success of the idea.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
Well seeing as the AFL has comparable TV revenue (NRL gets more per minute, but League games are shorter), higher salary caps, more teams succeeding outside the competitions original heartland (VIC for the AFL and NSW for the NRL -- add SA for AFL and QLD for NRL if you insist it makes no difference), larger crowds (despite rubbish scheduling and overpriced food and drink), and less clubs that are as financially secure as the newspaper industry, I think the AFL might have something to offer in terms of business nous.
Bluebag
Guest
Qld has never ever been restricted in the number of players they could pick for Origin from Sydney teams. That concept applied to Country Origin only when they played City in the mid-late 1980s before that fixture, too, became a full place of Origin match.
Storm Boy
Guest
Let's make NRL just like AFL and kill off Origin. Then we can watch the next tv contract halved and the salary cap slashed. Good thinking Roarers. When the Wallabies played there was no Super Rugby at all.
Dessie
Guest
It's time to either return origin back to one game or scrap it completely. It ruins the regular comp. And origin doesn't really appeal to.me like it used to.. 8 years was too long. Wayyyy too long
john badseed
Guest
Louis- I believe that was the rorters!
Orville
Guest
The Anzac/may NZ test seems to have its relevance with end of year 4 nations
h3x
Guest
hahahaha good call, but Jennings is also added to the list of players missing and he can be pretty handy!!
john badseed
Guest
Keeps $hayne away from their games.
john badseed
Guest
Saint Gyng's only thoughts are for the betterment of Rugby League. Rather like Uncle Rupe in that way. Hey who's that on the other end of my phone line?
Alex L
Roar Rookie
They'd have played the Roosters with Mortimer and a roaming SBW.. that's actually better for the Roosters than Pearce and Maloney.