In my first article about the NRL draw, I looked at why conferences were a bad idea. Now I shift my attention to the State of Origin, which commentators often say can make or break a side’s push for finals.
This time around, I am only analysing the 2015 fixture to draw conclusions. I am not proposing a fix, merely pointing out its flaws and discussion points.
Coming from an AFL background where State of Origin is more a side-thought than a main event, the disruption to the season is always an interesting talking point.
First off, there are teams that don’t get any byes before any State of Origin games. They are South Sydney Rabbitohs, Parramatta Eels and Wests Tigers.
All three of those teams don’t get a break before the State of Origin, and will get two byes after. South Sydney are likely the worse off out of the trio because they will be without Greg Inglis, although I have to admit I haven’t been watching the Queensland and NSW Origin selections as close as I should be.
Next is the team that gets a bye on either side of State of Origin. That is North Queensland Cowboys, who have two trips to Sydney before Origin, which is less than ideal without Johnathan Thurston.
Lastly are the remaining teams who get both byes before the State of Origin games. The Canberra Raiders and Gold Coast Titans have potentially dream runs where they can capitalise on three home games. But Brisbane may struggle if players don’t back up strongly after Origin.
So what does this analysis show? Well, on its own not much really. But it does give weight to original ideas about the fixturing not being as balanced as it could be. With some teams getting both byes before Origin, and some teams after Origin.
What do you think Roarers? Couple this with selections, where do you see teams going after these six rounds of football.
Monners
Guest
There's actually 26 rounds my friend. I'm not averse to that split you suggest.
Paneer
Guest
25 rounds?! r u insane mate?! we struggle to fill the seats with 24. we need less and we need to focus on quality. The conferences should clearly be north and south, i.e Bris, NQld, GC, Newc, Manly, Parra, Penr, Cbury Canb, NZ, Melb, St.Geo, Souths, Wests, Easts, Cron This is an even split of non-Syd teams across conference thus making travel burden even in the comp.
Monners
Guest
I have read your other article which goes against conferences however I am inclined to disagree with it as the use of conferences actually may go to fixing this issue. We already have a natural basis for a conference system based on Sydney and regional teams. My solution would be to have a 2-conference system of Sydney and regional teams of 9 each (including 2 new expansion teams in Perth and Brisbane 2 / NZ 2 / Central Qld in the regional conference together with Brisbane, NZ, Newcastle, GC, NQ, Melbourne & Canberra). This gives you a 9 game, 25 round competition (225 club games total as compared to current 208) including playing home and away against your conference counterparts and playing those teams outside your conference once. If possible, it may also allow fans to be able to predict a pattern and know where their team is playing quite easily based on last week's game ie, home, away, away (v intra-conf team), home, away, home (v intra-conf team) repeat. No more three or four home / away games in a row, the maximum would be two stadium availability permitting. Having a second Brisbane team would usually mean two games in SEQ on any given weekend (with at least one) avoiding the current situation where we frequently are game-less in SEQ. This cycle would only be interrupted by an actual rep weekend made up of City-Country, Qld-NSW Residents, Kumuls, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, NZ Maoris, Barbarians (English etc playing here in the NRL) with the jewel being SOO on a Saturday night! This would improve the value of standard NRL games before and after these rounds as they would maintain their stars rather than losing them to the Blues or Maroons. The structure also has the ability to adapt to further expansion with the Newcastle and Canberra teams being easily able to be integrated into the Sydney Conference as new territory teams come in future.
Aaron Killian
Guest
It is because each team only plays 24 times, having each team play every other team once would take up to round 15 which effectively spares 9 games. 30 rounds will never happen in the games of rugby league due to player burn out.
Aaron Killian
Guest
NRL would come back cold after 3 week hiatus, why not 3 standalones over 9 weeks. Having the series over 9 weeks would provide an exciting build up to each match rather than squeezing the life out of it into a 3 week bloc.
Aaron Killian
Guest
NRL would come back cold after 3 week hiatus, why not 3 standalones over 9 weeks. Having the series over 9 weeks would provide an exciting build up to each match rather than squeezing the life out of it into a 3 week bloc.
Max
Guest
The Storm, Rabbits and Broncos are mot affected by SOO so u should see who they are playing esp before SOO where the stars are absent but in past years Titans were heavily favoured in SOO draw - the year the Suns started of course. Also the Warriors in RWC year. Storm in 2006 when Nine was selling the Stations..
turbodewd
Guest
err
turbodewd
Guest
Origin must be on a standalone weekend and 2 weeks apart with a normal NRL round in between. This would eliminate the need for the 2 byes, but extend the comp by one week.
Wayne
Roar Guru
True. But my article was more just looking at that. The better analysis would be comparing the two extended squads of NSW and QLD with this data above. I am still rookie at writing articles, so learning how to add value
Bulldog
Guest
It is too simplistic to just look at which teams are playing when and who. With origin the issue is the teams providing the players which is obviously not evenly spread.
Wayne
Roar Guru
South Sydney Rabbitohs (who will play Parramatta, West Tigers and Penrith Panthers before Origin. Gold Coast Titans after Origin); Parramatta Eels (who will play South Sydney, Melbourne Storm in Melbourne and West Tigers before Origin. Penrith after Origin); West Tigers (who will play Cowboys, Rabbitohs and Parramatta before origin, with Manly after Origin). North Queensland Cowboys (Who will play Tigers and Dragons both in Sydney before Origin. Raiders in Canberra and Manly in QLD after State of Origin). Canberra Raiders (Play Bulldogs in Canberra before origin. Broncos, Cowboys and Knights all in Canberra after Origin); Newcastle Knights (Play Broncos in Newcastle before origin. Sharks at home, Warriors and Raiders away after Origin); Brisbane Broncos (Play Newcastle away before origin. Bulldogs, Raiders and Storm all away after Origin); St George Illawarra Dragons (Play Cowboys at home before origin. Sharks, Roosters and Sharks again after Origin); Penrith Panthers (Play Rabbitohs at home before origin. Parramatta and Bulldogs after Origin); Sydney Roosters (Play Warriors away before origin. Storm, Dragons and Panthers after Origin); Manly Sea Eagles (Play Sharks before origin. Tigers at home before two trips to Queensland against Cowboys and Titans); Cronulla Sharks (Play Manly before origin. Game against Knights squeezed between two matches against Dragons); Melbourne Storm (Play Parramatta at home before origin. Home against Broncos, away against Warriors in NZ and Roosters); Gold Coast Titans (Play Bulldogs at home before origin. Rabbitohs, Warriors and Sea Eagles all at home after Origin); New Zealand Warriors (Play Roosters in New Zealand before origin. Knights and Storm at home, Gold Coast away).
The Prize_Man
Roar Pro
Origin needs to be moved to a stand alone three week period where the nrl has a break, similar to the super rugby season. other than the three origin games you would play as many international games between the pacific islands new zealand, and ideally the best teams from europe. the minnows of world rugby could get more games against the likes of nz and england and we all know how entertaining these games can be. this will also help origin in a few ways, suspensions will carry over to the origin game not the club game, the squads have a real chance to build combinations over the three weeks giving us a better attacking game of footy, club teams aren't disadvantaged for having rep players. its much less disruptive to the nrl season and could provide some quality entertaining football. i don't think people want to see for e.g storm vs cowboys with no rep players, playing origin concurrently with the nrl season decreases the value of nrl games. with a break in the season we still get to see all the best players playing against each other.
up in the north
Roar Rookie
The draw should have a hiatus at Origin time with the games being on consecutive weeks. Ch9 & fox could telecast the QLD & NSW cup games to fill the supposed gaps left after the Pacific Teams games. Anything would be an improvement on what we have at the moment. Nothing radical, just little tweaks will help.
Harvey Wilson
Roar Rookie
I don't understand why all teams don't play each other once before playing a second time. Teams playing each other twice within 5 or 6 weeks is ridiculous...although for Manly it is a good thing, their only two wins were over Melbourne. I can't understand what they were thinking when they did the draw.
Kirk
Guest
I Agree, the NRL season is what it is. Origin is in the middle of the season to draw the most interest possible. I always look forward to the origin months of the year. The regular season does suffer however this is also an opportunity for fringe starting players to get a few games under their belt and maybe cement a spot in the team. Some people act like the NRL season is completely broken. The draw just needs a bit of tweaking, nothing too dramatic.
Hutchoman
Roar Pro
The fix is simple. Allow players selected for Origin to play for their clubs before the Origin match. Origin shouldn't have this protected species status it currently has.
Jeremy
Guest
You can't win a grand national if you can't jump hurdles. Too many sooks looking for excuses. Origin is like bad weather and a poor draw. Its part of the good and bad of any league season for a team. Get over it. No one complained in the 1990s about this stuff and they had 3 testsand Panasonic Cup as well during the season.
peeeko
Roar Guru
believe the teams tell the NRL what they prefer for origin, before or after byes