For me, Origin is older than club footy. Born the year Origin started, I was a Maroons fan before the Broncos even existed.
Born in Queensland but living in NSW, the Origin battle for me began as a brainwashing exercise between my father and my older brother. Eventually we moved back to Queensland and my father won.
Sometimes I imagine the NRL as a street with sixteen houses on it. Some of the houses are really old and run down, some recently renovated, some new and flashy. But, all the neighbours hate each other, they are constantly bickering and battling over everything.
That house stole my DCE! That house paid more for their TV than we were allowed to pay for ours! That house gets to have their tea party at the same time every day!
There are nine houses that formed a gang before the rest were built and they hate each other vehemently but they hate the rest more, and apparently they won’t let the house at the far end of the street play with them after dark.
Then something so big comes along that all those little battles are dropped and forgotten, the street is split in two, straight down the middle. Everyone comes out to their front yard, stands at their white picket fence and throws whatever they can get their hands on at those nasty, monstrous, beasts on the other side of the road.
The brothers and sisters and uncles and aunts come to see what the ruckus is about and end up joining in too, shouting insults at those horrible others across the road. It’s the battle to end all battles, the street is divided (or rather joined) into two opposing forces, ready to go hammer and tongs at each other for supremacy.
What other sport in the world can take 16 little tribes and make them join together to form two big ones? In what other pursuit could it possibly be OK to be so irrationally one eyed and biased?
When all sense has gone out the window all that is left is one question: Blue or Maroon?
Who cares if the game has evolved into a slightly sanitised version of its former self, so what if the tall poppies want to take everything in our pockets to let us watch what belongs to us anyway, and yeah maybe this series does have an impact on our clubs fortunes.
You know what? I bloody love this time year.
tim
Guest
Aside from Greg Inglis
Jeremy
Guest
Another anti league & Origin story from News Ltd by an AFL fan. Frankly, State of Origin, I don’t give a damn http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/rendezview/frankly-state-of-origin-i-dont-give-a-damn/story-fnpug1jf-1227363983039
Wayne Lovell
Roar Guru
Every Origin match gives me tingles. I think this year is going to be great, QLD want to prove that last year was a hiccup, and NSW want to prove that last year wasn't a fluke. I reckon that creates great drama. I wonder if we will see a couple of extra retirees, along with Hodges, afterwards if QLD should win the series
BroncoJuggernaut
Guest
Because soccer fans from all over the world (England, Spain, France) fly over to watch it in their masses. Aussies would only fill half of the stadium.
Wayne Lovell
Roar Guru
If you were born in NSW, lived there all your life, both your parents and all your grandparents were born and lived their whole lives in NSW, plus you played all your footy in NSW and have NSW tattoo'd somewhere on your body, then you qualify for NSW. Everyone else qualifies for QLD! No seriously, eligibility rules simply put are "No player will be eligible to play for NSW or Queensland unless he has lived in that state before the age of 13, or unless he is the son of an Origin player. The player must also be eligible to play for Australia.' I believe there are a number of criteria and whichever state gets the most ticks wins.
Jay C
Roar Guru
The last thing the game needs is a manufactured result. There is going to be a lull. Last year was the apex of Origin drama. Everything was on the line. NSW finally broke the streak. You just don't get narratives like that every year. Even reading through your comment you make mention of games that gave you tingles, they each had a narrative that worked to elevate them to a higher level. This year it just isn't as powerful.
Realist 1975
Guest
NSW need to comprehensively win this first game in my opinion to ensure peak audiences for Melbourne and Brisbane. A lot of people look at the ticket prices, remember how NSW had finally stopped the QLD consecutive series wins, remember the impact of Jarryd Haynes brilliant performance in the first game, remember the farce refereeing in the 2nd game and the thrashing of the blues in the 3rd game, remember that rugby league is a brilliant TV product and thus decide not to attend the stadium/s to watch it. Watching the game live in the stadium is special as I have over the years, but also at home where I don't spend as much but enjoy it just as much with mates and family. I acknowledge the improvement athletically of the players but feel something is missing in the game as a lot of players have similar body types compared to the old days. I use to have goosebumps before each game especially 1990 when NSW fielded a awesome team to combat the formidable QLD team that had enjoyed a 8 win streak. Again in 1996 when Super league players returned and 2001 when QLD smashed NSW after being flogged the previous 12 months. This first game is huge in my opinion and the last thing I believe the game needs is QLD winning by 20 points.
PhillNZ
Guest
Steve How do the modern day players get selected for the teams. When i watched SOO in the 80's and 90's players were selected from their first represented club(?) to represent either State. To be in contention you had to be the best players in the ARL/NRL. Thats what I remember I could be wrong on the first point. Where and how does Melbourne , Gold coast, Canberra , North Qld players get selected to represent SOO teams? If a NZ Warrior first rep club game is NSW/QLD is he available for selection?thanks I asked one of my league guru's and he couldn't give me a clear answer on the modern day selection process. Thanks
chris
Guest
How comes SOO can not sell out all the time Sydney while some English Soccer team can sell out (maybe).
Wayne Lovell
Roar Guru
Thank you Epi. Yes.
Wayne Lovell
Roar Guru
I 100% agree with your statement here cedric, but NZ is too big of a RL nation now to be playing tests as pre game entertainment, North v south or Auckland v the rest (NZ City v Country) would be a better option. This would also allow for the Origin period to be stand alone weekends.
Wayne Lovell
Roar Guru
NSW used QLD players for 70 years and called it a contest. Don't fall for the articles in the telegraph mate, they are all part of the propaganda wheel that makes this series great. Every player represented the state they were eligible to under the rules of the day.
Wayne Lovell
Roar Guru
Nice one Steven, that's exactly the spirit i was talking about- according to opposing fans, less than a handful of Origin games have been won fairly or without some extenuating circumstance. Origin exists because a bunch of Queenslanders couldn't stomach wearing a blue jersey any longer, NSW' so called superiority is based on using QLD players to beat QLD. You say the passion for Origin was built on a manufactured rivalry (it was NSWRL not NRL), I say the animosity existed before 1980 and QLDers were finally allowed to action the feelings of discontent which lead to the rivalry that exists. I don't think any real supporter of Rugby League is bored of the intense rivalry that Origin creates. But its like i said, bias is the norm in this contest, Let the games begin!
up in the north
Roar Rookie
Good summary steve, pretty close to being right too. I am personally not bored by origin and I look forward to the games every year. As do plenty of others. But why assume we can't have a fiercely fought state series, while also having a healthy international competition? I don't understand why they seem to be mutually exclusive. There's still a lot of passion for the game by an expanding audience. Just ride the wave dude.
matth
Guest
Yes Peter Sterling, Steve Rogers, Akulia Uate, James Tamou, James McMannus ...etc, etc
steveng
Roar Rookie
There are players that have played for Queensland who weren't Queenslanders at all. The Queensland RL will go to any length to get players born wherever to play for them, its becoming as ridiculous as the soccer world cup and their theatrics.
cedric
Guest
I think when SOO is on us kiwis' gotta have our Kiwis playing 3 Pacific Island teams, or something similar. If it kicked off with a double header at 6pm NZ time (4pm OZ) would be good for SOO at 10pm NZ. I say this as alot of kiwis and pacifica people like SOO but can't really get too excited, as they are not our teams. And the game kicks off at 10pm NZ time on a wednesday, bit late, I mean by 10 or 11pm the tele sometimes gets a bit fuzzy! On the 3 nights of SOO we should have a round robin with say Png, Tonga and Samoa, would be 3 games in a row! It would get a bit of cohesion and mulla into the Island nations (and the Kiwis')!
The Barry
Roar Guru
Spot on Ken. All my 'hatred' are for the other Sydney teams. The Knights and the Cowboys are my 'second favourites'. Broncos and Storm have probably worked their way into top tier of hatred because of success. I'd go for Knights or Cowboys or Warriors over Dragons or Souths or Roosters in a grand final any day. I was really stuck in 2010 and 2013 trying to choose who to follow in the GFs. 2009 and 2011 were easy.
Bronco Juggernaut
Guest
The people who complain about origin (Johnno, Dad) are not real RL supporters, how on earth can Origin not be classed as the biggest event in RL? It sells out every game, it has people talking weeks/months in advance of it, it gets new fans to the game (people who dont even like RL will still watch Origin) and it is by far the most anticipated League event of the year, NRL finals a close second. I agree that test football should be number one, but there is so much more interest in Origin. When a test match can sell out ANZ, Suncorp or MCG then it will be classed the biggest events on the RL calender. Johhno and Dad sound like salty poms who have nothing like Origin over there.
steveng
Roar Rookie
Another thing that is detracting from SOO is the overall records between the two sides; out of 34 years of SOO - QLD have won 20 series to NSW 12 series with 2 draws. After a while the fans on either side (but especially Qld, if they don't win lol) get detracted from seeing their side being beaten, which could be what is going to happen from the 2015 SOO where QLD will try and rekindle their unbeaten record.