State Of Origin’s biggest strength, and its biggest weakness, is that at this time of year no-one is impartial.
All the main commentators and administrators in Australian rugby league are from NSW or Queensland – even if an increasing number of players and supporters are from elsewhere. Inevitably, this means the interests of those players and supporters are not properly represented.
I’ve mentioned some of the symptoms of this before: the fact there is no planning whatsoever for the other states to play meaningful, Origin-style games against each other, that there is a reluctance to let NSW and Queensland players represent other countries for which they qualify, that the Blues and Maroons get away with predatory recruiting, waving around their $30,000 a match to fellas who’ve grown up in Pacific villages.
There is a giant pair of blinkers, one at Cape York, the other along the Murray, this time every winter.
Another great example of this is the Michael Ennis-Robbie Farah situation this week.
Let’s get this straight: if Michael Ennis plays in Origin III, he has escaped suspension despite the judiciary suspending him. As an Origin player, he would not have been eligible for the game from which he has been banned anyway and you can bet the Blues would have made a decision before he turned out for Cronulla this weekend on whether he would be required.
If the loophole is not closed – and it will be, probably at the start of business on Thursday – it could be exploited in a number of other ways. A player could be picked by a representative team, have that game included in his suspension, and then be dropped at the last minute.
But the commentary on this issue has been depressingly partisan.
The Queenslanders point out that it is unfair and dodgy and the New South Welshmen respond that the Maroons got away with it when they did the same with Lote Tuqiri. So it’s one-all. Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink.
It is left to people like New Zealand blogger Dale Budge to point out how ridiculous and procedurally flawed this all is, that Origin is a football game between two sides and fair and equitable rules are more important than a damn football game.
But even people who aren’t from NSW and Queensland pick a side. Rugby league just isn’t a big enough sport yet to put this fervour in perspective.
I could go on about how these “higher” principals generally have less traction across Australian society than in some other countries, and I could posit a theory about how the country’s anti-authoritarian origins (there’s that word again) could have something to do with that. But I won’t.
Once again we are just completing another lap on rugby league Groundhog Day. We once closed this loophole by suspending players for weeks instead of matches, but then the demerit system came in and we opened it up again.
And now we’ll close it again.
The solution will be that all suspensions expire at the start of the following club round, not at the conclusion of the round including the final match of the ban. But that will be too late for Origin III.
Bending the rules is part of rugby league’s heritage. Sadly, so is tolerating it.
Roger Roger
Guest
I'll take that to heart when someone has not made an error.
KillaKanga
Roar Rookie
The figure of $5 million that I refer to is only to cover his day to day care, it does not include accomodation, transport, food etc and is based on degree of spinal injury vs life expectancy calculator found on the Christopher Reeve site
Steve
Guest
Pete to visit someone in the first weeks of such a serious major injury is crazy to say the lease, iam sure any person would want their family only. At no time did I call or suggest anyone was coward, there your words. Clarke I believe would of done the same for any player friend or foe. Phil just so happen to be a good friend. All Cam smith need to do was pick up the phone. If a 20 year old kid can to do it surely the Australian/Queensland/Melbourne capitain who was on the field that night could of sent a text message.
GTW
Guest
I have a disabled son who lives at home. My wife and I wanted a holiday after 22 years looking after him and one option was to have a carer at our house. Various agencies quoted well over a grand a day, so a high care person isn't going to be looked after for $100,000 a year. Last summer we wanted to go to the beach, which my son hates, so we paid a mob about $200 for 3 hours care while we went; so the industry is a relatively expensive one.
Dogs Of War
Roar Guru
The problem is that you aren't taking into account CPI increases, so that 70K a year isn't really increase. Not to mention his cost of further treatment which will be borne by himself, and could be quite substantial. That said a lot of others in his situation do it with a lot less.
pete bloor
Guest
Clarke was a close friend of Hughes, to suggest his grief was a product of his duty as a captain and not that of friendship is disgusting.
pete bloor
Guest
Didn't he try and visit him in hospital? But you are right trying to visit in person is such a cowardly act.
Steve
Guest
I will make one correction to my earlier comment, Cam smith did suport and help in fund raising for Alex. It's just a shame for Cam that he couldn't pick up a phone or text Alex like young Jordan did. After all he is a great Australian Captain. Jay C your response is what I would expect from Cam Smith.
planko
Guest
Let's assume the worst case scenario of 100k over 50 years. Saying that this is 5 million is incorrect.5 million is a very simplistic answer. I have to assume that the rise for alex money have been put towards a house. 3 million dollars in the bank with generate 70k income at current interest rates. In 10 years from now he will still have well over 2.5 in the bank. If I was running the NRL I would be settling this. With a lump sum and a job. 2 million and 100k per year.
KillaKanga
Roar Rookie
GTW I have also seen the things you allude to , calling Alex ungrateful, a gold digger, money hungry etc , what those "people" seem not to realise is that full time care for a person in Alex's situation over his lifetime and given his relatively young age and assuming a life expectancy of 61 (source ... http://t.lifeexpectancy.com ) could cost in the region of $5,000,000 ( source...http://www.christopherreeve.org/site/c.mtKZKgMWKwG/b.5193227/k.AFB/Costs_of_Living_with_Spinal_Cord_Injury.htm ), not accounting for care cost increases , inflation , $AUD devaluation etc but I forgot...the NRL have promised him a job for life ...as those "people" keep reminding us .
KillaKanga
Roar Rookie
Roger Roger Never correct a person when they have not made an error .
Roger Roger
Guest
NSW are the cockroaches. You seem to have spelled them as Cane Toads by accident.
Jay C
Roar Guru
Utter bs buddy You have no idea what you are talking about Not even bothering with a response
Steve
Guest
Jay C how wrong you are about Cam Smith. When PHIL Hughs die Michael Clarke the Australian Captain lead from the front and show his leadership skills. When Alex landed on his head our honourable Aussie Captain cried to the ref for ten minutes and never came out in support of this young fellow. One of the greatest of all time you say? Go NSW, I'll take Gallen
Jay C
Roar Guru
It's an interesting one gtw.i noticed the same comments on whatever site i was looking on. More of a reaction to the journalism than Alex I think. For whatever reason he is being portrayed add extremely bitter. And i think people probably are upset because they may feel they have done a lot for him.
GTW
Guest
On the subject of frustration, the following is terribly, terribly politically incorrect but I'll say it. In the past year, I've been called the rudest word C-word in the English vocabulary by 3 different women. Twice I was offering to help (Wellington NZ Airport and in Bunnings), and last week I was abused because the woman's dog was attacking my dog (no thought of stopping the attack though). This is the terrible bit - are these (all about 25-30 yo) ladies so bloody aggressive just because they know a man isn't going to hit them? In Rugby League, the little players are going way over the top niggling the big boppers knowing they won't be punched. I can't believe Rugby League is that influential that I've come across a few young ladies that have adopted the same philosophy. Hopefully I've just been unlucky, but won't be helping any ladies in future (and I've been married 32 years and am very well trained).
Jara W
Guest
Really hope it's just the usual media beat up and his views are a little more balanced in the interviews.
Jara W
Guest
So a dangerous lifting tackle could take you out for 2-3 years? Right...
GTW
Guest
I'm totally impartial as I haven't watched games 1 or 2 and will watch the cricket on Wednesday night. BUT I still know that those cheating Cane Toads will be playing dirty and crying about anything coming the other way. I know this. On a serious matter, I just happened on The Telegraph site about Alex McKinnon. I don't usually look, but there are so many sick and tired of Alex - I feel sorry for a society that can be so uncaring, and it's a Newcastle lady that is saying absolutely horrible stuff. Unbelievable - I think she sees Alex as being lucky!!! I won't go back there.
Johnnyball
Guest
Hear, hear!