Both the Broncos versus Tigers and Dragons versus Cowboys clashes reminded us on the weekend of the invaluable influence that Origin has on the premiership competition.
On Friday night we witnessed a courageous Wests outfit clinch victory over a depleted Brisbane side lacking the outs of six Origin stars. Darius Boyd, Corey Oates, Sam Thaiday, Matt Gillett, Corey Parker and Josh McGuire were all missed in the Broncos’ 18-19 loss.
It was their forward pack that took the biggest battering, losing the metres gained battle 1398 to 1714 after having dominated in this area in their crushing 26-0 win over the Red V in Round 6.
On the following night we saw a dogged St George side beat North Queensland 14-10. The visitors were without Origin superstars Johnathan Thurston, Matt Scott, Michael Morgan and James Tamou and subsequently recorded their lowest score for the year to indicate a lack of firepower in attack.
At Lang Park it was a tale of Brisbane vying for its ninth win for the season hosting a side looking for just win number five and a club that not long ago had been thrashed 60-6 at the hands of the Raiders.
South of the Tweed River, we then saw a side looking for its sixth win play host to a Cowboys outfit shooting for win number nine on the march to defend a premiership.
The fact that in both games the competition underdogs came up trumps shows that Origin is great for the premiership competition as it serves to level-out team line-ups during the Origin period.
Despite the salary cap, there is a clear discrepancy in talent across club rosters in the NRL.
Brisbane, North Queensland and the Roosters all boast both a richness and depth of talent more impressive than all other clubs and head and shoulders above the rosters of Newcastle, Gold Coast and St George.
The fact that six Brisbane players will run out for the opening Origin clash this Wednesday night, a number no other club equals, is a striking indication of the Broncos’ unmatched squad.
As equally as telling is that eight Brisbane stars were named for the Anzac Test early in May, likewise more than any other club.
Playmakers Ben Hunt and Anthony Milford are also dominating the competition, the halfback leading in try assists and Milford a joint-first for leading try-scorer.
Oates is also a top-five try-scorer and is running third in total line-breaks, while Parker is in the top five for total hit-ups.
Although Wests are blessed with arguably the league’s most promising crop of young, upcoming talent given the likes of fullback James Tedesco, halves Mitchell Moses and Luke Brooks, prop Aaron Woods and a wealth of exciting outside backs, it’s a squad at this stage well behind that of Wayne Bennett’s boys and other clubs.
If it wasn’t for the competition-leveller that the Origin period is, the Tigers would have returned home winless on Friday night and we would have witnessed a thumping win to JT and clan at WIN Stadium on Saturday.
Bennett has for a long time strongly opposed Origin in its current format and again didn’t hold back in a recent press conference in the build-up to the series.
“If you look at the record books with the Broncos, nearly every season that I’ve coached here, we are somewhere where we are now and look at where we finish after Origin. We’re all over the shop,” Bennett said.
The super-coach criticised the interstate rivalry despite admitting to his side being blessed with the best players in the competition.
“During the Origin period, we have to play Melbourne and be in Sydney and Auckland,” he said.
“We are talking about the best players in the game, the best players in our team, not the second and third best players, our best players.”
The toll that Origin has on star-studded line-ups such as Brisbane’s is huge, but it’s exactly that which makes the three-game series great for the premiership competition.
If the salary cap doesn’t do a sufficient job of leveling the playing field, something else needs to stand up.
Origin does when it starts to reel in the competition’s high-flyers come the end of May every year.
Cheer, cheer the underdogs.
Zachary Gates
Roar Guru
What I see as a blight on the game is sides like Brisbane thrashing no-hopers like Gold Coast and Newcastle who lack the talent on paper of their opposition's line-up. You say that the absence of Origin stars isn't fair for fans, but is such one-sided games either? We have seen some floggings this year, such as Brisbane's 53-0 walloping of Newcastle in round seven. The Sharkies' 62-0 demolition job of Newcastle in round nine is another example. Not surprisingly, both squads boast a much greater richness and depth of talent than the Knights. In light of such lopsided affairs, you have got to agree that the fact the Origin period levels-out the playing field for a couple of months is good, in some regard, for the competition. In regard to the Broncos' rep stars, if a side can be flooded with such talent and still somehow be under the cap then that is a problem. I think it was one Roar Expert who recently dubbed Parramatta not the only liar, but the worst liar.
Craig
Guest
It's a blight on the game in terms of teams getting cheap victories over half-strength teams. It's a blight in terms of it meaning a third of the year is substandard football where fans temporarily lose interesting in the NRL to focus on origin. Realistically, games during the origin period should only be worth 1 competition point. A win over the cowboys or Broncos without all of their origin stars should not be worth the same as a win in round 5 or round 20. You ask the question, is it fair that Brisbane has 8 international stars? There's a salary cap. There is no argument to be had there.They have the same rules as everyone else so yes, It is fair. You can speculate as to how they can afford it but that's all it is, speculation.
Zachary Gates
Roar Guru
Come again?
Zachary Gates
Roar Guru
I agree, Craig, that the absences of JT and co. during the Origin period isn't good for the game. To say it's a blight on the code might be an overraction, though, as rugby league is in the safe hands of State of Origin in the meantime - one of Australia's hottest sporting contests.
Zachary Gates
Roar Guru
Origin in any format would have its advantages. Sure, the sides that face Brisbane in Origin time, and other clubs packed with rep stars, have the advantage over other sides. You could say the same about the salary cap, though: is it fair that Brisbane has the luxury of having eight International stars and six Origin players run around every week? Of course not. What we saw on the weekend was two lowly NRL sides take the opportunity to win a game they usually wouldn't have a chance in, with both hands.
Craig
Guest
Absolutely ridiculous reasoning. This period over origin where the ordinary teams get cheap victories due to playing against severely weakened teams is a blight on the game. It is also not fair - the dragons got a cheap victory over the cows and also get Melbourne in a few weeks without their origin stars. Claiming the origin period is a 'leveller' is ridiculous. It only benefits some teams who are lucky enough to draw teams with lots of rep players in these rounds. Its possible that some teams will play a full strength broncos teams twice throughout the year, and yet one club will only face them once during the origin period without their stars. How on earth is that good? The dragons might take the two points but their fans were also robbed of watching Thurston, Matt Scott, Morgan, etc. Is it fair that dragons fans wont get to see these great players run around? I love origin, but I hate how the NRL takes a backseat for the middle third of the season. It plays a huge influence on the make up of the top 8 and watching the sub-standard games that are played over this period is a blight on the game.
Zachary Gates
Roar Guru
That really is an absurd excuse, peeeko. The biggest reason why the Broncos are a premiership heavyweight is that they are flooded with rep stars. If they were to miss the top eight this year due to injuries and fatigue caused by Origin, they would have a taste of what it's like for other clubs lacking talent.
Zachary Gates
Roar Guru
On the other hand, however, my view as expressed in the article is that Origin in its current format is good for the premiership competition as it levels-out the playing field. So no need to change anything in this area of the game in my opinion.
Zachary Gates
Roar Guru
I don't see how scheduling Origin for Monday nights would make things much different. The same players would still have to miss the previous game to be fit for Origin, although you're right in inferring that a Monday night game would give them more time to recover for the following round. They would then only have to miss one game for each Origin match, unless they've got a Thursday night game to play.
Zachary Gates
Roar Guru
Was it a Roar Expert who referred to Parramatta simply as the worst liars in the aftermath of the salary cap fiasco?
Zachary Gates
Roar Guru
Thanks for mentioning Sticky's press conference, Jimmy! He basically said that the day his side has six players missing games for Origin we won't hear him whinging, because it's those players who will make his squad competitive in the comp. He hit the nail on the head. It honestly makes me cringe hearing Bennett ramble on about the position in which Origin leaves the Broncos, and he expressed the same opinions in his time at St George. It was Parker, Gillett, Thaiday, Boyd, etc. who lifted the club to a grand final appearance last year. It's also astonishing when you consider the freaks in the Broncos' line-up who are of Origin-standard but who weren't selected for game one - players like Hunt, Milford and Roberts.
Zachary Gates
Roar Guru
Origin is probably on par with the AFL grand final as one of the biggest sporting spectacles in Australia. Playing the series over three successive weeks would take too great a toll imaginable on the players in regard to fatigue and injury and we would subsequently see some of the biggest stars nursing hammies, shouilders or the lot on the sidelines.
pete bloor
Guest
Why it assumes the only thing people value in an employment choice is money
Wundaluce
Roar Rookie
6 origin players in one team - how is that possible under the salary cap; the rest must be playing for virtually nothing.....suspicious hmm
bexdog
Guest
You're off your head son. Can you name me another sport in the world where you weaken a league to strengthen a cash cow that is essentially an exhibition tournament.
Jimmmy
Guest
Because of Origin ?? That's just another excuse. If the Cows miss the top four , I will be spewing , but I am certainly not going to blame Origin. The reason we will make the top four is BECAUSE we have so many Origin players . If you have no Origin players good luck in the finals you'll need it. Listen to Ricky Stuart's post match conference after the Dogs game. The most sensible thing I have heard on this issue.
peeeko
Roar Guru
lets just divide the cop into 2 divisions then
peeeko
Roar Guru
what happens if you miss the finals cause of origin?
Jimmmy
Guest
Good article Zac. I agree with you and I am a Cows fan. We could / should have won that game . Our own fault. Don't blame Origin. Last year we had a similar number of Origin players out , we win the GF . The Broncs had more players out they come second. The reality is in the end Origin only has an effect if you lose a star player to long term injury . Unless Origin is booted completely it doesn't matter when the games are played. Does anyone really think the Broncs won't be there deep into the finals because of losing players during the Origin period ? Or that the Cows are doomed because we have lost 5 players during this period. That's absurd.
Keithy Susan
Guest
Great article! well written and raising some interesting points, this guy should be a Guru!