State of Origin is a cultural phenomenon. It’s a television leviathan. It’s the NRL’s cash cow. It’s also an unedifying, crass sellout by the sport of rugby league.
And no, I’m not talking about the attendance figures.
Your correspondent has always understood this on a basic level. About a decade ago, I criticised the NRL from ambush marketing at Origin games.
They’d charge hundreds of dollars for tickets, and then flog a Hollywood blockbuster on the big screen and have Toyotas doing laps of the stadium while the PA blared “Oh what a feeling”.
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A senior NRL executive, who no longer works there, was mortally offended. “You can’t over commercialise Origin,” he said the next time he saw me.
“That’s what it is. It’s a commercial entity. That’s what it’s about.”
Last night, I was reminded of the point by watching the Fox Sports panel show, NRL 360. It was put to the Origin coaches that the 22-minute half-time breaks – you read that right, 22 minutes – which allow Nine to insert many adverts, had the potential to change the course of matches.
Laurie Daley and Kevin Walters cheerily agreed! “Alf fell asleep, it was that long,” Kevvie chortled. “I ran out things to say!” Loz chimed in.
Did you hear that? Rugby league has so little regard for the very structures that surround the playing of matches, let alone its history and traditions, that we find commercial imperatives that impact on the actual game a simple fact of life.
There seems to be nothing really sacred, everything’s for sale.
Likewise, Canterbury’s complaints that they had their own player taken off them hours before Sunday’s match in Canberra has been pretty much forgotten already.
Now let’s not forget that a club coach, Wayne Bennett, was able to say a player could not take part in a Test match last month and he didn’t even have to give a fair reason.
And don’t even talk about City-Country, where the same thing happened maybe a dozen times.
But when a State team wants a player, the State team gets the player immediately regardless of whether he is just about to put his boots on to turn out for his club.
The difference? Money.
That’s why I say Origin is a sellout. Origin pays our bills and that is enough to justify almost any imaginable inconsistency, compromise or inconvenience to the rest of the sport.
If you were offended by Sam Thaiday turning a Maroon victory a little blue, avert your eyes now because… Origin is rugby league dropping the soap in the prison shower and taking its time to pick it up.
The clubs complain but they are complicit. Everyone is still living hand to mouth, even though food became plentiful years ago. Our neighbourhood had been gentrified but we still think like street thugs.
You got $1.5 billion last time, enough to pay all the players’ wages? Let’s shoot for $2 billion next time. Bugger international football. Bugger the club competition for six weeks every year.
We’ll keep playing Origin on Wednesday night (where it was originally stationed to avoid interfering with club football) because they’ll give us heaps of cash to keep it there.
Des Hasler got it right on Sunday. Rugby league in Australia running two competitions at the same time, using some of the same players, is about as barmy as you can get. Three sheets to the wind
The only sheet that matters to rugby league, though, is the balance sheet.
“The three teams who have lost the most players all lost this weekend,” Bulldogs CEO Raelene Castle said on Sunday night.
“The Broncos, the Cowboys and the Bulldogs – five, five and three (players), four for us on the morning, have all lost.
“Origin’s amazing. Commercially it’s really beneficial. We all know that. But when you look at the actually integrity and credibility of the NRL competition over 26 weeks, you have to question whether this is the right outcome.”
You don’t have to question it because it’s not. Maybe after the Super League War, it was the right outcome.
But not anymore. Anything other than the NRL pausing while Origin is played is undiluted greed.
Just like delayed Sunday telecasts, they won’t get away with it forever. Common sense and justice will find a way – one weekend game in the new TV deal is evidence of that.
But when Todd Greenberg talks about nothing being more important than the integrity of the club competition, he need only look at far less salacious issues than match fixing to find his words ring very hollow indeed.
Josh
Guest
Apart from being a sellout - which is true - although I still watch it, I just don't see it's relevance. Origin was conceived because QLD was being beaten by NSW teams that had players originally from QLD in it. We in QLD had a massive sook about this. Origin was born and for a long time it has produced great contests and many magic moments. But it was designed to make things more even for QLD. Now we have been on a winning streak for a decade. So does it really matter now. I would be happy if it stopped now and the players played for their clubs every week. To be honest, I am not sure what you would put in its' place apart from nothing.
Facts Are
Guest
Muglair - Yep "Silly Me" Have you just now realised that his happens! Has been going on for years, well ever since Ch9, Rabs and Dugong have been in control
steveng
Roar Rookie
Its an inferiority complex 'pioneer' and a typical 'redneck' mentality which was highlighted by none other than 'Joh Bjelke-Petersen', that guy always thought that Qld was the centre of the earth!
redden white eye
Guest
What an awesome comeback! Well said
Steve Mascord
Expert
There's a weekend Origin in the next TV deal
smell the fear
Guest
had more passion and meaning? i have certainly enjoyed the last few months where you involvement on this site has dropped off. oh the days of Johnno and his 20 paragraph response at 3 am
smell the fear
Guest
it is a urban myth that the NSW was filled with QLders. there was on average 3 players
smell the fear
Guest
people who complain about 4pm really have problems
smell the fear
Guest
please show me the game that had 5000 people?
AlanKC
Guest
Ah the enthusiasm of youth. Me, I just accepted it as one of those things and had another sip of red.
mariachi band fan
Guest
The reason no one calls Gus out on his bs is quite clear - Vossy is no longer there and everyone else likes their Ch 9 gig way too much to speak up.
mariachi band fan
Guest
Who knows with Sam, maybe he was?
mariachi band fan
Guest
Well said Don. It's a truism of business that it's more profitable to keep existing customers happy (and being repeat customers) than it is to be constantly chasing new ones. I swear at times the people running rugby league appear to have never previously run anything bigger than a sausage sizzle.
MJ
Guest
To back up that point, there were still $300 seats available some 2 hours before kickoff. For a premium event to be flogging off expensive seats (and not so expensive, only the Bronze sections had their allocations exhausted 2 hours before the scheduled start) surely has to raise alarm bells about the game? As for the late starts and the extended half time, imagine what that would be like if Auckland had a game. Would the locals really be up at 11PM waiting for the 2nd half to kick off, knowing that any kickoff time before 930 NZST would be unsuitable to the bulk of the Australian audience?
Dave2136
Guest
all league games should be four quarters. commercial no brainer.
The Barry
Roar Guru
I agree that test footy is improving. I've never been anti test footy. I've always watched test footy ever since I saw Greg Conescus teeth go sailing across the SCG live in 1984. It just hasn't held the same interest and passion for me as origin has. Preferring origin to tests doesn't mean I'm opposing test football. I used to prefer Chris to Peter Mortimer, doesn't make me anti-Peter...
The Barry
Roar Guru
congratulations. How about an article based on something you love about rugby league instead of the constant moaning about why it gets you down? I've just had a quick look through your roar articles (I've read most previously) and they're all predicated on a whinge. I guess that's what sport journalism is becoming. Have a whine about the latest trivial incident that's offended your sensibilities, clock up 100 hits, collect your pay and brag about it. Awesome. For all your high handed talk about how channel 9 and their money is ruining the game, you don't mind continually dragging it down to suit your own ends.
The Barry
Roar Guru
that wasn't a crack at test footy. My point is that you can't create or fake the hype around origin footy. Origin wasn't born out of a think tank or a marketing strategy. The game came first and the commercialisation later. If / when test footy takes over from origin in popularity it will be because people are inspired and interested in the format, not because the NRL marketing department and advertisers have decided that we should. I'm very comfortable about that day arriving.
bear54
You misunderstand me Turbo. Origin is the ONLY way the NRL can compete with the AFL. They must sell it to make millions because the NRL alone just won't cut it. The AFL has too much of a head start in the southern & western states. That's why it must be played the night channel 9 dictates. That's why origin half-time is 22 minutes to play as many ads as channel 9 can broadcast. That's why it will never change no matter how much origin effects the NRL and upsets the coaches.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
What about the fetes and plates? Surely if we say it long enough people will believe nothing else? Right?