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State of Origin, NSW versus Queensland, the best against the best.
Loved by rugby league fans and even the odd union and football supporter, Australia’s annual representative showdown has outgrown its own preamble.
No longer merely a test of the country’s best talent, State of Origin is now the NRL’s biggest money-maker and a fantastic advertisement for the code.
A fantastic example of this would have been Game 2 last year, not for the game itself, but its reach.
I woke the morning after the match to find a message from a Canadian friend of mine who had spotted the game on a TV in a bar in a town called Waterloo, Ontario.
Now while her description of the game as ‘Australian rules rugby’ was a bit off the mark, the fact that she had been able to recognise the game as Australian is an important stepping stone.
If a small rural Canadian town had State of Origin playing at a bar then the NRL is doing something right.
More Origin
» Laurie Daley doesn’t appoint the referees, but it wasn’t always that way
» State of Origin Game 2: Why NSW will win
» State of Origin Game 2: Why Queensland will win
» State of Origin Game 2: Expert tips and predictions
» State of Origin key questions: NSW edition
» State of Origin key questions: Queensland edition
Of course, as a concept, it is not perfect.
Player burnout, while set to be addressed in the form of a stand-alone weekend, is a concern.
Clubs such as North Queensland, Melbourne and Brisbane are traditionally hit hard and need to ensure they have enough wins in the bank heading into the Origin period to remain in top four contention.
They’ve been joined this year by Cronulla, with four crucial outs, including captain Paul Gallen and playmaker James Maloney. The Sharks had the bye last weekend but had they been forced to play you could have almost pencilled in a loss.
Many in the game are also concerned that Origin steals a lot of the spotlight from the premiership battle itself. With many clubs drawing byes over the Origin period, the rounds preceding each representative encounter tend to be low-key affairs.
However, it is the media coverage bordering on obsession that is most concerning.
Extensive coverage is fantastic, don’t get me wrong, but from late May to mid-July, everything in rugby league seems to be connected to Origin. Every player performance is reviewed with Origin in mind, will he be fit enough? Does his form warrant selection?
It’s almost as if the NRL premiership doesn’t matter. NSW versus Queensland is an important game, yes, but the premiership suffers an identity crisis at the same time every year.
How to address this?
The NRL has a fantastic opportunity to shake the competition up by taking games in the rounds preceding Origin to rural and perhaps even international locations.
Friday night’s game between Souths and Wests saw just over 11,000 and St George’s clash with Melbourne roughly 7000.
But with a host of star players missing this was always going to happen. And with most Sydneysiders focusing on Origin this would have been a great chance to take a game to the country.
Bathurst, Mudgee, Coffs Harbour, Wagga Wagga and even Albury would have all been worthy recipients. And then there are the non-league areas such as Adelaide and Geelong.
Even if crowds remain low it would at least give the premiership a much-needed boost during Origin.
So while we gather around our TV sets on Wednesday night to witness another titanic battle, let’s hope the NRL takes notice and doesn’t forsake the clubs and players who aren’t involved in the representative scene.
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