While the NRL is patting itself on the back that an Origin game will be played in Melbourne, Perth, and Adelaide over the next three years, the Origin faithful who can’t afford the airfares and accommodation have been uppercutted.
And to make sure the MCG game this year, the Optus Stadium in Perth next year, and an Adelaide Oval game in 2020 are alive, they will be either Origin 1, or Origin 2, which translates to either ANZ Stadium or Suncorp hosting a possible dead rubber in rugby league heartland.
Have the inmates actually taken over the asylum?
Fact – Origin is the Holy Grail of rugby league with its awesome drawing power and passion.
Fact – it will go close to filling the MCG, Optus Stadium, and Adelaide Oval, but less than half the spectors will be Victorians, Western Australians, and South Australians.
Fact – the vast majority of spectators will travel from Queensland, NSW, with a smattering from the ACT who can afford the huge increase in expenses, but still want watch Origin live at three of the iconic venues in world sport.
Forgotten are the Origin faithful who religiously save their hard-earned cents to be at Suncorp and ANZ Stadium to physically support their maroon, or blue.
(AAP Image/Darren England)
They are being as badly treated as grass roots rugby league, the players of tomorrow.
More fact – only the AFL and A-League are truly national among the football codes, with the exception of Tasmania, while rugby league and rugby will never ever be fully national.
So stop being delusional NRL, and stick to supporting your own heartland for the Holy Grail of your code.
On the other side of the coin, rival Origin coaches Kevin Walters and Brad Fittler have applauded the decision.
That’s the party line, and their employers, but privately both will have their fingers crossed that the series will still be alive if their only home game is Origin 3.
Walters added a humorous touch, saying Queensland will play Origin on any day that ends with a “y”.
But it’s no laughing matter for the poorer Origin faithful who have been doomed to watch their team on television when their biggest wish has always been to be in the stand.
For as long as rugby league will be played, it will always be a Queensland, NSW, and ACT code, with Melbourne Storm the only exception.
(AAP Image/Jim Morton)
The sole reason why the Storm has been accepted in AFL heartland is because they are invariably the best, if not one of the best, in the NRL.
And Victorians love winners.
Having won their first premiership in only their second year with John Ribot the supremo, Chris Anderson the coach, and Glen Lazarus the skipper, that gave Victoria bragging rights over NSW and Queensland.
And since then with Craig Bellamy as coach, Cameron Smith as skipper, and senior players like Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk, the Storm are the current premiers.
And nothing means more to a dyed-in-the-wool Victorian than beating NSW and Queensland teams at their own game.
Hopefully the NRL will get off the delusional train afer the next three years and stick to where their Holy Grail should be decided at Suncorp, and ANZ Stadium.
Can you imagine the AFL grand final being taken away from the MCG?
In your dreams.
Thom Roker
Roar Guru
Fred, you're full of it. Queensland had 2 AFL teams and one of them plays in Cairns in Round 1 - there goes two of your false assertions. GWS play 3 games a year in Canberra and the Talent Academy draws players from regional NSW - there go two more of your ignorant claims. Only 8 of the AFL's 18 teams are in Melbourne and they regularly take their Home games Interstate to Alice Springs, Darwin, Launceston, Hobart and Wellington. The Reserves competition in the Northern States and Territories is called the NEAFL, with teams playing in each State and Territory. Geelong represents regional Victoria and 2016 Premiers, the Western Bulldogs, will play 2 AFL games in Ballarat this year. So, you're basically wrong about everything.
Justin Kearney
Guest
Crowd just under 20000 and 80000 fta viewers in Melbourne on a night in February with the Winter Olympics dominating the tv space. That’s better than a pass mark and demonstrates that the Storm are making ground in their home market.
Tommo
Guest
Haven't been on the League tab for many years. Could not believe the amount of crap about whose code is the best. Anyway. Regarding playing SOO in Perth. Yes will get a reasonable crowd, but for entertainment only. The passion that is displayed by League followers in NSW and QLD will not be on show in Perth. Keep it over east. WA and SA are to far AFL. If the AFL tried to play SOO in Sydney it would have the same result. WA,SA,Vic,Tas,NT will always be AFL states. QLD and NSW Rugby League. Oppposite codes will always be played but never to the point of taking over.
duecer
Guest
That well and truly prove my point - I've never posted on the RU site, I have posted on other sites and have posted a few serious questions here, rarely getting a response, but as soon as someone comes along with a negative comment there seems to be a frenzy.
Fred
Guest
If there are 20,000 genuine GWS members, let alone 20,000 living in Sydney, then I'm the King of England. I know Swans supporters, Waratahs supporters, A League supporters. But I've never encountered a GWS fan in my life. And I live in western Sydney.
Big Daddy
Guest
You can expect the cyber police to be out in force that you have actually posted about another code.
Justin Kearney
Guest
Good term ‘afl fanboys’ although ‘afl fan bores’ suits them a little better. Interesting mob. They crawl all over these threads like maggots on a 5 day old chop with an incurable obsession of telling us how much bigger theirs is than ours! Most peculiar.
At work
Roar Rookie
This has descended like many on the football tab, and that’s the AFL fanboys coming on board to disrupt and annoy everyone with their condescending attitude of how great their game and League are. They must be so bored with their sport...
Perry Bridge
Guest
#Peter Phelps, That's the thing in Melbourne - and AFL states - it's a culture of putting your money where your support is (to be a 'supporter/member' rather than a 'fan/observer'). So - in Melb you have MVFC in the HAL with the highest attendances and membership - and Melb City are 4th in the HAL for memberships. And you have Storm who were actually 4th (behind Broncos, Rabbitohs and Eels). All while the AFL membership numbers have continued to grow (AFL over 900,000 for 18 teams vs NRL over 300,000 for 16 teams, that's a 50K avg vs a 19K avg). Is it just that 'traditional areas' for Rugby League were subject to the "Leagues Club" model instead of the attendance/membership model and that's still very slowly being broken down. It should therefore show what is possible INSIDE traditional areas.
Perry Bridge
Guest
#JK Y'reckon? Didn't bother reading it - did you. So we found you point of mental fatigue (unsurprisingly soon).
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Which NRL clubs are thinking of going to America Edward? Think you are confusing an intl between England and NZ. Oh please.Funny attendances are also boosted with freebies /cut price tickets by oval codes playing on oval fields.Maybe the Nrl shoudl change the rules to play on oval fields ,and call it NRLX.Oh wait. What fans miss out? They get to watch it on FTA live around Oz,they get to see 1 or 2 games at the grounds if they so choose on the East Coast. Code elites utilise corp boxes ,because they sponsor codes; scoop.Code admins of any code attend their major events, sheesh how dare they.
Aligee
Guest
Combined FTA and fox - combined, read combined
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
I remember going to some Storm games in the early 2000's and meeting expats from the Northern towns like Widnes, St Helens etc. Was great to hear of their affinity with some famous rugby league names before making the move to Australia & Melbourne
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
you're lucky you don't have these xenophobes on the union tabs, you'd probably have a different view. But I suppose their bullying has some resonance with union supporters
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
Aligee, those FTA figures are no longer 100-120k for the Swans in Sydney. Try around half that!
AR
Guest
“And Victorians love winners.” Ahhh...I see what u did there.
mm13
Guest
You do realise no one takes those figures seriously in victoria. As a league fan down here pretty much every afl fan i speak to laughs at the creative ways they fudge numbers. Let's just say giving out memberships to extended families and friends of players in melbourne isn't what i would call a real fan base.
Aligee
Guest
Poor Elbusto, so sad, so mad, what have i made up ?.
Justin Kearney
Guest
Hi algernon. I just quickly scanned the rugby league threads and you are an afl fanboy who hates rugby league and I’ll call you every time. Simples. You have absolutelyno credibility, you make stuff up to suit your argument and I will call you on it every time. Enjoy!
Aligee
Guest
Elbusto, how is your prediction of RL taking over Tasmania going ?