Are you a State of Origin agnostic? Can’t get fired up about cockroaches or cane toads?
Do you live in Melbourne, Hobart, Darwin or Adelaide and don’t feel state loyalty tugging on the old heartstrings? Or are you just after a break from wall-to-wall coverage?
2019 has been a massive Origin period, blanketed by the most extensive media coverage in memory. But it’s worth remembering that there’s an actual professional league out there waiting to kick back into gear for the run to the NRL finals.
Concussion – They still don’t get it
In the same week of blanket coverage of how the NRL handles concussion, the same week where reports emerged of potential class-action concussion lawsuits by former players, the NRL proves yet again that its on-field treatment of head knocks leaves a lot to be desired.
In the 69th minute of the Warriors’ win at Newcastle on Saturday night, centre Peta Hiku got knocked back to the 1850s by his Knights opponent Jesse Ramien.
There was nothing dirty or malicious in it, Hiku was trying to make a tackle and understandably Ramien wasn’t overly receptive to it. It was one of those instances of ‘rugby league contact’ which happens hundreds of times in a game when large men try to knock each other over.
But Hiku was clearly in trouble, staggering backwards before falling to the ground. He tried to stand up, wobbling round like a spaghetti-legged prizefighter using muscle memory to try to beat an eight count – and all with pocket referee Gavin Badger standing literally next to him.
Astoundingly, Badger and lead referee Adam Gee allowed play to continue and Newcastle scored and converted to take a 20-18 lead.
In the aftermath of the incident, Gee told Warriors skipper Roger Tuivasa-Sheck that play continued because the Warriors trainer had not told Badger about the head knock (that’s the rule), but it was obvious to all that Hiku was in distress. A tackle was even completed before the decisive scoring play.
There were any number of moments where the game could have been stopped, not that they should have waited for one.
The trainer couldn’t have made it to Hiku before the try because he was in traffic and Badger had run off to follow the play. If Badger or Gee had stopped the game on their own call, no one would have argued. They couldn’t have.
Gee and Badger have been punted for Round 17 and fair enough. In their defence, they followed the letter of the law… It’s just a dumb law.
NRL head of football Graham Annesley would want to be confirming pretty bloody quickly that a referee is entitled to stop a game in a similar situation. If it kills the ‘flow’ or turns out to be a false alarm, so be it. There’s too much on the line for the player.
Graham Annesley (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
Origin scheduling is ludicrous
The Knights went on to lose Saturday night’s game against New Zealand 24-20. They were effectively playing with one hand behind their back, missing Origin players Mitchell Pearce, Tim Glasby, Daniel Saifiti and David Klemmer. That’s a whole front row and a halfback.
It’s all part of Origin, you say. It’s the spectacle that pays the bills and gets the ratings, so teams should suck it up and be honoured their players are selected.
All fine and well, but you can’t deny its massive impact on the NRL season, and not for the good.
Right now Newcastle sit in sixth spot, one game and 26 points behind the fourth-placed Canberra Raiders. After their much criticised 1-5 start to the year, the Knights have broken out to be 8-7 and should have been in control of their own destiny.
But thanks to Origin picking the eyes out of their line-up, they’ve dropped two points at home they likely would have won with a full squad. On top of this, their next game is on Friday night, barely 48 hours after tonight’s decider, against a Canterbury team that have shown they can take an opportunity when it presents itself.
If tonight’s Origin quartet can’t back up on Friday (or even if they can), the Novocastrians might well lose again. That’s four points missed at home that could cost them a double chance.
David Klemmer of the Newcastle Knights . (Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)
Tell me again how Origin is a great competitive equaliser for the NRL. It’s a rubbish argument.
Luckily there’s a simple fix – move the big three games to a three-week block. Shut the NRL down for that time. Play internationals. Not only do you keep the focus on the big ticket item, you shorten the season and cut out a heap of games that don’t mean anything.
I’m pretty sure Newcastle players and fans would prefer a fair crack at the top four over a financially successful Origin period.
An icon salutes
You don’t have to like Cameron Smith, and plenty don’t. But his achievements in rugby league are about to get a cherry on top when he runs out for his 400th game with the Melbourne Storm on Saturday night.
The milestone is a first for the NRL and it has to be said that 400 games for the one club has a good feel to it. There’s something to be said for one of the greats putting down roots as the club grows around him.
Smith’s legacy in the eyes of the punter is mixed, but it wouldn’t bother him at all. He’s been the best player in the best team for a long time and rightly deserves all the platitudes and congratulations this weekend.
Albo
Roar Rookie
Sorry AJ , I can't agree with a lot that you say here today. 1. Regarding the Hiku incident, I think the refs did the right thing and should not have been dropped for that decision ( other decisions maybe !). They are not doctors and Hiku was on his haunches ( not flat on his back) and was away from the action, and the Knights scored on the very next play ( 4 passes later) when the play was subsequently stopped for the try and Hiku's attention, maybe a 5 to 10 second delay from the incident. Whilst we need the players' safety to be the priority, I would be concerned that the immediate stoppage of play if a ref thinks a possible concussion might have occurred when someone in the defensive line stays down, that as sure as night follows day, it will be abused by coaches and teams feigning injury when their teams are under defensive pressure on their line and looking to get their breath back and their defensive line back in order. 2. Every year we whinge about the Origin scheduling and every year the Clubs with the best players who dominate the Origin teams also take up the final 8 positions in the NRL. I would be more than happy if my Club had 3 or 4 players of Origin standard and I would gladly give up a couple of games each season for the benefit of having their quality for the other 20 odd matches. 3. On Cameron Smith, I do agree with you. He is the greatest I have ever seen, mainly for the longevity of his high quality performances . He does not have a bad game, ever. Just good or great game. Not just via the 400 NRL games, the premierships, the awards, the lack of injury and toughness, but add another 100 SOO & Test matches all played at 80 minutes in the middle third of the park within the toughest of the NRL environs. He is so far ahead of any other player to have donned on footy boots, and his ever increasing records are all the proof we need to crown him the GOAT.
Dogs Boddy
Roar Rookie
Congratulations to Cam Smith, happy 400th to everyone's favourite garden gnome. 400 games at the top level is nothing to sneeze at. While I can't say I hope he wins the game (they are playing the Sharks after all) I can say that I am sure he will do his best to. He always does the crafty bugger. This is an amazing feat, especially considering he plays in the middle of the park.
Paul
Roar Guru
On the weekend, I'm sure I saw a bloke go off for an HIA assessment because he had a sore leg. You're right of course, it would be nice if Clubs played within the rules, rather than stretched them.
Nico
Roar Rookie
Part of the problem with stopping the NRL for 3 weeks for Origin is that it doesn't counter for the post-Origin fatigue factor. As a Broncs fan, I've had to watch time and time again as each promising season gets derailed with a post-origin slump. So I'd like to see Origin played post-season. The only reason it's played in June/July was that back in the day it served as a possibles vs probables trial for the test team, which seems fairly irrelevant now anyway since Origin is more or less the pinnacle of the sport. While you might risk losing a few decent players to post-season surgery, the trade off for a better quality and fairer NRL season seems well worth it.
Big Daddy
Guest
Let's not forget the NRL/ RLIF have scheduled a nines competition to the end of season. I'm sure most player's Will be looking for a well earned rest or will the administration from both these bodies Will force the players to participate. Will the 12 countries participating be using mostly NRL player's or home grown player's.
AJ Mithen
Expert
That’s why I support it Nat! ????
Nat
Roar Guru
The last line is a bit rough but I agree with you. Although the cynic in me sees the trainer giving every injury the HIA 'tap tap' to stop play if they don't have the ball. The NRL makes these changes with the best possible intentions only to have clubs/players and trainers manipulate them.
Nat
Roar Guru
Well done Smithy. You have far more fans than detractors and your record/s speak for themselves. There is one point most punters are forgetting in the Origin scheduling debate. It is only the financial behemoth it is because it i played on Wednesday night. There is a fair % of people who watch these games due to the lack of opposition. Tell me any AFL fan in the southern states would priorities these games - for 3 weeks straight - over their AFL team? How many of those watching 'out of interest' but not a RL fan as such don't go to the weekend party for these games. RL fans will watch. Passionate Qld and NSW fans will watch no matter what. However, if you take these 'event' games to a 3 week, stand alone event you'll watch it die. Solution, keep the game on Wednesday but maintain a round robin of PI Internationals over the weekends so we do get a footy fix. This could be the new magic round with less strain on resources and much easier to share around.
Paul
Roar Guru
If it has been changed, it needs to change again, Nat. I remember the incident you mention and the Hiku one was almost the same. I had time to say to a mate that Hiku was asleep before he hit the ground, yet the ref who was RIGHT there, didn't stop play. What amuses me is a ref can blow his whistle and stop play immediately if the ref does a hammy, yet a bloke in la-la land needs a non qualified person to get the ref to stop play, when it's obvious they've been ko'd??? Obviously a refs sore leg is more important than a player's mental health.
Nat
Roar Guru
Isn't this your exact idea? I was thinking the same thing reading the piece. Call it Origin fatigue or any injuries that come of it will get highlighted. People will find a reason to whinge.
jamesb
Roar Guru
In the next broadcast deal, what the NRL should do is have three stand alone representative rounds. Women's origin can be extended to a best of three and have the Pacific tests play in a round robin format. The NRL season begins one week early. Matches played will be reduced from 24 to 23. The 23rd game is the Magic Round. And each team has one a bye.
BA Sports
Roar Guru
I hate the idea of stopping the comp for 3 weeks. it makes no sense to me what so ever and no other league in the world would do it. But it would be better than the league effectively not existing in the public domain for 6 weeks like it does now. So in lieu of any other idea (other than canning it all together which I would fully support), I don't have an alternate plan. People talk about how much Origin makes the game, but I would like to know what the actual profit is once the expense of putting it on is factored in. I would like to know what the economic loss to the clubs and the NRL compeition is. How much could the NRL benefit from the resources allocated to Origin instead of the NRL. I actually think it is a lot less valuable than people think once you factor in these things. Cameron Smith and Benji should be the talk of the country (and NZ) this week but instead they are side stories and it is a real shame.
Nat
Roar Guru
I thought the rule was changed this year. The trainer has to advise the touchy of the severity and whether to stop play. This is irrespective of the location on the field. Wasn't this the issue in NQ earlier this year, the trainer didn't know to advise the touchy and the ref was waiting on the touchy's call?
BA Sports
Roar Guru
Yes Annessley clarified that gee was wrong. They only have to wait for the trainer if they are unaware of the seriousness of the injury. in this case, Badger saw it and was clearly aware that Hiku was concussed, thus they should have stopped the game. Whether that has previously been clearly explained to the officials only the people in the officials room know, but you would like to think when you see a guy concussed, an official would stop the game. Players stop when they see another player injured badly, so not sure why a ref wouldn't think they should as well.
Peter Piper
Guest
Or Feb Week 1 Game 1 Jun Week 1 Game 2 Oct Week 3 Game 3 All stand alone. We start the season early and finish late and let the NRL season develop properly.
jamesb
Roar Guru
I wonder what the average span was back in the 80's, 90's?
AJ Mithen
Expert
I support this. But you can guarantee halfway through week 2 People would be complaining about ‘Origin fatigue’ and calling for club games to break it up!
Paul
Roar Guru
but the average span for an NRL player is still only 43 games, James. By seasons end, Smith would have played 10 times as many.
Duncan Smith
Roar Guru
Here's my mind-blowing plan for origin scheduling next year. Todd Greenberg can pay me 500 K for this genius idea. Four weeks in July: week 1 - game 1 week 2 - game 2 week 3 - game 3 week 4 - forget about it for another 11 months and get on with the NRL.
Paul
Roar Guru
Sorry AJ, the point I was trying to make was, Gee should have taken matters into his own hands and blown the whistle on the "potential" for the ball to come back. After all, it was only 10 or 15 metres up field - a different matter if Hiku was the other side of half way. There could not have been anyone who would have objected if he did that, but instead he deferred to "the rule". I'm glad these two blokes were dropped, that should have been a good game of footy and they ruined it with some rubbish refereeing, apart from the Hiku incident.