I love State of Origin, enjoy watching it, enjoy wearing my Blues jersey, having banter sessions with my friends who go for Queensland and love attending State of Origin in Sydney.
I do miss the biff and we all know it’s not going to come back. I have seen the spectacle go interstate whether Perth or Adelaide. I personally have nothing against it but since it’s New South Wales vs Queensland, I think it should remain as such. There’s even talk of the MCG getting State of Origin in 2024 and 2026.
There’s talk about expanding the game, so the idea of taking State of Origin to Adelaide or Perth doesn’t really cut it in my opinion. An idea I have is having teams from Adelaide and Perth. We all know Western Reds and Adelaide Rams failed and that’s only due to them being Super League teams created for that competition. However, a different time now with a much bigger game, bring them in. Add a second NZ team, we have 20. Taking State of Origin there isn’t good enough to make the game expand from my perspective.
Instead of just Stadium Australia, aka Accor Stadium, and Lang Park, aka Suncorp Stadium, we should also add in two extra stadiums – Marathon (Newcastle) and Queensland Country Bank Stadium (Townsville). I would love to include Newcastle and Townsville because taking the game into country/rural towns can also be seen as expanding State of Origin within the two rival states. Newcastle and Townsville are a fair distance from Sydney and Brisbane respectively. I wouldn’t have the game played in the same state on back to back games. Let’s observe with a 4 year schedule.
Year 1
Game 1 – Stadium Australia
Game 2 – Lang Park
Game 3 – Marathon
Year 2
Game 1 – Queensland Country Bank Stadium
Game 2 – Stadium Australia
Game 3 – Lang Park
Year 3
Game 1 – Marathon
Game 2 – Lang Park
Game 3 – Stadium Australia
Year 4
Game 1 – Lang Park
Game 2 – Stadium Australia
Game 3 – Queensland Country Bank Stadium
This way, each state can in this four-year rotation play at their traditional home ground four times (once per year) and every second year, they can play either the opening or closing game of the series in their country/rural home ground. NSW’s rural home ground is Marathon and QLD’s counterpart is Queensland Country Bank Stadium. This still will keep the game in NSW and QLD with a bit of variation.
Dionysus
Roar Rookie
As a welded on Rugby League fan who by an accident of residence you want to deny access to all the best games for ever ..... Grrrrr
wilbas
Roar Rookie
NSW has wasted their home advantage year after year,,,How many home series advantages do QLD farm out for the good of the game...I do not see any good from playing these games out of the states that are contesting.Fair idea.
Short Arm
Roar Rookie
I agree with you King. The regional league heartlands need to be showed some love. SOO should only be played in the states involved. If NRL want to chase the money interstate let the AFL states tender for Kangaroo games as they won't know the difference anyway.
Nakinz 14
Roar Rookie
I say the NRL should thank the warriors..how do you do that as a one 0ff ..you give Auckland one state of origin game in the next 3 years .. played at eden park .. you might have put the game earlier cos of time difference..but that the price you pay for what the warriors did for your competition for 3 years .. I could go on and on how the nrl have treated the warriors.. but I will save you my rant for another time .. it’s about time the NRL and the Australian public did lot more for the warriors than to treat us with just a thanks
Pop
Roar Rookie
I’m unapologetically a traditionalist when it comes to Origin. For me the old model was the best, each state has two games on the alternate year. However if the G got one ( never a decider) . It should be every three years and the first one.
Pop
Roar Rookie
“ There’s even talk of the MCG getting State of Origin in 2024 and 2026.“ Yes the money loving NRL board zombies know the G will deliver 100,000. All aboard the ‘ G EXPRESS’
Pop
Roar Rookie
I heard 15,000 from interstate
Emcie
Roar Guru
I know a lots been said about the crowd being dead on wednesday, but that probably had more to do with the cameras and mikes being 30m in from the side line then anything. A neutral crowd will rarely match a home crowd for intencity but I didn't think it was that bad. I've got no issue with the game being played at neutral venues, but I think there may be a risk of playing them too often. Every 3rd year seemed to be a happy medium. It didn't annoy the traditionalist too much (or at least was far enough apart for them to forget 2 out of 3 years) and also allowed the the neutral game to be an event in its own right rather then a yearly distraction. At the moment i think they run the risk of depreciating Origins "sale" value, a couple poorly percieved years in a row and the accompanying media coverage ("waste of time" in heartlands and "not worth the cost" in neutral states) could tank its value, which we all know is all that matters to the administration. One "poor" game in a set of eight is easier to forgive then potentialy every third game, and I'd assume its easier to pump up that one game then expect fans to do it every year
Emcie
Roar Guru
the presales were bad, there wer still 48k there
up in the north
Roar Rookie
I like the idea, the Adelaide game didn’t sell out, but I seem to recall 40 odd plus thousand in attendance being bandied about. I do remember them having to bring in temporary seating at the Townsville stadium, down at the hill area. Whoever thought having a grassy hill to watch football on was a good idea? If they want to compete on a dollars through the turnstiles approach, then naturally more bums on seats is the way to go. That just means the local sponsors and local government need to help pay the costs to convince the money grubbing parasitic walking dead zombies in the boardroom of NRL HQ that it’s a good idea to actually give back to the communities of Queensland and NSW who help supply the talent and nurtures the boys that feed the ruby league monster.
Redcap
Roar Guru
And the Reds were a nascent entity sometime circa 1992, before gaining admission to the ARL in '95.
The King of the World
Roar Guru
I do know Western Reds came prior Super League but the idea for a breakaway competition originally began talks in 1993.
Redcap
Roar Guru
"Western Reds and Adelaide Rams failed and that’s only due to them being Super League teams created for that competition." Not quite, liege, the Reds were around before super league and were not a creation of it, though they did play in it. Other than that, your idea could easily fit within the current plan. As I understand it, there won't be games in neutral venues every year, so a game could be taken to an alternative venue with NSW and/or Qld at the discretion of whichever state has hosting rights for the spare game every three years (I think).
Dutski
Roar Guru
Scully Park should get a game!
Brendon Waldron
Roar Pro
Ive been saying for a while that I don't want this every year, but I think it would be a nice trade off for taking the game interstate, we need the revenue from the other states bidding for it but that doesn't mean we need it every year, even if 8 years out of 10 they take a game to Melbourne/Perth/Adelaide and then for the other two years do Townsville/Newcastle...
mushi
Roar Guru
TKOTW take it you'll chip in for the revenue difference?
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
Yes
peeeko
Roar Guru
no
Griffo 09
Roar Rookie
Nice idea, amd being able to go to State of Origin in Townsville (my city) was a great experience (even if the result was awful), but I’m tipping that it was a once in a lifetime experience. The whole reason they go to neutral venues is they get big payouts from the respective state governments; thus, money is the reason. In the absence of this option, the next best monetary option is to go back Brisbane and Sydney alternating as two time hosts in a series, and this would also please those who say Origin should be kept within Queenslandand New South Wales. It would take a polar flip in philosophy to realise your idea, and I don’t think that is likely.