Opinion
We have an Origin dead rubber slated for Wednesday, July 12 at Accor Stadium in Sydney.
As a member of the stadium I am somewhat disappointed and it is a bit of a bummer that rugby league’s two competitive states will not be butting heads to decide the winner of the series in a grandstand finish.
The Sydney matches are something I look forward to each year. Attending them allows me to avoid the appalling Channel 9 commentary which I am forced to endure at home when Brisbane, Melbourne or Adelaide host.
The fabricated melodrama on which Nine’s broadcast is based is simply no better than inane and frankly, an insult to the game.
Sadly for floundering NSW coach Brad Fittler, the 2023 Maroons have dusted up the Blues in two straight matches and they now head to Sydney with no more motivation available than completing a clean sweep of a team that, as always, the bookies had installed as clear favourites heading in.
Mitchell Moses. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
No matter the result, and the Blues are likely to steal the win in a desperate attempt to save face, Fittler should be thanked for his service and relieved of his duties, after just one win from his last six matches in charge.
A swathe of Blues players should also be put on notice, with past performances influencing selection more than is desirable and subsequently leading to poor performances.
A few others should be verbally stripped down by mums and dads and mentors, after again appearing arrogant and pig-headed, both leading into the series and in its aftermath.
All the while, as Sydney folk prepare to attend what is normally a monumental evening in the crisp Sydney air, the NRLW Origin players are off on short breaks, after a series that ended 1-1.
Queensland held the trophy aloft based on points for and against across two matches, a system that is inadequate at best and embarrassing at its worst. Yet the NRL is seemingly happy that a 32-28 cumulative scoreline defines a clear winner.
There is a simple solution to the problem really. Cancel the Origin dead rubber and let the women rip and tear one more time.
In fact, I’d go a step further and suggest such an approach could be the future of the Origin concept, with both series slated to be played over three matches and dead rubbers cancelled should one team dominate the first two.
Yeah, yeah, I know, broadcast deals, television advertising contracts and the importance of the revenue generated by Origin are the overarching considerations that make the third match a must for the powers at be.
However, considering the traditional three Origin matches has now become five, just a few years after the official rebranding of the women’s series in 2018 to closely align it with the men’s, any potential loss thanks to an absent third game is offset by the additional series.
In short, the Origin concept is performing mighty well for the NRL, with more than 300,000 tuning in for the second women’s fixture and the viewership for the men’s match peaking at around 1.8 million according to Media Week.
(Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
With BVOD streaming also factored in, the numbers remain impressive and with the women’s series gaining interest year on year, the cumulative corporate result and the continued saleability of the product make Origin broadcasts some of the most watched on Australian television.
There is plenty of time to make the scheduling alterations.
Get on the blower and let the boys know they will not be required and call the women back into camp immediately. NRL coaches would be pleased with the move, knowing all that can come from a dead rubber in club land is an injury to a representative player that negatively impacts the final third of the season.
Many fans would honour their ticket purchase, ratings would easily surpass Game II and avoid the dip that will undoubtedly occur when the men play out what is effectively a meaningless contest and one that has disappointed in the past.
In a perfect world, two deciders would be ideal each and every year. However, creating a third match in the women’s series, leaving the third Origin week open for deciding matches to be played if required and putting a line through dead rubbers, might add some additional spice to the Origin concept.
It would also create much needed parity between the two series;’ and really give us something to look forward to in a fortnight’s time.
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