Origin Scheduling is a joke and a blight to the game.

[Kimlo]

I actually like mid-season origin but I would only be truly happy with it in two formats.

1) 1 month break to have 3 games in 3 weeks. It'd be an origin frenzy and would be a good break for the clubs.
2) 3 stand alone weekends.

In both situations all current byes would be waived so every round has all 16 teams playing.

 

[Coxy]

tests and world cups arent a pimple on State of Origins backside.

quite frankly, noone gives a $hit about test footy. State of Origin is the games premier showcase, unlike test footy where australia can generally pick any 17 nuffies who havent played for 2 months and still usually win comfortably.

Absolutely irrelevant to whether or not they could pick Origin teams from players some of whom wouldn't have played for 4-5 weeks.

The reason Origin will never be after the grand final is: 1) the grand final is seen as the traditional end of the domestic season, and 2) by that time of year there are a lot of players desperately in need of corrective surgery. So you'd risk having your best players unavailable anyway. That's one reason Australian teams are less dominant in end of season internationals than they are mid year.

The only solution is standalone weekends, in either format broncospwn mentioned, but it's just not going to happen in the current TV rights deal.

 

[Culhwch]

tests and world cups arent a pimple on State of Origins backside.

quite frankly, noone gives a $hit about test footy. State of Origin is the games premier showcase, unlike test footy where australia can generally pick any 17 nuffies who havent played for 2 months and still usually win comfortably.

I'm really just spit-balling here anyway, because just like a month's break in the middle of the season, it's never going to happen. But I can't see why it wouldn't work. Just because test series and World Cups are generally less intense (and I don't know that that's always the case, especially when NZ are fired up and on their game), it doesn't mean an Origin series at the end of the year would be. In fact I can certainly think of ways it might be improved.

A train-on team could be named after the last round and added to as teams got knocked out of the finals. The majority of the squad would have a good long break to get over niggling or minor injuries, and get healthy for game one. There would also be ample time to build combinations and install gameplans. A healthier team with more time to prepare would, I imagine, lead to better football. The weather would also generally be better - it should be warmer and drier, so handling would benefit.

A continuous series would also mean that you'd name an extended squad, which would be a good way to foster tomorrow's talent - of course they already do this to an extent, but players outside the starting seventeen have to break camp to play for their clubs the weekend before the game. There's more continuity this way. They could also give the fringe players a run if there was a dead rubber, which you don't see at the moment because it feels like you're dropping the stars - but if they are there on the sidelines and can participate in the ceremony, it would make it easier.

It would also logically be a trial for national jumpers. The New Zealand team could play a series of tests against island nations at the same time, using those as trials to pick their own team. The quality of internationals may be improved as a result.

Having said all that, I definitely won't argue that there's anything like Origin football in the middle of the year, on a cold July night, and I really can't see that ever changing...

 

[Anonymous person]

Absolutely irrelevant to whether or not they could pick Origin teams from players some of whom wouldn't have played for 4-5 weeks.

it is relevant though, because origin is the best of the best you want/have to have those best players having a chance to be "in form". thats not gonna happen if they havent played for 2 months. i doubt players like nate myles would be able to come into an origin series 2 months from now and play to his usual standard after having just played his last game of footy for the season on the weekend.

A train-on team could be named after the last round and added to as teams got knocked out of the finals. The majority of the squad would have a good long break to get over niggling or minor injuries, and get healthy for game one. There would also be ample time to build combinations and install gameplans. A healthier team with more time to prepare would, I imagine, lead to better football.

like someone said, there are LOTS of players every year that delay surgery until the end of the year as it would rule them out for the season. having an origin series a month after the regular season finishes (or even worse a month after the finals series) means they either have to pull out of the origin series or delay surgery even further, possibly for another 3-4 months.

 

[QUEENSLANDER]

it is relevant though, because origin is the best of the best you want/have to have those best players having a chance to be "in form". thats not gonna happen if they havent played for 2 months. i doubt players like nate myles would be able to come into an origin series 2 months from now and play to his usual standard after having just played his last game of footy for the season on the weekend.



like someone said, there are LOTS of players every year that delay surgery until the end of the year as it would rule them out for the season. having an origin series a month after the regular season finishes means they either have to pull out of the origin series or delay surgery even further, possibly for another 3-4 months.

Cant argue with any of that. Playing test matches after the season is ok because we dont need the AUS team at peak fitness to beat the "competition" they face. A state of origin with players that havent played in 1 - 2 months would not be as intense and wouldnt be the best of the best at their best

 

[Bucking Beads]

I still think mid season Origin is the way to go. Just would like to have it on stand alone weekends.

 

[Nashy]

Mid season origin needs to stay. It just wouldn't be Origin otherwise. I don't give a **** how things worked back in 19 digty 5.

The fact that tests have come up in this discussion just proves that people still undervalue just how massive Origin is. Other test matches are a crock of shit and hardly worth watching. League's talent pool is in Australia.

I think it should be a full bye after each Origin week for all teams. The camp setup needs to change. Sure, go train, but the player has the option to play for their team on the weekend prior.

 

[Coxy]

Mid season origin needs to stay. It just wouldn't be Origin otherwise. I don't give a **** how things worked back in 19 digty 5.

The fact that tests have come up in this discussion just proves that people still undervalue just how massive Origin is. Other test matches are a crock of shit and hardly worth watching. League's talent pool is in Australia.

I think it should be a full bye after each Origin week for all teams. The camp setup needs to change. Sure, go train, but the player has the option to play for their team on the weekend prior.

You'll have the Origin obsessors freaking out about the potential impact to the quality of Origin by having players tired from the weekend before.

 

[Culhwch]

Of course we all may just be slavishly addicted to mid-year Origin because that's what we've always had. If it had initially been introduced as an end of year deal and someone was now advocating to move it mid-year, everyone would be against it because it has no place in June and July. It's tradition, consarnit!

Change is not something to be afraid of. Unless you're in charge of the NRL, of course...

 

[Anonymous person]

Of course we all may just be slavishly addicted to mid-year Origin because that's what we've always had. If it had initially been introduced as an end of year deal and someone was now advocating to move it mid-year, everyone would be against it because it has no place in June and July. It's tradition, consarnit!

Change is not something to be afraid of. Unless you're in charge of the NRL, of course...

depends - if we had always had it at the end of the season and you proposed changing it to mid-season and having the best players miss 3+ rounds due and having teams decimated by missing their stars then yes, we probably would be against it.

but as it is, we've always had byes and teams decimated by missing stars, so keeping it where it is doesnt add any new drawbacks. moving it to the post-season definitely does, as has been explained above. sure it would alleviate the byes/decimated teams issues, but it removes any and all form from ALL players and also then makes choosing replacements should injuries occur even harder. it also means many would pull out due to post-season surgery.

so as it is, the mid-season origin is a far better option IMO.

 

[Coxy]

Agree AP, but the fact mid year Origin does decimate clubs isn't something that should be tolerated just because it's been like that for 25 years. It has to be addressed.

However, moving Origin to the end of the year, as much as I'd like it to happen, isn't going to happen and for the impact it likely will have on the quality of the series, isn't worth it.

IMO it'd still be just as big and as good but I can understand the trepidation of not wanting to **** with what is the jewel in the rugby league crown.

Having Origin on standalone weekends mid year would only have a positive influence on Origin, certainly not a negative one, and at the same time have a hugely positive influence on the competition. The only negative to it is the lack of TV games, which is a problem for Channel 9 and Fox Sports, nobody else.

 

[Culhwch]

Having Origin on standalone weekends mid year would only have a positive influence on Origin, certainly not a negative one, and at the same time have a hugely positive influence on the competition. The only negative to it is the lack of TV games, which is a problem for Channel 9 and Fox Sports, nobody else.

Yup.

 

[Mr Fourex]

Having Origin on standalone weekends mid year would only have a positive influence on Origin, certainly not a negative one, and at the same time have a hugely positive influence on the competition. The only negative to it is the lack of TV games, which is a problem for Channel 9 and Fox Sports, nobody else.

Wouldn't it also have a negative impact on fans? Some supporters wouldn't get to see their team for 3 weeks and in some cases any players from their teams.

For those out there who say "mehh..I don't care about origin, it's all about club football for me" (and there are quite a few who feel like this)....surely it would be a problem for them.

 

[Culhwch]

Which is why I was for standalone Sundays with a couple of club rounds between...

 

[Mr Fourex]

Which is why I was for standalone Sundays with a couple of club rounds between...

I'm close to getting on board with that......as long as we're still talking about in the middle of the year (which I think you are)

edit: Maybe Saturday nights?

.....be nice not having to into work with a hangover for a change.

 

[Kimlo]

but as it is, we've always had byes and teams decimated by missing stars, so keeping it where it is doesnt add any new drawbacks. moving it to the post-season definitely does, as has been explained above. sure it would alleviate the byes/decimated teams issues, but it removes any and all form from ALL players and also then makes choosing replacements should injuries occur even harder. it also means many would pull out due to post-season surgery.

so as it is, the mid-season origin is a far better option IMO.

In rugby league cliche that would be interpreted as weakening one position to strengthen another :tongue_smilie:

 

[Kimlo]

Agree AP, but the fact mid year Origin does decimate clubs isn't something that should be tolerated just because it's been like that for 25 years. It has to be addressed.

However, moving Origin to the end of the year, as much as I'd like it to happen, isn't going to happen and for the impact it likely will have on the quality of the series, isn't worth it.

IMO it'd still be just as big and as good but I can understand the trepidation of not wanting to **** with what is the jewel in the rugby league crown.

Having Origin on standalone weekends mid year would only have a positive influence on Origin, certainly not a negative one, and at the same time have a hugely positive influence on the competition. The only negative to it is the lack of TV games, which is a problem for Channel 9 and Fox Sports, nobody else.

They don't really lose any games though because there is no more byes.
In fact I'd be certain the ratings (and crowds) drop around origin period so in net terms I'd say they have an overall higher amount of ratings over a season.

 

[Kimlo]

I'm close to getting on board with that......as long as we're still talking about in the middle of the year (which I think you are)

edit: Maybe Saturday nights?

.....be nice not having to into work with a hangover for a change.

Saturday afternoon origins would be something special but it's not prime time. I'd say if it was going to move to a weekend it would be Sunday night the same time the grand finals are from next year.