The W.A key positions are really strong, just they seem to miss about 1 extra star in each third of the field. Shai Bolton surely needs to start in the centre he isn't even in this side lol.
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News "State of Origin is back" - Eddie McGuire, March 2025
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The W.A key positions are really strong, just they seem to miss about 1 extra star in each third of the field. Shai Bolton surely needs to start in the centre he isn't even in this side lol.
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It's still a great team with several genuine stars across the ground. Reigning Brownlow Medallist Patrick Cripps in the middle, most likely the best key defender in the league in Sam Taylor and the reigning Coleman Medallist in Jesse Hogan. They're not lacking! With the crowd behind them at Optus, maybe, just maybe, they'd have a chance against the Big V. I'm sure that's what the AFL are hoping for.
I wonder if other states will be involved in SoO next year or if it will just be a one shot WA v VIC...
They may end up doing the minimalist option to begin with in WA v VIC, but there is certainly potential to expand the concept to all six states on a rotating basis if the format is well recieved.
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That is a pretty bad side, Nathan Broad and especially Cam Zurhaar? Liam Baker as a middle, Blake Acres as a flanker.
Pretty horrible.
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Must admit there is a part of me that thinks its all just a waste of time given the strength of a Vic side in all facets.
I mean, they would have Daicos x2, Bont, Danger and Murphy, and thats before you realise they would also have Ben King, Cameron and Curnow to choose from as tall forwards. And you could keep rattling off the names of quality players.
It does seem a futile exercise trying to go up against that.
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Probably the reason it'll get over the line now.
Lots of very marketable people for very different reasons all playing for Victoria. Certainly wasn't the case when the best player in the competition was an AFL headache in Dane Swan.
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Not having the best players competing is what killed State of Origin in the 90s. It seems like the best players are all committed to play in this iteration so it shouldn't have the same major problem it had in the 90s. The biggest issue will be deciding how often it should occur to ensure the best players don't skip it. Every third year would probably guarantee no complacency from the players.
Agree, but I think you can over time pick a different match up each year. Arguably 7 states playing means a match on average every 2nd or 3rd year for each state.
Doing it this way kills any appeal.
It’s essentially an exhibition game if structured this way. No series, no shield, no actual sense of competion.
Agree but it sort of has to be that way to re start it. In my view it's a tricky balance...the AFL needs to be inclusive (ie is all states represented) but you don't want VIC SA WA dominating as it compromises promoting expansion.
Yes but this short sightedness is what will kill it.
Daicos doing his knee as part of a 3-4 team, 5 game series with a prestigious trophy on the line at the end is a sad, but worthwhile endeavor worth considering losing stars over.
Daicos doing his knee in a 1 game, silly, worthless exhibition spectacle will kill this for another two decades.
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Exactly. Something needs to be up for grabs to keep these players motivated to play. Just playing exhibition state games will kill the concept pretty quickly.
Personally, I tend to agree. Injuries happen regardless.
It seems that the difference, in the eyes of many fans and the clubs and coaches, is that the clubs have control of players for practice matches. The amount of risk is up to them.
With IR or SoO the risk is higher toward higher worth players, and outside the clubs' control. Plus a lot of the fan base, possibly a majority by now, simply won't care about SoO regardless of that risk and see it as an anachronism.
I mean, I'm sure it was of little comfort to them after Gulden's injury when Swans coaches said to themselves "oh well, at least it was in our control".
If they play a practice game no matter the nature or circumstances of coarse it carriers risk. Thats not actually in a clubs control.
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Some things you simply can't do with a quick fix. Daicos doing his knee whenever is bad news. If you want perfect results all the time your in the wrong universe. Luck plays a role in all success. In fact it's a necessity ! You gotta take a chance to achieve anything.
You simply don't think SOO is worth it...fair enough. But it has been massive for NRL and if you are old enough like me (!!!) Interstate Footy in VFL/AFL can be massive.
I can vividly remember listening to the last quarter of a state match SA V Vic , mid 1960's....Hawthorn was a cellar dweller but Des Meagher was selected to play for Victoria. In an epic last quarter Meagher dominated and Victoria beat SA in a cliff hanger at Adelaide Oval in front of 50,000 blood thirsty South Australians..... I was just a kid but listening on the radio every time Meager got the footy I felt like I had it !.. When Victoria won it was almost like Hawthorn won the flag....
If the AFL expansion works to the point the NSW and QLD have a critical mass of players to select a State of Origin team to be competitive with SA WA or VIC I bet Nick, Josh or Peter would love to be playing.
Au contraire, my friend.
I’m in my early 30s - never saw SOO growing up until I moved to NSW in my late teens and started to appreciate the northern code.
Without a doubt, SOO is the single best thing about NRL and it’s up there with of the best sporting spectacles in Australia.
The reason, I feel, is the genuine rivalry, the hatred between the teams and the build up over 3 games.
You can’t replicate this with a single game during a preseason. Thats the problem.
I’m saying if they are going to bring it back, do it right.
Carve out a 4 week window during middle of the year.
NSW, QLD, VIC, SA and WA. Every team plays each other once. Best 2 teams at end play a one off game for the title.
If you did it like that, it would be pure magic.
Carve out a 4 week window during middle of the year.
NSW, QLD, VIC, SA and WA. Every team plays each other once. Best 2 teams at end play a one off game for the title.
If you did it like that, it would be pure magic.
For SOO to succeed like it does for RL, then really the base starts with public interest.
If there is no public interest or not enough it's just not gonna work.
IMHO RL fans value SOO over the club competition (RL fans correct me if I'm wrong), and the reason for its success.
For those who are non RL fans the concept of state v state is a novelty but footy fans obviously value their club winning the flag over a marathon of a season than what might be a small block of games for bragging rights.
We watch for the 'war' not so much the game of rugby league itself, and once it's over we're rabid on the footy again and for footy fans that are also rl fans they're once again rabid on the club competitions.
I dunno, maybe native non vics might view it differently (tell us all) and maybe there is a hunger for SOO, doesn't seem so much for vic natives.
So the question begs, is there enough public interest for footy SOO for it to be a success? Would SOO have to be valued moreso by the public than the club competition for it to be a success?
Personally I don't see it happening. I used to love it btw, but my preference was always for Collingwood success more than the success of the 'Big V'
If there is no public interest or not enough it's just not gonna work.
IMHO RL fans value SOO over the club competition (RL fans correct me if I'm wrong), and the reason for its success.
For those who are non RL fans the concept of state v state is a novelty but footy fans obviously value their club winning the flag over a marathon of a season than what might be a small block of games for bragging rights.
We watch for the 'war' not so much the game of rugby league itself, and once it's over we're rabid on the footy again and for footy fans that are also rl fans they're once again rabid on the club competitions.
I dunno, maybe native non vics might view it differently (tell us all) and maybe there is a hunger for SOO, doesn't seem so much for vic natives.
So the question begs, is there enough public interest for footy SOO for it to be a success? Would SOO have to be valued moreso by the public than the club competition for it to be a success?
Personally I don't see it happening. I used to love it btw, but my preference was always for Collingwood success more than the success of the 'Big V'
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If it’s done well, it could absolutely usurp club loyalties.
There’s some special, using myself as an example, where all of us support different teams but come together to support the state 3 times a year.
That’s what the AFL needs to replicate.
The reason representative matches work and are popular, is if the teams are matched relatively closely in ability. This is the reason Australian football state of origin gradually dropped away.
Take the nrl example here, only two states play the sport, so it's split roughly 50.50 on talent. Also less spots on the field to fill makes it easier to get 2 evenly matched sides, even if one had less depth of talent.
Now compare that to their international scene, where there is a lack of interest, coz Australia are so much better than the rest. It's the same we get with the vics in the afl being so far ahead of the pack. Now if you scrapped the vics from the concept it would actually be good and competitive across the 4 other states, with nsw and qld closing the gap. Unfortunately you cannot have Victoria not competing though, coz that's where all the money and viewers are located.
I actually feel in 10 years or so qld are funnily enough the state that could help reinvigorate state of origin. Their participation numbers and amount of talent they're punching out might be able to eventually compete with Victoria.
Take the nrl example here, only two states play the sport, so it's split roughly 50.50 on talent. Also less spots on the field to fill makes it easier to get 2 evenly matched sides, even if one had less depth of talent.
Now compare that to their international scene, where there is a lack of interest, coz Australia are so much better than the rest. It's the same we get with the vics in the afl being so far ahead of the pack. Now if you scrapped the vics from the concept it would actually be good and competitive across the 4 other states, with nsw and qld closing the gap. Unfortunately you cannot have Victoria not competing though, coz that's where all the money and viewers are located.
I actually feel in 10 years or so qld are funnily enough the state that could help reinvigorate state of origin. Their participation numbers and amount of talent they're punching out might be able to eventually compete with Victoria.
This is a huge huge ask, SOO even in it's hey days was never the more favoured by the public over the club competitions (in Vic at least).
IMHO, SOO would need to be more than just block of a few games for this to happen, such is the thirst for footy.
Not to mention footy fans by and large are pretty loyally rusted on types who indoctrinate their offspring to do the same. I like millions of others is a good example of that.
It would have to co exist with the club competition, then it's just a matter of 'is it worth it?' for the clubs. It'd need buy in from all stakeholders.
The clubs, the players, the fans and the club competition itself.
It could co exist like it used to, then it'd be question of if it would last. Would the clubs pull out their best players and by extension the fans lose interest? My guess is it would die off.
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Yep.
When SOO was 'big, it was really just big in WA/SA where it game them a chance to compete against the Vics because they knew (even if they didn't admit) that their competitions were 2nd grade compared to the VFL. This caused them to develop a passion and enthusiasm for the game, helped on by their teams being given an assist to give them a better chance (home grounds/umpires).
In Vic meanwhile, SOO was only ever a curiosity. The few 'home' SOO games were slaughters and it was widely accepted that star players would suddenly develop 'injuries' that kept them out that week that never needed a week off before or after.
All of this is why the SOO concept died when WA/SA got teams in the AFL...It was not longer such a big deal to play against the Vics...They did it every week, and they started to care more about their VFL/AFL teams than they did SOO.
Even now, I dare say most fans like the idea/memory of SOO more than they'll like the realities of it.
This I disagree with, the WAFL and SANFL are over a hundred years old that have had passionate following since their inception.
I agree with the rest of your post though.
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When I said "a passion and enthusiasm for the game" I meant SOO, not the code entirely.
Apologies for being unclear on that.
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