News "State of Origin is back" - Eddie McGuire, March 2025

[Howard Littlejohn]

Code Sports is reporting that the AFL may respond to clubs complaining about SoO being pre season and will look at switching it to mid-season.

The whole point of it being pre-season was to limit the clubs bitching. It was for this reason that I thought post-season was the only realistic option, in place of the old International Rules slot some years (if that returns).

I still think the week after the messed-up ANZAC week is probably best if it does move. It is still relatively early, so clubs hopefully want players playing rather than resting. Much earlier hits Easter moving all around, so setting a fixed calendar slot before that which is not pre-season gets difficult.

No matter when it is, the clubs will whinge about it and probably kill it off again.

edit: I also don't think Origin can be every year, it risks going stale for players and fans. Have WA v SA and SA v Vic in the next two years, wit h Qld v NSW in the second of those, then rest it for two years before introducing an actual competition (5 states, or 6 plus NT) with divisions and a couple of year gap between cycles.
If players only get 5-6 chances a career, they are more likely to stay keen.

 

[Linda Lovelace]

State of Origin will die if the AFL lets clubs have anything to do with it, just like it did last time.

Empty suit Dillon is probably too weak to stop them though.

 

[Bjo187]

Good to see Eddie and Gary Lyon pushing back already on the complaining, chief whinger Hardwick and Clarkson were the ones having the biggest sook apparently. It's where you need a strong leader to tell the club's to F# off, something AFL head office and the commission lack.

 

[Cam Payne]

Is hardwick physically incapable of not making that ****ed up face when he's trying to explain something he doesn't like?

 

[Underarm]

Good to see Eddie and Gary Lyon pushing back already on the complaining, chief whinger Hardwick and Clarkson were the ones having the biggest sook apparently. It's where you need a strong leader to tell the club's to F# off, something AFL head office and the commission lack.

Why is clarko complaining? He'll never have to worry about it

 

[Pistol Night]

Is hardwick physically incapable of not making that ****ed up face when he's trying to explain something he doesn't like?

Having to announce his next wife?

 

[Demon13304]

The fact that the players went harder than they initially thought they would is a good thing for the concept.


There's a clear starting base

 

[Cmarsh]

Addo-Carr calls for bold rebrand of All-Stars fixture

Should the fixture be moved from before Round 1?

www.zerotackle.com

Sharing this RL related article to contrast the completely differing attitudes between the two codes about playing representative games post season.

With the ongoing debate around when is the best time to schedule AFL Origin, its interesting that RL seems to have no worries about doing rep games post season, but in AFL world everyone is so concerned about affecting the players overseas holidays, so Origin is thought of as not possible at that time. Such a difference in the can do/can't do attitudes of the codes.

 

[GC2015]

Looks like the talks for SA to host the Origin game/s next year is ramping up. Jon Ralph seems to think the best way to do it is for SA to host a mid-season Origin carnival involving SA v Victoria & WA v Allies. I'd like to think the AFL is smart enough to realise the Allies concept is dead and they'd be better off scheduling WA against QLD or NSW. Other than that, I think everything else works.

Gather Round contract talks "held up" by State of Origin

Is State of Origin holding up confirmation of Gather Round staying South Australia?

www.sen.com.au

 

[Bjo187]

Looks like the talks for SA to host the Origin game/s next year is ramping up. Jon Ralph seems to think the best way to do it is for SA to host a mid-season Origin carnival involving SA v Victoria & WA v Allies. I'd like to think the AFL is smart enough to realise the Allies concept is dead and they'd be better off scheduling WA against QLD or NSW. Other than that, I think everything else works.

Gather Round contract talks "held up" by State of Origin

Is State of Origin holding up confirmation of Gather Round staying South Australia?

www.sen.com.au

The media come up with some dumb ideas. The only reason state of origin works now is because they found a good time for it in the pre season.

Also if SA are getting state of origin next year, gather round should go to Perth for a year, particularly considering the WA government are offering more money, then go back to SA for 2 years, then Perth in 2030 before going to Brisbane and Hobart thereafter to crown their new stadiums. I'd have an arrangement where SA gets gather round every second year on average, but a great concept like this needs to be shared around to super charge footy interest all across Australia.

 

[Quinz]

Why is Ralph saying Origin only works mid season? We literally just saw it work perfectly as a pre season game.

 

[Bjo187]

Why is Ralph saying Origin only works mid season? We literally just saw it work perfectly as a pre season game.

The other funny thing is, some coaches were upset with the injuries, but they prefer a mid season game? Where their best players will miss more regular season games if they're injured during state of origin. Makes no sense.

 

[The Tilt]

The other funny thing is, some coaches were upset with the injuries, but they prefer a mid season game? Where their best players will miss more regular season games if they're injured during state of origin. Makes no sense.

I wonder if coaches feel like they'll be better positioned to insist that some of their players not play if it's scheduled mid-season.

 

[Rockmelon]

Why is Ralph saying Origin only works mid season? We literally just saw it work perfectly as a pre season game.

Think it was the perfect curtain raiser to start the season, also gives players time to recover and get over any soreness for round 1.

Also makes no sense for WA to play the Allies in SA and the allies itself is a stupid concept that I wish would die

 

[qlderlions]

Think it was the perfect curtain raiser to start the season, also gives players time to recover and get over any soreness for round 1.

Also makes no sense for WA to play the Allies in SA and the allies itself is a stupid concept that I wish would die

Couldn't agree more.

For us Queenslanders to be paired with our greatest arch enemies in NSW as the "allies" is a stupid concept and every time it is mentioned it just demonstrates that people like Jon Ralph have no idea about the cultural context and the marketing drivers for footy in the northern states.

WA vs. QLD, NSW vs. TAS

If you really want the game to explode, put the QLD vs. WA game on at the Gabba. Tas vs. NSW in Launceston. SA vs. VIC in Adelaide (MCG not available due to Cricket).

SA vs. VIC Adelaide Oval - Thursday Night
QLD vs. WA Gabba - Friday Night
Tas vs. NSW Launceston - Sunday Night

Playing it February opens up the Sunday night slot as the key shows for the Networks like MAFS are usually kicking off a week or so later. Later in the year Channel 7 want to put big blockbuster shows up against MAFS.

 

[Rockmelon]

Couldn't agree more.

For us Queenslanders to be paired with our greatest arch enemies in NSW as the "allies" is a stupid concept and every time it is mentioned it just demonstrates that people like Jon Ralph have no idea about the cultural context and the marketing drivers for footy in the northern states.

WA vs. QLD, NSW vs. TAS

If you really want the game to explode, put the QLD vs. WA game on at the Gabba. Tas vs. NSW in Launceston. SA vs. VIC in Adelaide (MCG not available due to Cricket).

SA vs. VIC Adelaide Oval - Thursday Night
QLD vs. WA Gabba - Friday Night
Tas vs. NSW Launceston - Sunday Night

Playing it February opens up the Sunday night slot as the key shows for the Networks like MAFS are usually kicking off a week or so later. Later in the year Channel 7 want to put big blockbuster shows up against MAFS.

As a Queenslander do you think a QLD vs NSW game at the Gabba would be a sell out? I reckon it would go close

 

[qlderlions]

As a Queenslander do you think a QLD vs NSW game at the Gabba would be a sell out? I reckon it would go close

Absolutely I think it could be huge and will get a lot of traction in the QLD media and a lot of neutrals/casual RL fans would tune in to see what it was like (hope it matches the passion in RL). I think Peter V'landys would attack the concept mercilessly to protect his NRL patch (and SOO exclusivity) and knowing the NSW media they will jump on board to attack it.
In my post above I included WA and TAS so that they weren't left out in the cold for SOO and the potential mismatch between WA and TAS.

As a Western Australian, would you rather pay QLD (Ashcroft's, fletcher, Andrews etc) or NSW (Heaney/Goulden etc)?

I think NSW has better Elite talent but QLD has a better spread of talent across all lines.

 

[Rockmelon]

Absolutely I think it could be huge and will get a lot of traction in the QLD media and a lot of neutrals/casual RL fans would tune in to see what it was like (hope it matches the passion in RL). I think Peter V'landys would attack the concept mercilessly to protect his NRL patch (and SOO exclusivity) and knowing the NSW media they will jump on board to attack it.
In my post above I included WA and TAS so that they weren't left out in the cold for SOO and the potential mismatch between WA and TAS.

As a Western Australian, would you rather pay QLD (Ashcroft's, fletcher, Andrews etc) or NSW (Heaney/Goulden etc)?

I think NSW has better Elite talent but QLD has a better spread of talent across all lines.

I would much rather vs QLD or NSW than the Allies, I know WA and SA have a bit of a chip on their shoulder when coming up against VIC so that will always be the marquee game.

Personally, I think the Northern states are only a few years away from being competitive against the traditional footy states so it’s not impossible to imagine WA or SA to start to take the game very seriously for state pride not wanting to lose against a traditionally non footy states

 

[Bjo187]

NSW v QLD is obvious and would sellout at both the scg and Gabba no problems.

Then rotate Vic v SA v WA. QLD will come into that top bracket in a couple of years and WA might drop down and can play NSW.

 

[Rockmelon]

I also think long term SOO could be the solution to the drama surrounding the NGA’s. Once it gets off the ground in the northern states you could give the academy’s to the states with the goal of developing players to get drafted (and eventually play SOO) players could train at both state clubs but wouldn’t be tied to either. The incentive to develop players would still be there but you would equalise the draft

I don’t think that it should be just the northern states that do this but WA and SA as well

 

[Cmarsh]

Absolutely I think it could be huge and will get a lot of traction in the QLD media and a lot of neutrals/casual RL fans would tune in to see what it was like (hope it matches the passion in RL). I think Peter V'landys would attack the concept mercilessly to protect his NRL patch (and SOO exclusivity) and knowing the NSW media they will jump on board to attack it.
In my post above I included WA and TAS so that they weren't left out in the cold for SOO and the potential mismatch between WA and TAS.

As a Western Australian, would you rather pay QLD (Ashcroft's, fletcher, Andrews etc) or NSW (Heaney/Goulden etc)?

I think NSW has better Elite talent but QLD has a better spread of talent across all lines.

You mention V'Landys potentially being vocal to protect the RL SoO patch. He tried to mock the February edition already and will try to attack an expanded version as well.

But if they AFL do decide to reinstate the extra states into SoO, then it will be a clear differentation between it and the locked in RL two state version. Its something that RL just can't do and help to reinforce demonstratively that AFL is the more national game. Would be a big win.

 

[Bjo187]

You mention V'Landys potentially being vocal to protect the RL SoO patch. He tried to mock the February edition already and will try to attack an expanded version as well.

But if they AFL do decide to reinstate the extra states into SoO, then it will be a clear differentation between it and the locked in RL two state version. Its something that RL just can't do and help to reinforce demonstratively that AFL is the more national game. Would be a big win.

Exactly that's the advantage in AFL state of origin it's a display of national strength compared to the two state NRL. It's one of the reasons they should be really pushing it.

Also v'landys carry on should be used as a way to promote AFL state of origin. The selling of the product and promotion compared to the NRL leaves a lot to be desired these days. It doesn't help that Dillon is one of the most awkward CEO's in world sport, it's why they needed a chairman like Eddie to help him out and get some free media attention.

 

[GC2015]

NSW v QLD is obvious and would sellout at both the scg and Gabba no problems.

Then rotate Vic v SA v WA. QLD will come into that top bracket in a couple of years and WA might drop down and can play NSW.

Why not try WA v QLD/NSW next year and just see what happens? Instead of just assuming the northern states can't compete with WA or SA right now, why don't we put it to the test? I know people will argue that WA (on paper) should win fairly easily, but people said the same thing about VIC against WA and it was a much closer game than all thought it would be. Play the game at the Gabba/SCG to increase QLD/NSW's chances of winning and play it as a secondary Origin game to the SA v VIC game at Adelaide Oval on the same weekend.

Alternatively, you can just schedule QLD v NSW and SA v VIC in 2027 while WA have the year off before returning to the Origin arena in 2028.

 

[Cmarsh]

Why not try WA v QLD/NSW next year and just see what happens? Instead of just assuming the northern states can't compete with WA or SA right now, why don't we put it to the test? I know people will argue that WA (on paper) should win fairly easily, but people said the same thing about VIC against WA and it was a much closer game than all thought it would be. Play the game at the Gabba/SCG to increase QLD/NSW's chances of winning and play it as a secondary Origin game to the SA v VIC game at Adelaide Oval on the same weekend.

Alternatively, you can just schedule QLD v NSW and SA v VIC in 2027 while WA have the year off before returning to the Origin arena in 2028.

The problem is that there is no real whispers from the Queensland or NSW government that they are willing to put money up to host a SoO game. If WA and SA are, as reports in rhe media are saying the are, then that is where SoO will be next year.

 

[Bjo187]

Why not try WA v QLD/NSW next year and just see what happens? Instead of just assuming the northern states can't compete with WA or SA right now, why don't we put it to the test? I know people will argue that WA (on paper) should win fairly easily, but people said the same thing about VIC against WA and it was a much closer game than all thought it would be. Play the game at the Gabba/SCG to increase QLD/NSW's chances of winning and play it as a secondary Origin game to the SA v VIC game at Adelaide Oval on the same weekend.

Alternatively, you can just schedule QLD v NSW and SA v VIC in 2027 while WA have the year off before returning to the Origin arena in 2028.

I'd just go NSW and QLD straight away, unless you have WA V NSW in Perth, that's the only fixture that would draw a crowd I think. The northern states have no rivalry with WA at the moment, you could do that later when the concept matures a bit though.