RUGBY STATE OF ORIGIN

[TOCC]

ah off the top of my head, and depending on the actual elegibility rules, this would probably be the QLD side:

1. Greg Holmes
2. Stephen Moore
3. Ben Daley
4. James Horwill
5. Nathan Sharpe
6. Rocky Elsom
7. David Pocock
8. Richard Brown
9. Will Genia/Josh Valantine(depending on rules)
10. Berrick Barnes
11. Lote Tuqiri
12. James O'Connor
13. Digby Ioane
14. Peter Hynes
15. Drew Mitchell

16.
17. Sean Hardman
18. Mark Chisolm
19. Hugh McMenimen
20. Scott Higginbotham
21. Quade Cooper
22. Gene Fairbanks

short on depth in the front row and centres, but a abundance of wingers and locks/bacrow

[jargan83]

not even at the end of season? be great for deans to see the 2nd tier players althogther,, not too sure

why would NSW or QLD want to release their contracted players for the other state for a State of Origin game?

If you are talking about a State of the Union game which I believe it is called in Rugby Union, it could happen, as stated above I read some weeks ago that the concept of a rematch between NSW and QLD was being kicked about, but I have not read anything since

[laura]

I think we should just have a few Aussie derby matches at the end of the Super 14 season. Gives the boys a chance to play each other with the pressure of Super 14 aside, gives some of the younger players more chance to play against their Wallaby counterparts, gives Robbie Deans a chance to see the players up against each other again and gives us a chance to watch more rugby. Plus we could have a trophy for it and really get to see who is the best Australian team each year.

[Ecky]

...Plus we could have a trophy for it and really get to see who is the best Australian team each year.

Don't need a trophy for some game between two "new" teams - everyone in Aus knows who did the Grand Slam this year.....

[BDAVEY]

origin would be too messy in union

Reading the EWF player profiles etc u are prob right .......but u could see where i was coming from

---------- Post added at 11:16 ---------- Previous post was at 11:15 ----------

ah off the top of my head, and depending on the actual elegibility rules, this would probably be the QLD side:

1. Greg Holmes
2. Stephen Moore
3. Ben Daley
4. James Horwill
5. Nathan Sharpe
6. Rocky Elsom
7. David Pocock
8. Richard Brown
9. Will Genia/Josh Valantine(depending on rules)
10. Berrick Barnes
11. Lote Tuqiri
12. James O'Connor
13. Digby Ioane
14. Peter Hynes
15. Drew Mitchell

16.
17. Sean Hardman
18. Mark Chisolm
19. Hugh McMenimen
20. Scott Higginbotham
21. Quade Cooper
22. Gene Fairbanks

short on depth in the front row and centres, but a abundance of wingers and locks/bacrow

gee TOCC awesome squad that would get bums on seats imagine that at Suncorp!!!

[shasta]

The whole Origin thing was generated by the passion of the players and Queenslanders in general had for the concept. For those here that might not know, that came about after years of seeing their best players going to Sydney for money and returning once a year to flog their little brothers while wearing blue jerseys.

35yo Arther Beetson started an all-in by punching the crap out of his Parramatta team mates in origin 1. That was the start to the origin phenomenon. He had 30,000 rabid Banana benders baying "Artie, Artie, Artie" to egg him on and so it began. There's been numerous other incidents and it's still going strong, if a bit tamer. You can't manufacture something like that.

[beige]

It's also club players stepping up to state level - not state players moving sideways to state level.

[shasta]

It's also club players stepping up to state level - not state players moving sideways to state level.

Yep. The other factor is that lots of RL players see Origin as their big goal. Rugby players see a Wallaby jersey and a shot at RWC.

[AndyS]

I might be interested in a Force/Reds v Waratahs/Brumbies select match, minus the key Wallabies...

[Burgs]

...imagine that at Suncorp!!!

Unfortunately that is what many Queenslanders have been doing 06-08 rather than building a new team

[normie]

I think we should just have a few Aussie derby matches at the end of the Super 14 season. Gives the boys a chance to play each other with the pressure of Super 14 aside, gives some of the younger players more chance to play against their Wallaby counterparts, gives Robbie Deans a chance to see the players up against each other again and gives us a chance to watch more rugby. Plus we could have a trophy for it and really get to see who is the best Australian team each year.

YEP, thats the way to go laura.
To me that is the most sensible and logical way to fill the void post super 14. Sadly I have a feeling that the running costs that killed off the previous attempts at filling this void with a meaningful comp will count against it.

However if it ever did get up and running, we could call it the Australian Rugby Trophy.... get Fosters or Fourex or sponsor it....

[beige]

YEP, thats the way to go laura.
To me that is the most sensible and logical way to fill the void post super 14. Sadly I have a feeling that the running costs that killed off the previous attempts at filling this void with a meaningful comp will count against it.

However if it ever did get up and running, we could call it the Australian Rugby Trophy.... get Fosters or Fourex or sponsor it....

I like "ARU Premiership" myself

That competition model is the most logical one but when they tried to introduce it back in 2005, when the Force were coming in, the Sydney clubs killed it. That four team "APC" they had in 2006 was bumped til the end of the club season and was only ever meant to be a one-off deal before the ARC came in the next year.

Incorporating those extra derby games into the Super 14 like they're trying to do now is the ARU's way around that. They figure they're more likely to get TV money for them than if it was a separate competition - kind of like the V8 Supercars incorporating Bathurst and Sandown in to their season (they used to be separate) to force TV companies to buy all of the races. That way they won't bankrupt themselves trying to pay for everything and the players can play professional rugby for the whole season. And the prospect of extra flow-on cash seems to have kept the Sydney clubs quiet for now.

I like the idea of a separate four team competition myself but it's not really feasible as things stand.

[BDAVEY]

The Soth African's had better be careful otherwise they may be shunted out of the S14 by NZ and Aust. the article on rugbyheaven.com reads. ONEIL wants action.......

[GIGS20]

That's not an entirely accurate title, O'Neil NEEDS action, SANZAR has to present a proposal by June 30!