Rugby Union State of Origin - Hypothetical

[Bowside]

speaking from a fans perspective: nup. I can't speak for everyone, certainly not everyone here. But my impression is nup.

I was pretty disappointed at the Bledisloe on saturday night, when the kiwi's started the 'all blicks! all blicks!' chant. No reply from the aussies. not even a peep of noise. we tend to like just sitting back and chatting while the game is on.

well. I tried. I lost my voice trying to make some noise. oh well.

Hugging strangers in the crowd when the reds beat the bulls would leave me to believe otherwise. But I guess that was an execeptional situation.

I think it sort of comes down to atmosphere at the ground as well. State of origin games have a great atmosphere about them. Imagine if they ARU saved up a bit of money and put on a free game at the olympic stadium or lang park on a saturday arvo/night. I think they could fill the place, and the atmosphere would be amazing.

 

[DPK]

speaking from a fans perspective: nup. I can't speak for everyone, certainly not everyone here. But my impression is nup.

I was pretty disappointed at the Bledisloe on saturday night, when the kiwi's started the 'all blicks! all blicks!' chant. No reply from the aussies. not even a peep of noise. we tend to like just sitting back and chatting while the game is on.

well. I tried. I lost my voice trying to make some noise. oh well.

Oh, THAT'S what that noise was. I thought there was a group of clothing aficionados in the crowd chanting "More slacks! More Slacks!"

 

[Paradox]

A full strength wallaby side would read something like this:

Robinson, TPN, Alexander
Sharpe, Horwill
Pocock, Elsom, Palu
Genia, Cooper
Giteau, Ashley-Cooper
Mitchell, Ioane
Beale

Moore, Slipper, Mumm, Hodgson, Burgess, Barnes, Hynes

Agree with 15 but not bench. Ma'afu is a better scrummager than Slipper at the moment. Chisolm is marginally more reliable than Mumm.

 

[mattyj]

Hugging strangers in the crowd when the reds beat the bulls would leave me to believe otherwise. But I guess that was an execeptional situation.

that sounds great!

Maybe it's just that my experience of ANZ stadium is very fresh. That ground has zero atmosphere.

 

[Slim 293]

A full strength wallaby side would read something like this:

Robinson, TPN, Alexander
Sharpe, Horwill
Pocock, Elsom, Palu
Genia, Cooper
Giteau, Ashley-Cooper
Mitchell, Ioane
Beale

Moore, Slipper, Mumm, Hodgson, Burgess, Barnes, Hynes

Why is Giteau blue?

He doesn't qualify for NSW because he started playing rugby for St Edmunds in Canberra...

 

[DPK]

Why is Giteau blue?

He doesn't qualify for NSW because he started playing rugby for St Edmunds in Canberra...

He's from Queenbeyan, I believe.

 

[Slim 293]

He's from Queenbeyan, I believe.

'State of Origin' is not about where you were born or grew up (as many of these other guys would also not be included), but where you first started playing rugby...

Giteau = ACT

 

[RedsHappy]

I think it sort of comes down to atmosphere at the ground as well. State of origin games have a great atmosphere about them. ..... I think they could fill the place, and the atmosphere would be amazing.

Yes...the ARU have absolutely lost the art of working up a Wallabies Test crowd (lost the art of a lot of things, actually), compared to say the atmosphere the QRU drove in most of the Reds' home games this year. It was only the terrific Irish supporters that created any atmosphere whatsoever at that Test at Suncorp this year - the difference to a 2010 Reds game was huge.

My recommendation for our SOO would be late September/early October, played Sundays at 5pm @ SFS and Suncorp, more expensive than normal prices for the best seats (so to maximise revenue overall), then steeper reductions to price say at least 33% of seats very affordably. Some discount for all 2 or 3 games, plus tie in with an airline for cheapish interstate travel packages. SOO curtain raiser for younger players. Active music, announcers revving both sides up, cheerleaders, whatever suits to drive an electric atmosphere.

For God's sake, let's get innovative in promoting rugby!! and driving it back to become a 'growth code' not the stagnant-to-declining enterprise it is today.

 

[RedsHappy]

I didn't do it on purpose, but that seems to have ended up with 11 NSW and 11 Qld. A state of origin NSW (with ACT) vs Qld (with other states) would be a pretty enticing battle, with some great match ups:.....

Yes, it would be fantastic fun, and I bet the players would relish it as well. Plus I guarantee it would bring a quantum of league fans in and, assuming tolerant reffing and the new tackle interpretations, many of them would come away agreeing rugby as a game had obvious qualities over league.

Huge numbers of football fans are far more interested in tribal State rivalries than they are in, say, Aus v France. The problem with much of the ARU Board is that they are of a time that has truly passed in rugby, and they can't see beyond the structures they either played in, or formed their boyhood loyalties in.

 

[RugbyReg]

'State of Origin' is not about where you were born or grew up (as many of these other guys would also not be included), but where you first started playing rugby...

Giteau = ACT

more specifically, where you played your first senior league.

 

[RugbyReg]

why the SOO worked was that QLD took it seriously (NSW most definitely didn't). And how QLD showed they were serious was by skipper Artie Beetson laying into his Parramatta club mate Mick Cronin.

So clearly we need Rocky to start a stoush with AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Brown and Pocock to go after Hodgo, and Berrick to go loco on KB (Kurtley Beale).

 

[RedsHappy]

So clearly we need Rocky to start a stoush with AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Brown and Pocock to go after Hodgo, and Berrick to go loco on KB (Kurtley Beale).

Hmmm, good point. Perhaps A Mundine as an Assistant Coach somewhere?

 

[RugbyReg]

pfft Mundine.

Sam Scott-Young, Matt Cockbain, Matty Ryan, Anthony Herbet and Peter Slattery to assist Knuckles Connolly.

 

[MrTimms]

We already play, and while it isn't based on origin, it is still state against state. Why don't we just start smaller and pump up the Templeton cup make it mean something, like the bledisloe did. Start by the winners parading it around the ground and play up how cool it is. it will build from there.

I just don't think fans will buy into a manufactured product.

 

[Scotty]

Why is Giteau blue?

He doesn't qualify for NSW because he started playing rugby for St Edmunds in Canberra...

I gave the ACT players to NSW and all other states to Qld.

 

[Scotty]

We already play, and while it isn't based on origin, it is still state against state. Why don't we just start smaller and pump up the Templeton cup make it mean something, like the bledisloe did. Start by the winners parading it around the ground and play up how cool it is. it will build from there.

I just don't think fans will buy into a manufactured product.

Yeah, the state of origin didn't work for league, did it?

 

[RedsHappy]

Yeah, the state of origin didn't work for league, did it?

As I recall SOO III this year, ANZ, c.62,000 gate; Aus v England rugby Test ANZ, c.47,000 gate.

There is absolutely nothing 'manufactured' about NSW-QLD olden and golden rivalries, or a 'product' based on them! Just look at the chirping and chipping that goes on here Tahs v Reds.

If we assumed say 3 SOOs for rugby and a gate of say 40,000 for each, that's roughly $6,000,000 (say ave $50 gross income tkt + other per seat) of 100% incremental gross income to rugby.

 

[farva]

While drawing parallels to leagues SOO is useful, we have to remember that in league SOO is the be all and end all. Winning the SOO series is bigger than the world cup, tests, etc.

Thats not the case in rugby.

 

[MrTimms]

Yeah, the state of origin didn't work for league, did it?

True, so let's just copy them outright. That way NSW will play QLD 5 times a year (2 x S15 3 x SOO) and we will sell out all of them. That same theory worked wonders for adding new bledisloes, seeing as we now sell out 4 a year rather than just 2.

 

[Ruggo]

Why is Giteau blue?

He doesn't qualify for NSW because he started playing rugby for St Edmunds in Canberra...

Would his school boy rugby count or would it be the first senior club he played for. The club option is far better and gives more exposure to the clubs as to who has arisen from thier ranks.