They turn out for SOO often enough
There has been 18 games played at Stadium Australia with an average of 73,000 per game.

SOO over the years has an average crowd of 45,000

Think it was Luke O'Donnell

It was definitely DeVere. It was indeed 2003, Game I in fact. One of the best games i've ever seen. Lockyer at fullback, Johns at halfback. Carroll getting knocked out on Civo's head. Hodges stretchered off. Ryles crawling along the sideline and collapsing. Bowman still making tackles whilst concussed. Lockyer's brilliant one-on-one try saving tackle on DeVere (pre staples). And a NSW win. Can't get any better.

Paul Gallen played 80 minutes at prop ?

500 below a ground record, I'd be calling that a full house

Amazing game by Paul Gallen!

Yet again the SKY build up was an absolute buzz kill!

Just run with 9's pre-game!

Paul Gallen was amazing today, big shout for Cam Smith who made 54 tackles too.

Big time stat stealing there.

gallen did take the first hit up like i said...and thaiday & scott did meet him head on....like i said they would.....they just did'nt "tattoo him" hard enough

Sean McRae on Boots ‘n’ All ‘if there is anything better than State of origin I am yet to see it’. Did he not see New Zealand win the World Cup and the last 4 Nations then? When State of origin was the pinnacle of Rugby League it was right to call it so but now it clearly isn’t and talking it up as that is doing a disservice to the International game

That's why boffins produce them. Amongst other things they are produced for viewer perusal and, dare I suggest - dispersion into the Rugby League arena via the portal of the internet forum. I doubt anyone (apart from tb and Smokey) will sit and personally log the stats themselves.

NSW's risky ploy of playing a lightweight pack worked very well. They played like they did up front when they were regularly beating Qld - lots of short passing and movement to tire out the big Qld pack. They used to do that and have star players out wide. If they can repeat the second half and Soward gets his kicking going from the off, they are in with a real chance to win the series.

For Qld, Lockyer needs to take the line on more. He's a class player and his passing is superb, but he needs to create more space by threatening the defence himself. Given the next game will be his last I expect him to put his body on the line, so he could look a very different player.

one of the best origin games in years

watching a game like that i understand why ppl fear rugby league

what a spectacle

You need to save up your sweetie money and come to Aus and watch a game live mate. SOO is by far the best spectacle in RL I have ever come across and the international name gets nowhere near. I have watched RL for over 30 years and been to the last three Origin series and its what RL is all about....and some. Still havnt got my voice back after last night!

What? Are you seriously suggesting that this was better than the Fax v Hunslet tussle last week? No way man.

Bug-ger, forgot about that one. Shows what I know about RL, eh.

Dear Kiwis, thanks for the tactics! Great game. The Lewis tackle and Ennis screaming in Thiaday's face were my two favourite moments.

I’ll ignore the patronising sweetie comment for the time being. I take it that you are a NSW fan then, well of course you will enjoy the State of Origin in the same way that an English fan will enjoy watching their team play at Wembley or in the Grand Final. However, there are a number of things to consider:

1. When State of Origin was the best standard of League, it was much more interesting to the casual viewer. Now though, the best that Australia has to offer play in State of Origin and then combine together to form the Kangaroo team and bet their s handed to them by New Zealand... anybody claiming State of Origin is the pinnacle of our sport is lying or deluded

2. State of Origin matters in Australia but not the rest of the world. I read some Australian postings on the NRL board saying ‘take SOO to Wembley etc etc’, well, I’m sorry – you would get 20k there max. Put the Wallabies in Wembley and you would fill it. The simple fact is that international sport is what counts internationally

Paradoxically, State or Origin has been the best thing to happen to Rugby League in the last 30 years in terms of spectacle and standard of rugby but now it is harming the game overall by people claiming it as the pinnacle of their sport. The Kiwis have done their bit by becoming the dominant international team (it is up to England to try and follow suit) but it is now up to the Australians to recognise this and embrace international league again. If you want to be second best and still claim superiority through SOO then I will tell you now there will be trouble ahead. If you walked around the streets of the UK and asked them the name of the Australian Rugby team (here rugby references both codes), the vast majority would say the Wallabies – and what a shame that is when we know the brand that the Kangaroos can become

If you don’t believe me, maybe you should save up your sweetie money and come over and find out mate

Edit** I note your name Fax Missionary – if you are from Fax then surely you know all this, have you gone native?

state of origin TV viewers per game 3 - 3.3 million
Aus Vs NZ test match ratings 1.5 million

Crowds

Brisbane Origin 52,000 capacity sold out in 15 mins
TEst match 25 - 45k

Syndey

Orgin 70 - 82k
Test match 20 - 35k


Shame the facts dont back you

Origin is the pinnacle of RL

by a long long way

int RL is well behind

I'm afraid you have completely missed my point - your facts back up my argument that SOO is negatively effecting international league

If Origin stays the pinnacle of League in Australia (despite the national team being second best) it will have a negative and significant effect on the future of our sport

Only in the UK though.

The Aussies could do without Internationals - no sweat. Origin is huge and no doubt it revitalizes interest in the NRL regular season too. Internationals are played at the end of the season when everyone's pigged out on League for 9 months. They don't need Internationals - we do though.

True ....... if we don't make International RL the pinnacle of the game, then RL will end up like Aussie Rules .........massive in a couple of Australian states, and ignored in the rest of the world.

People need to stop blaming Origin for the downfall of international rugby league and start looking in their own backyards.

England (and GB) not being competitive in generations is the main cause that it has lost its mantle, especially in the eyes of the Australians.

The Kiwis are doing their bit, and if they can sustain it we will see this rivalry rise in the eyes of the public. Origin didn't start out the monster it is, the clashes and competitive spirit played out over 30 years has created the beast. If you have ever lived in NSW or QLD you will understand what a great thing it is for the game in terms of blanket media for nearly 6 weeks.

Its sad but I was kind of glad that the Kiwis have taken the 4 nations and World Cup trophies. I cant wait til the day when I want the Kangaroos to tear apart all comers instead of hoping for a competitive fixture.

Pretty well spot on.

SOO has filled the void that Test games should have but due to decades of poor competition SOO became the main event.
The Kiwis have done well and I believe most Aussies were glad to see some competition but they have only won 2 or 3 games out of the last 18 or something, they are obviously the big Finals games but they do not consistently beat Australia.

The Kiwis probably have a solid first team a reasonable second team (maybe) and then a big drop off.

Whereas England has half of a reasonable first team and not much else beyond that, old stager's that have won no Tests of importance and new chums who quite often are not good enough at Test level and probably not NRL Club level.

Origin is the pinnacle in Australia but they would be foolish to ever abandon test matches and I doubt they ever will. There are 3 levels of league and to abandon internationals when it is something very meaningful that rivals such as AFL don't have and other rivals such as union has in abundance would be plain stupid.

There has been a massive spurt of international growth since the world cup. What we need is England and possibly France to beat Australia and give the Aussies a reason to care, while the new nations develop.
Judging by growing interest in the kangaroos vs Kiwis games, england rising From their current rubbishness would have a similar effect.