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.

You can only hope.

Many in Oz wanted an England v Oz Final last year with England winning at the death for the good of the game.


Most Aussies do not get that much satisfaction beating the Kiwis as they are seen as the little Brother.
Same in defeat, having the other side of the ANZAC's get a win is no where near as painful as being beaten by Pommies.


The International game will not get its status pack until England/GB become competitive and I worry that I will not be around to see it.

Not just jagging a one off game or one series as the Kiwis have but to see every Test match be a real contest and Test.

I’m not blaming Origin for the downturn in fortunes of international League – there are other factors there of which GB/England’s lack of competitiveness is one

It could well be barrier to international league regaining its rightful place though if the attitude remains that it is the pinnacle of the sport when it quite clearly is not

International League will get its rightful place when England steps up to the plate.

England's lack of quality has been the major factor in the current state of affairs and I doubt things will change as the England v Exiles game exposed the state of play, busted old Bums beating the future depth of England's best.

SOO is the pinnacle.

Would you put all you own on the Kiwis beating Australia twice in a row? winning a three match Test Series, a five match series.
I doubt it.
Look at how many times the Kiwis have beat Australia (given its in finals) a couple of times in 6 years.

I believe the International scene has changed forever

England will never dominate
The international scene will be an unsatisfactory challenge between Oz and the Kiwis with players 98% drawn from the NRL.
The fact the Kiwis have done so well in a couple of major finals have two big reasons.
1. the bulk of the players are from the NRL and have been trained and developed there (1 or 2 SL players)
2. Nrl Coaches including Benny as advisor to NZ Test team (how is Bellamys disciple going with Parramatta)
3. Several key players have been Aussies playing for NZ including the Kiwi recent Captain.

i wouldnt worry. when there is a raising of the NRL salary cap. There will be a full squad worth of english men in Oz.

But will they be Test standard?

Burgess and Ellis have been sideline casualties often

The other West Tigers player from Wigan that was "a revelation has disappeared"

Mr Worrincy is setting the Windsor Wolves on fire

Agreed



I really don’t know how you can say this when the best players from SOO combine to form the Kangaroo team and then get beat by NZ in the last two finals – meaning that Australia currently hold neither of the two international trophies s on offer



Correct – the Kiwi’s are 4 Nations and World Champions – I thought that the Australian mentality meant that they were champion sports men – it doesn’t matter how many times you beat NZ if they win when it matters

I guess you have had it easy for so long that you refuse to believe that the tide has turned



Good job we didn’t say that to you in the period from 1921 to 1950 when you couldn’t beat us – at least we kept giving you a chance



Well, if State or Origin is played between teams drawn from the NRL then what is the problem with the International teams being drawn from one competition

State rivalry and then International rivalry – but surely the latter should be a bigger deal for the whole country to get behind?

A title is just that, when you won it in
a snapshot in time and a Trophy to put in your Cabinet.
Is the New Zealand team a better team than the Australian team currently?
The last match they played suggests not.
The 1921 to 1950 quote is a bit sad.
I do not remember WWII either.
We have kept turning up to 3 and 4 Nations and humiliating GB/England too?

The Ball is in Englands Court it has been for 3 decades.
Its up to you to step up, not Oz or NZ to go backwards.
The facts are you are a million miles away from consistently beating Australia and the game in the UK is hanging on by the skin of its teeth, half of the teams are just rubbish, the other half are barely professional.
Those are the facts.
Australia needs to hang on to the SOO as it may be the only game at the top in 20 years time.
England's failures to build the game and the School and Junior development to make a competitive Super League is not Australia's fault..
England has built NO foundations for 40 years and relied on Player and Coach imports rather than address the problem and develop the local products.
Englands SL is a product of the short sighted Club and RFL taking the easy import option.
Borrowed time is my opinion.

If they were better they would have won?

The common consensus is the England Coach is total Rubbish.

Who from England should replace him..
I rest my point.
The game in the UK is terminal and seeing a bunch of retired old Men beat the best England can put up last week confirms that to all.
Only one Exile player was a perhaps current Test player against Englands best.

A title is the proof of who is the best team – are Gold Coast a better team than St George just because they beat them last time out? Of course not

What is the point of having international competitions if you just put your fingers in your ears shout Nah Nah Nah and ignore the results – the Kiwi’s are the best team, accept it and move on

Why is the 1921 to 1950 quote sad – I am merely demonstrating that things are always transitory and just because we haven’t beaten you for 30+ years you shouldn’t say we will ‘never’ dominate as you didn’t beat us for 30 years either...

It is another subject and another thread but I have posted may statistics to demonstrate that the game of rugby League is in great health in the UK and growing in many aspects (school and junior teams, truly national amateur competition etc)

That’s all by the by, what really worries me is this...



It is exactly this mentality that will stop RL from growing – just watch your neighbours host the RU World Cup later this year and see how that sport encourages international competition and doesn’t throw teams to the wilderness just because they can’t compete

And that's not just an Australian attitude - we did just the same to France

Only been in Australia for 5 years so seen plenty of the sport in the UK. Many Wembly finals and been to pretty much every ground in the UK (except Crusaders but do I care on that note......erm no).

I was a sceptic on the quality of the Aussie game until I came here and watched it week in week out. If the standard was this high in the UK and there was an administration running the game who knew what they were doing, I have no doubt it would equal RU. As for SOO damaging the international game, sorry mate but you are so far off the mark.

The RFL are to blame here, nobody else. Aus v NZ is a spectacle in its own right, but Aus GB no longer cuts it because the GB team is second rate. Until the RFL realise this and stop looking through their rose tinted specs at 'how strong the game is in the UK' and channel more of the Sky money into the grass roots of the game it will only get worse and nobody will give a rats about GB games, home or abroad.

Littlerich, scr-ew the Hunslet game, get me a recording of the Fev v Fax game pleeeeasse

What a match !!! Another Golden-point drama. We are the GP kings!!!! Roll on tacky Blackpool