I really like the premise of City Country, but in it's current form it's a total waste of time. What would you do/change about it? Is it time for it to be scrapped? Does it just need to be scheduled to a different time? Does it need a total overhaul and perhaps be a game similar to the NSW cup residents game? A few quick thoughts I had: *About a year ago I was arguing for it to be a curtain raiser for the NRL season. You'd have full strength sides with test players available and clubs would hopefully be more relaxed about players playing in it as they'd probably have a couple of pre season trial games anyway. *Make it a NSW cup/CRL based game (I think this may already exist as Country 2's) but give it air time. *Leave it as is but have the CRL/City RL player of the year from the previous year in the team or something similar just to give it a point of difference. What's everyones thoughts? None of my quick ideas jump out as being brilliant, but I think any one of them would be an improvement on the shamozzle that it is at the moment.
Assuming I was NSW coach I'd launch an investigation into all withdrawals with the purpose of judging the legitimacy of them. After a 'thorough' investigation I would announce that Josh Dugan, Kevin Gordon, Albert Kelly & Michael Gordon will no longer be considered for selection in game 1 of the State of Origin series. I would announce it as a change of culture starting from the ground up and the NSW media would love me. I'd make sure I'd be seen at the game by the CH9 cameras scribbling away on my note pad analysing the game intensely. I'd then accidentally cut into the interview of the MOTM and be seen shaking his hand telling him that he's thrown himself well in contention for Game 1 before apologising for ignorantly & clumsily cutting into a live interview. A giggle or two will be shared. I'd then come out to the press & talk up the performances of Mullen & McManus with their impending selection now almost inevitable after putting to bed any concerns I had about them being able to gel in a team outside of their club structures. I'd also talk up Hopoate & Wighton's performances and how they weren't even in my considerations before the City Vs Country game but are now 1st and 2nd choice back ups. Then & only then will the game be taken seriously.
I don't mind the concept of this game in general but with the way I'd schedule the season, there's no place for it. Under 20s State of Origin should be three games played alongside Origin, ANZAC Test shouldn't exist.. which leaves this weekend ripe for the picking. I'd scrap the two byes, and this 'rep weekend', and instead have three rep weekends on which Origin was played and nothing else. That'd only extend the season by one week, and remove the ridiculous situation of players having to back up and clubs having to play for points without Origin players. The only way I could fit the game in would be this: Which I actually don't mind at all as an idea itbt.
City/Country could be played the same wknd as the 1st origin with all the players who didn't make it so they could try and stake their claim for the 2nd origin match?
It reckon it'd be too shit a game to be worth anything at all. You'd probably learn more from the NRL games in the weeks between.
I'm well and truly on board with Cribb's 3 weekends for Origin thing. I'm a tad nostalgic about it being a Wednesday night, I kinda like that. But to make the season better it should be done that way. I'd have 3 Under 20s games as well and a residents (NSW Cup v Qld Cup) game on the 2nd weekend. Each weekend I'd want at least one test match played between any combination of Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Islands and PNG. Now PNG have a team in the Qld Cup they would probably have to play on the week of the residents game where there would be no football in the NSW or Qld Cup. Now all of this omits NZ. I'd want those Pacific nations to be picked together in a rep side that plays on the third weekend against New Zealand. Anyway, on topic; my city/country would be a real city country match on one of those weekends as a curtain raiser and televised on Fox or something. Best real country 17 (there'd be plenty of ex NRL stars from Newcastle and maybe Canberra Raiders Cup) against the best City reserves; everyone from Metro Cup and A Grade leagues, whoever the cunts want to pick.
The current origin set up us ridiculous IMO, punishes clubs for having representative players. The stand alone weekends with more rep footy makes 100x more sense.
I think the reaction that Rabs gave when City scored the try to tie the match on fulltime sums up how much people care about this game.
