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The State of Origin rivalry is one of the purest and cleanest to ever exist in the history of sport.
I am talking in an overall sense, not any of the brutality that happens on the field.
State against state, mate against mate, the old catchphrase still lives on 45 years later – and while a lot has changed in the game since 1980, this hatred for each other has been the one constant.
Anyone who thinks that it is all just made up and exaggerated for publicity has never lived in either state around the middle of each year when the series is hotly contested.
Former Queensland players could tell you quite a few stories about how they were always seen as ‘second class’ when they joined their New South Wales counterparts in the national side, as those south of the border always seemed to outnumber them.
Even fans have taken the concept seriously; one radio station in Central Queensland encouraged drivers to throw eggs at one of the hosts who was raised in NSW after a loss in recent years as they travelled past. Not sure of the legality of the stunt, but it proves that some take their State of Origin very seriously.
That’s why it is a little concerning to hear suggestions that the foundation of Origin could be changing, with players who have previously played representative football for the state and Kangaroos now choosing to switch back to their country of heritage.
Several players in the past few weeks, Payne Hass, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow have floated the idea of switching national allegiance from Australia to Samoa.
Under current rules, players are still eligible for Origin if they play for Tier 2 nations, but not Tier 1. However, Pacific Island teams are on the rise, and it may not be long before they get to the top level – then what?
Last year in the Pacific Championships, Tonga actually upset New Zealand; a Tier 1 side lost to a Tier 2 side, and the Kiwis were even fighting to stay in the top group against PNG.
When you apply the current rules, someone like Felise Kaufusi can still play for Queensland despite being part of that winning Tongan side, but New Zealand’s Casey McLean cannot. The Panthers winger actually represented NSW U19s in 2024, but because he has now played for the senior Tier 1 Kiwis, he is ineligible for State of Origin.
Talent is being spread around between the nations, and that is a good thing for the development of the game internationally, but it completely muddies the waters if one year a player is eligible for NSW, the next year he isn’t, only to possibly be eligible again down the track based on a player’s preference on the day.
Payne Haas of the Blues. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Wayne Bennett, who has been around the game since State of Origin’s inception, does not like the idea of this flip-flopping, strongly stating that any changes to the eligibility rules pretty much kill off the whole contest as we know it.
“My thoughts are pretty strong on it. If they tamper with what makes a Queenslander and what makes a New South Wales player, then Origin will be finished,” the master coach said last week.
“The great thing about Origin is it’s mate against mate, state against state. That’s original, and if they tamper with that then we’re going to lose it, and the fans aren’t going to buy into it as they are now.
“The issue they have to resolve is there are three or four nations that are group one nations, and three or four that are group twos.
“If they elevate some of them to group ones, then you can’t have this bit of a debacle with what’s going on.
“They get away with it because they’re category two countries, so I think that needs to change.”
Bennett is right; if you take away the original concept, it may as well become just like the NBA All-Stars experience in the United States, where the best players play in the SOO series regardless of their origin – only this time disguised in traditional blue and maroon colours.
The game will have no lasting legacy as a contest, apart from elevating individuals to perhaps get a higher status and contract based on the number of times they are selected.
Perhaps that’s what the NRL want. In 2025, from a management or administration point of view, where there is a big scrap for the dollars, does it really matter where the players originate from, as long as there is a game and eyeballs are watching it?
Just get two legends of the game, say, for instance, Wally Lewis and Brett Kenny to pick their top 17 each, one-by-one, like in the old schoolyard. They’d play off in three games for bragging rights or a newfound trophy (who actually keeps a record of NBA All-Star wins, seriously?) that does nothing more than increase the workload for players and fill time on a prime-time broadcast schedule for revenue.
The QLD Maroons celebrate after winning the State of Origin series 1995. (Photo by Sean Garnsworthy/Getty Images)
As fun as that concept sounds of the best playing the best, it would be a real shame to lose 45 years of tradition, blood, sweat and tears in this fashion. Without meaning, it would even be seen as nothing more than an interference on the NRL season.
This isn’t an argument about stopping Hass, Tino, the Hammer or any others from playing for their nations of heritage. That is actually a very great and promising thing happening to spread the talent and development – and make each league playing nation just as competitive as each other. This is what is going to make the international game a great spectacle.
But when it comes to the protection of Origin, there have to be clear and strict rules over who can play, making it fairer and eligibility simpler and clearer. This may lead to some tough but necessary calls to choose one or the other, but it would save this precious and unique commodity in our game.
If Origin means as much to the NRL as it says each year, then a line in the sand needs to be drawn, and any player leaving to represent their country should be ineligible for SOO going forward.
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