PVL doesn’t Get Origin
Did I already use that headline? Oh well, time for a COUP.
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Dunno what they're doing or why they're doing it
I almost get tired of saying it but repetition of thesis #6 does not diminish its truth:
ARLC chairman Peter V’landys has confirmed the game’s powerbrokers are preparing to review State of Origin eligibility rules to reduce the impact on New Zealand and England’s talent pools.
As it stands, players who represent those tier one nations are unable to also represent their respective states at Origin level…
“It is a strong argument that if you’ve played your footy in Australia before the age of 13 and you are eligible to play Origin, why shouldn’t you be able to?” V’landys said.
“If we were to change the rules, it would only be for New Zealand and English players.
“They’re the tier-one countries impacted. (Players from) tier-two nations like Samoa and Tonga can still play State of Origin and represent those nations.”
Coming off the back of record ratings and a hugely enjoyable sporting spectacle, the ARLC have decided in their extremely finite wisdom that the number one issue with the sport isn’t its incompetent referees, complete lack of administrative talent or the Panthers’ blatant doping program but State of Origin eligilibity.
This is a thing the fans were definitely all clamouring for and not a product of the Controlling Body’s complete inability to leave well enough alone. ABT: Always Be Tinkering! This is what happens when the dumbest typical employees at NRL HQ are locked in a room with a whiteboard and mobile phones that can contact the media chum bucket, instead of being assigned bee guarding duties inside a Faraday cage.
Even taking the “strong argument” at face value, it sounds stupid. If you grew up in and were developed by Australia, why shouldn’t you be able to play for New Zealand or England? Oh, the other two wealthy countries with huge rugby talent pipelines? Is it because they’re Australians? If you’re suggesting relegating NZ and England to tier 2, on par with Serbia and Jamaica, just say that. Otherwise, what are you talking about?! New Zealand beat Australia 30-goddamn-nil just 18 months ago. I think they’re doing OK.
In reality, the number of players who could play Origin and would choose New Zealand or England over Australia are vanishingly few. Citing Port Hedland, WA-born Kalyn Ponga’s New Zealand-ness is the laziest position to start, as he is the exception rather than the rule. Does New Zealand need Ponga? They’ve got Nicoll-Klokstad, Tuapiki and Kini in the non-dilettante pool of Kiwi fullbacks and Tuivasa-Scheck is available if a dilettante is required.
Personally, I would be quite happy for Ponga to walk away from the Maroons forever and take up with the Kiwis - no rule changes required. I’ll even drive him to airport if he promises to keep his hands to himself. Ponga’s stated desire to play for the All Blacks should be enough of a red flag against his selection prospects and his continuing presence in Newcastle the biggest red flag of all.
Given Jarome Luai sucks and his departure from the Blues would be a net-benefit to New South Wales and whatever country he decides to represent, is Kaeo Weekes’ potential representative career so important that we would up-end the system?
Arguably, Origin eligibility rules have had a positive impact on England’s playing stocks. Radley and Brimson both know they’re unlikely to get the call-up but they can still get rep honours via English heritage and so have opted to go down that path. If the English fans think Bevan French and Jai Field are good, they’re going to shit themselves when they see Brimson in space against Angola and Kiribati in 2026.
We all know Queensland’s greatness comes from its relatively diminished stocks. For the rep jersey to matter, you’ve got to pick a side, whether its international or state, and that decision has to have stakes or it loses its value. Adding QueeNZlanders of questionable loyalty would only undermine that.
There’s a Bluey episode about exactly this principle. Spend seven minutes watching it, Kaeo, and make a choice. It’s honestly not that hard. Stop thinking about the money. It’s not like you’re going to put it in an index fund anyway.
If V’Landys wanted to support English and New Zealand rugby league talent, then the NRL would directly invest money in rugby league infrastructure in those countries, instead of buying hotels at risk of sea level rise and claiming that’s the same thing as fiscal prudence. Spending ARLC money on rugby league would be too expensive and it’s much cheaper to change Origin rules so you can look like you’re doing something when you’re actually wrecking it.
In summary, PVL doesn’t Get Origin and so should be tossed from the job as soon as a coup can be staged.
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Around the grounds
Cowboys 38 defeated Dragons 32 (M). Boy, this was nearly funny in a really unexpected way but then it became funny in the way I expected, which was not quite as funny as the Cowboys blowing a 16 point lead but still fine. Ultimately, there was no way a team was leaving QCB without being greatly embarrassed. Fortunately for the readers of this august publication, that was the St George Illawarra Dragons. The Cowboys need to win all five games to make finals and while they have a soft run home, it’s hard to imagine this team putting up that level of performance with any degree of confidence.
Eels 22 defeated Broncos 20 (M). Todd Smith: you cannot blow a penalty and then change your mind. There’s actually a rule about how referees cannot change their minds, you total dipshit. Anyway, the second you think this group has it under control enough to start talking ‘when’, not ‘if’, finals, they go off the rails. I thought Eels fans saying they were happy with Ryles’ direction was massive cope but it turns out to have an element of truth. Brisbane played hard enough to win the game, sort of, but then didn’t. The Broncos need two wins to make finals and making it comfortable would require three wins to hedge against the Dolphins’ points difference (should Redcliffe also pick up three wins) and the Panthers’ draw. Two of those games are against the Storm and two more against motivated Queensland rivals, so there is minimal room for error.
Titans 20 defeated Warriors 10 (W). In a recurring theme of the women’s slam (equal fifth biggest margin of any slam) this weekend, the Titans played with their food a bit. The Warriors never seemed to really pose a threat and the Warriors’ celebrations on New Zealand’s second try, to cut the lead to 10 with 10 to go, probably tells a story in its own right. A solid win for a team that has shaken off a slow start and might be looking for tail end of finals places if luck breaks right. I am increasingly satisfied with my call that the Warriors won’t be that great this year with each passing result.
Titans 24 defeated Warriors 16 (M). Hey, the Titans won a game! I didn’t watch it! It’s a real shame the Eels did too, leaving Gold Coast still dead last on wins. They need to lose with some grace to Penrith next week to set up a spoon bowl on 10 August with South Sydney. The points difference of both teams is touch and go.
Cowboys 26 defeated Raiders 0 (W). I was somewhat concerned that the margin of victory was not sufficiently impressive, after the Sharks beat the Raiders by 50, to appropriately signal the Cowboys’ capabilities but upon review, this is the first shutout of the utterly hapless 2025 Canberra side, who look like they might have struggled to compete in the QDub, so that’s something. We did learn that the Cowboys prefer to play to the level of their opponents. Gone was the slick yardage machine against the Sharks and in its place, a fumbling team not quite ready to put the game beyond doubt until mid-way through the second half. Onwards.
Broncos 30 defeated Dragons 6 (W). Brisbane spent most of the game playing with their food, sorry, I meant winning the right to play how they want, by kicking in the door through the middle and being the more aggressive team. Nu'uausala is a goddamn miracle. Always fun to see the Duzer in action. Not quite enoguh usage of the outside backs for mine but hoping that comes in time. Love to hear praise for Teagan Berry’s skills right before she makes two egregious handling errors and a defensive effort that Billy Slater would find disgusting.
The Reece Walsh dilemma
It's time to talk about Reece Walsh. Repeatedly. Endlessly. Without let up. To the point of tedium.
Wait, no we don't have to do that all. I didn’t actually read any of those links and include them only for dramatic effect because I’m not going to waste my time reading manufactured drama teenagers would be embarrassed to be spreading. I am aware of some irony here, given the usual contents of this newsletter, but we are moving on.
Walsh is the best fullback the Broncos have had over the last decade. He is better than Selwyn Cobbo, Tesi Niu, Jamayne Isaako, Tristan Sailor and old Darius Boyd. He is better than all bar, maybe, one or two fullbacks in the league. He got sent off for riling up Jarome Luai in an Origin series winning game.
We all know why this is up for discussion - the mainstream media’s inability to produce anything worth reading while still being compelled to produce something, anything, to read - but you, you, should find something better to do with your time.
Intermission
Last weekend I wrote that Saturday's rain would make any footy in SEQ unwatchable. Of course, I forgot that it was Country Week. In honour of this most sacred of weeks, here’s a quick whip around Queensland’s most picturesque rugby league grounds in Augathella, Emerald, Charters Towers, Gayndah, Yarrabah and Goondiwindi.
I didn’t include Moranbah because of my personal opposition to the mining industry in Moranbah (everywhere else is fine) but mostly because it was a night game and didn’t have much to show. Also, I didn’t watch any of these games, probably because the Tour de France ate up that time. Before you head to the comment section, refer your complaints here.
Upcoming Slate
I’m tipping another women’s slam this weekend. The Warriors lack the experience, the Sharks lack the offence and the Bulldogs are losing that fresh impetus. This is the first women’s Magic Round, held in Newcastle of all places, and I am interested to see what the crowds are like. It’s hard to say how the TV ratings are doing, because they are reportedly sporadically and devoid of context, so this is a really visible test of how big a draw the women’s club game is on its own merits.
In the men’s, the Dolphins have weathered one layer of their injury crisis and take a decent team to Auckland to face a declining Warriors. The Dolphins get grief for being a poor travelling team but of their 29.5 NRL wins so far, 13.5 have been away from home. This is not an unusual record for any below average team, so I am not factoring that in and think the Phins could do this one.
Completing an all-Brisbane double header will be the Broncos destroying South Sydney because we might as well pack it in otherwise. The Titans will almost certainly lose to a rapidly improving Panthers in a game no one will watch. Rounding out the weekend will be the Cowboys being used for target practice by the Sharks, although keep an eye out for Cronulla tripping over their own laces and Emarly Bitungane coming off the bench for NQ.
There’s only one QCup game, which is the last make-up game from round 1 between the Bears and Capras - expecting the Bears to get home easily. Both Cup and Dub will return the weekend after for the run to finals.
(Tips 26 / 53 in 2025; 48 / 92 in 2024)
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Read this
Rugby League Eye Test: Sockwatch 2025 – NRL v Super League plus some Super League stats (extremely important content)
Rugby League Writers: How The Cowboys Capitalised Through The Middle, Bulldogs Halves & Running On Last
Beyond the Goalpost: What do the Kangaroos represent?
Storm Machine: Game 732 – S28E21 Review
The Sprotress: Six, Again: the point of the thing
Notes
Madden gone, Clifford extends, Duffy (supposedly) to the Broncos. Duffy will have to improve hugely to offer the Broncos anything, even to meet the standard set by Jock Madden, but the Cowboys avoided doing the dumbest thing imaginable and letting Clifford walk after how this season played out.
City v Country Squad Announcement. 👀 for Mariah Denman playing 6 for Country. I don’t know if I’ll be there at the crack of dawn for the women’s City-Country on grand final day but I’ll definitely hunt out the highlights.
Sydney Roosters & Iona College announce three-year Partnership. Putting aside the potential for WAR and BOMBSHELL hysterics, uh “student-athletes”, excuse me?
Super League votes to add two clubs and return to 14-team competition for 2026. Not a lot to add what I wrote last week other than an eye roll and a note that York, Toulouse, Bradford and London don’t go into three, if SL dumps Salford as expected. Can’t imagine who’s going to lose out of that one. Oh and the Rimmer is back.
This week in PNG: Bougainville, Police claim “logistical nightmare” as jail command collapses. The prison in question has no fence, which was pledged to be built by… let’s see… it says here… Australia! Wonderful.
Bonus this week in Fiji: 20,000-Seater Stadium Set for Lautoka
Still looking for feedback for Maroon Observer IV: 2026
For consideration: I attempted to assuage some of my guilt? disgust? sadness? about the Gazan genocide by donating money to the UN World Food Programme this week.
Nickelware
Some good content
