If Origin was at Wembley I would be happy as Danny Kirmond in a snapchat photo

I consider myself a "sports fan"...I held a ST at Celtic for many years, played rahgby for London Irish in the 80's and would quite happily watch any sport on TV....Before I started watching the Broncos in 2002, I was aware that Sky showed a RL comp and that the BBC had the CCup on Saturday afternoons......I knew British Gas (or was it steel) sponsored GB in the 80's and they played Aussie for the Ashes.........I had no knowledge of SoO or the Aussie domestic comp.....as for SoO being "legend" ...Kiwis love their RL, but even here they struggle to get 100k tuned in for it.....it's legend in 2 states of Australia.....Melbourne delivers about 10% of the audience.....85% comes from NSW/QLND.....when it was on UK SKY it drew 100k viewers......it's big in Australia, but then again, so is the Melbourne cup

SoO would fill Wembley......even on a Wednesday, but would the NRL clubs release their players for the extended trip???

Well said sir and I am exiled from hull Hull KR AND I live down south now I say bring it on

Yep your right. I do like the idea of a state f origin game though. But if the Aussies can be bothered to come over why not a full test series

OK, here is my anecdotal evidence. I also hail from the North and I have been working in the city of London for nearly 15 years and currently live in West London. I am a Rugby league man and I have colleagues who are also sports fans and I discuss sport with them pretty regularly. When the end of the Super League season comes along they sometimes ask who I fancy for the Grand Final etc and in the same way I discuss the latest round of Premier League games and cricket during the ashes and RU during the six nations

In the last 6 weeks, I have had more conversations about Rugby League with my colleagues than I have in the last 5 years – because of the World Cup. This isn’t me starting the conversations, it is people asking me if I fancy England against the Aussies or Kiwi’s or how the world cup is going in general. It shows what we all should be well aware of, that International sport is the single most important and probably only way in which we can raise the national consciousness of our sport

Not once has anybody mentioned State of Origin to me in this time and, in the same way, I don’t mention an Australian state tournament in cricket or a provincial RU tournament in South Africa. Because it is outside of the sphere of consciousness for most casual sports fans and only relevant to the people who passionately follow that sport

As a Rugby League fan I love the State of Origin games (I think they have become a little sanitised recently but that is another debate) but I also recognise that I love them because I am a Rugby League fan. A game between New South Wales and Queensland only appeals to the Australian public and hard core Rugby league fans

If SOO came to Wembley, I would love it to be a success and I would no doubt be there myself but surely it is clear that the focus should be on International League and not an inter-state Australian game to raise the profile of our sport. Maybe before the world cup we could have had this debate but surely not now – it has got to be Internationals all the way (and again, whether we like it or not, it really is about the International element rather than the quality of the game itself)

I just don’t think it is the right call to carry forward the momentum of the World Cup

Here is an idea for promoting our game and to offset the moaners re the NRL bringing SOO to Wembley and do our comp a disservice.

July 2015 SOO Game 1 - Wembley. 2 and 3 on their home territory. This way you avoid one State Being one up when they arrive or 2 up and the series dead with game 3.

August 2015 during our school holidays SL takes Magic Weekend to Brisbane Suncorp or SYDNEY FS. 45 to 50K grounds, plenty of expats who would like to see a local Derby and maybe takes kids and grand kids who may have only heard the folk lore. Let us face it the august games usually draw some of our lowest crowds. Sky would bite our hand off, sponsors both home and in Aussie. New market for our SL clubs, as well as reconnecting with long lost supporters who have emigrated to Oz. The games would be meaningful as two comp points would be up for grabs.

But before somebody chips in with we could piggy back a double head comp with an expanded WCC, then do not bother. Yes this might mean a two or three week break in terms of games in the UK but everyone can take a holiday, the players get a unique experience, the game raises is profile.

And before people moan they couldn't afford to go ... This is not about you but how to grow the game, raise the profile, drag in blue chip sponsors and not the local chip shop.

If you feel you want to go on a holiday of a lifetime you can get saving and the clubs can organise tours.


Finally repeat, repeat, repeat year after year and make it an EVENT! Play the long game for once.

S.O.O could really work at Wembley but it would have to be one of the three actual matches in the series rather than a one off fixture , Rugby League really has to up it's game and showcase the best our game has to offer nationally showing this event on free to air TV.

We must bring back the big tours and the only way i think it could happen would be a gap in the domestic season, the 2 x 12 then 3 x 8 split season could create that natural break.

start the season earlier for the 2 x 12 in December and cash in on the boxing day new years day blockbusters with the 3 x 8 comp being played in Summer with a six week break in between.

And i would love to see the NRL buy the London Bronco's and use their experience power money and influence to really market the game in London and sign some top players and make them competitive.

I do agree with this, but I think you will find that a well run TV campaign, 18 months marketing and build up and SOO will work. I am 100% for increasing international RL and I actually think SOO at Wembley will complement increasing international exposure. I am certain the BBC would love to show the game live, and if Wembley was not full to the rafters for the first ever game I am sure it would be by the second or third year.

Look how the NFL build up the marketing in and around London. They do not market outside of London that much. We do not need to tell the heartlands fans because they will know anyway a game is happening. What we do is target to 30 or 40k of fans who came to Wembley from the south east, and build on that.

But I also want more internationals versus the Kiwis and Aussies in big stadia as events. Why not England Knights v France as a warm up, but then that just devalues the French. We need to big up the French, the Welsh, Scots and Irish. We to stop doing down the so called lesser nations. Our Union cousins big up all playing nations because this encourages participation. We do down our lesser nations, so why would they bother continuing?

Plenty for us all to think about and wait in the administrators to probably love it up yet again. Although with each new dawn I wake up wishing for the big breakthrough.

I agree that the State of Origin game, if it comes to Wembley, should be Game 1, so neither team feels disadvantaged. Also Game 1 because it would be a fresh contest with no form to go on.

But if that is so then the game must be played in late May. Then would it not clash with the end of the soccer season?

Good rant sir

This thread seem to have given birth to a new group of luddites,its hilarious seeing some of the user names

If SoO is played at Wembley, I would propose that 20% of the profits be awarded to rugby league in London and the south, with half of that amount, i.e. 10% of profits, being in the form of a direct grant to London Broncos and one sixth, i.e. 3.3%, a direct grant to London Skolars. I would give the remainder to the other southern Championship 1 clubs.

If the event is successfully patronised, and proceeds every year, it might help stabilise and even grow rugby league in London and the South.

Play off finals are in late May, so no chance of that happening.

If the NRL has the foresight and the ability to put on an event that the RFL could only dream about, then we shouldn't be trying to put them off, we should be encouraging them to get even more involved, and trying to learn from them.

We have been complaining for years that the Aussies don't take the UK seriously, and now when they are showing an interest in doing something over here we get the usual Northern chipiness and moaning about it.

Of course, the aim of the game from their point of view is to raise the corporate profile of the NRL, but if it also works to raise the profile of RL in the UK then what have we got to lose?

Another 70k Rugby League event in the South of England, and some people find an excuse to moan about it.

I doubt anyone is moaning for the sake of it......I still find the concept of NRL clubs letting their stars fly a round trip of 50,000 KM's for a midweek game (or even a weekend one at that) Fanciful in its extreme.

If the ARL are serious about cashing in on the RLWC feel good factor, could I suggest they get their NATIONAL side on a plane to Play GB over 3 tests??????

Have you not heard or got it yet Gutters. GB is finished for home games. GB May come back for overseas tours, so lucky old you can go. The Aussies may come for a Three Test Series against England with maybe a one off game with the French. But again, this proposal is not just about internationals. It is about raising awareness, through something novel and unique, and you as a marketer should see that. I think it will have a very big impact if correctly executed and both the NRL AND RFL would benefit.

The me chap in charge of the NRL Commission seems to have a vision over and above the clubs old guard. The NRL clubs want to expand their brand, the SOO at Wembley gives them that chance to showcase their players. To secure sponsorship $ as a game we need to target the money men of London and their contacts.

Sometime I cannot way you up, and I mean that with a lot of respect for your years of passion on this site.