G
Guest
Guest
Humphreys proposes Sunday night Origin matches
June 28, 2010
WESTS TIGERS chief executive Stephen Humphreys has continued to put forward a bold vision for the future of rugby league, suggesting the NRL competition be split in two, sandwiching a State of Origin period over three consecutive weekends.
Humphreys, proving to be one of the most proactive club bosses in the game, also believes the Test between Australia and New Zealand in May, as well as the annual City-Country, should be scrapped as he looks to lessen the workload on the competition's players should his proposal for a 30-round home-and-away competition be endorsed by the other clubs.
But it is his vision for the Origin series that is perhaps the most dramatic of his grand blueprint for the game. Humphreys's plan involved the home-and-away portion of the competition being split into two 15-round lots. Round 15 would be played over Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoon, with the opening State of Origin being played on that Sunday night.
The Sunday NRL matches would be held in cities other than that which is hosting Origin. ''It would be a weekend of football culminating in Origin on Sunday night,'' Humphreys said.
The next two Origins would then be staged over the following two weekends, with the rest of the NRL being suspended.
His proposal would mean Origin players would only be unavailable for their clubs for one round - the weekend of the first Origin - meaning there is less chance of the scenario the game faces next weekend, whereby the competition's top two teams, St George Illawarra and Penrith, will face off with none of their Origin representatives available.
Humphreys believes the separation of the Origin period from the NRL competition would ensure there is no ''lull'' that occurs for the teams and the supporters. ''There are graphs of crowds and ratings over a year, and you can see that this is the period where they drop off,'' Humphreys said. ''It's well-defined - it's the Origin period.''
Glenn Jackson
June 28, 2010
WESTS TIGERS chief executive Stephen Humphreys has continued to put forward a bold vision for the future of rugby league, suggesting the NRL competition be split in two, sandwiching a State of Origin period over three consecutive weekends.
Humphreys, proving to be one of the most proactive club bosses in the game, also believes the Test between Australia and New Zealand in May, as well as the annual City-Country, should be scrapped as he looks to lessen the workload on the competition's players should his proposal for a 30-round home-and-away competition be endorsed by the other clubs.
But it is his vision for the Origin series that is perhaps the most dramatic of his grand blueprint for the game. Humphreys's plan involved the home-and-away portion of the competition being split into two 15-round lots. Round 15 would be played over Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoon, with the opening State of Origin being played on that Sunday night.
The Sunday NRL matches would be held in cities other than that which is hosting Origin. ''It would be a weekend of football culminating in Origin on Sunday night,'' Humphreys said.
The next two Origins would then be staged over the following two weekends, with the rest of the NRL being suspended.
His proposal would mean Origin players would only be unavailable for their clubs for one round - the weekend of the first Origin - meaning there is less chance of the scenario the game faces next weekend, whereby the competition's top two teams, St George Illawarra and Penrith, will face off with none of their Origin representatives available.
Humphreys believes the separation of the Origin period from the NRL competition would ensure there is no ''lull'' that occurs for the teams and the supporters. ''There are graphs of crowds and ratings over a year, and you can see that this is the period where they drop off,'' Humphreys said. ''It's well-defined - it's the Origin period.''
Glenn Jackson
