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MARK MY WORDS with Mark Geyer
Origin whingers drop off
Hear that? It’s the sound that
comes from the mouths, pens,
keyboards of anyone who wants to
be heard this very same time of the
year.
Every year!
With Origin comes the constant
“oh c’mon, we have to have a standalone Origin series”.
Why? The six weeks that Origin
is played over needs more positivity
and less from the naysayers.
“Player burnout” one will shout,
“quality of the game suffers” others
say, “it’s a long enough season as it
is, why subject the Origin players to
an even more arduous schedule” says
another.
I’m over it. Rugby League has rid
itself of the shoulder charge, there
are no more fists that fly, there is a
blood bin, there are 10 replacements,
there is now a concussion rule, and
we are trying to get $2 billion dollars
for our next TV deal.
Having a stand-alone Origin series
certainly won’t help that cause.
The game caters for the players
over and above. The supporters on
the other hand are often treated
like mushrooms and plonked in the
corner.
Sure the product is diluted
somewhat without the Origin players
but that’s the glass half empty
approach.
The glass half-full version that I’m
in favour of?
The chance for rookies to get
a game with the big boys over
the weeks Origin is played; the
unpredictability of the outcome; the
fact that club coaches have to dig
deep over origin excites me too.
State of Origin is here to stay, as
too unfortunately is the negativity
bellowed at this very time each and
every year.
Enough is enough. Build a bridge.
The cream of the comp always rise to
the top come the business end of the
season anyway.
Can’t we just enjoy these six
weeks for what they are and stop
trying to reinvent the wheel?
Last week I spoke at an epilepsy
function at the Four Seasons
ballroom in the city.
It was the inaugural “Good
Sports” business/fundraising lunch
which will now be a staple of the
calendar year.
Two of my daughters have
Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy.
Cricket legend, Tony Greig, also
had epilepsy and was the former
ambassador but now that the great
man is no longer with us, and I’m
personally affected, it was only a
natural occurrence that I now fill the
role of ambassador.
The lunch was hosted by the
wonderful Stephanie Brantz and
Vivienne Grieg, Tony’s widow, was
also on hand to chat about the cause.
The afternoon was capped off
with a sports panel of sportsman/
persons who have been affe