BY CURTIS WOODWARD

@woodward_curtis

Like clockwork this time of the year – two warring factions position themselves each side of a battered down, weary old fence.

It’s State of Origin season and so it goes like sands through an immortal hourglass, the NRL draw rears its wounded, bandaged head from the depths of the Australian sports basement.

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

There’s no perfect answer for Origin season.

A juggernaut unto itself.

An annual, multi-million dollar eating machine. A runaway train for the NRL. An assassin prostituted out to the highest-bidding state government.

Origin, eventually, will meet its mortality and eventually, probably, will be so watered-down that it no longer tops the television and streaming ratings across Australia.

But for now, in 2024, as popular as ever, Origin is still the bee’s knees.

Some want to condense Origin into a three-week event.

Impossible for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, the RLPA would never allow it.

Secondly, and far more importantly, the NRL can’t reduce their content to broadcasters and close the NRL premiership down for three-long weeks.

The women’s game and their historic first three-game series has been a watershed moment for the sport in 2024.

Record live crowds and ratings suggest NRLW’s showpiece event will live long in our calendar.

More scheduling spots have been filled with Under 19’s Origin on Thursday night at Leichhardt Oval – both games broadcasted live on Nine and Fox respectively.

But here’s the kick in the pants for fans.

And it always seems to be the punters that get the raw deal in the NRL.

Seven clubs have the bye this weekend.

That leaves us with five NRL premiership games and headlined by a “top four” clash between the (Redcliffe) Dolphins and Melbourne Storm at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.

The Dolphins sans poster boy, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.

Melbourne without Harry Grant and Xavier Coates.

On Sunday, the wooden spoon, 16th placed Wests Tigers host Canberra at Campbelltown Stadium.

Granted Wests Tigers and the Raiders aren’t missing any players to Origin, but you sense the good folk of the Macarthur region are on a hiding to nothing on social media unless they fill up Orana Park – despite the club’s form line and what they’ve dished up to the locals in recent times.

A pre-purchased reserved seat will set you back $30 for an adult.

Trudge out with the family in the freezing cold or stay at home and save your coins for drinks and food Wednesday night?

Think of the poor bastards that support South Sydney or Manly that make the effort to go watch their teams at an empty Accor Stadium on Saturday night?

No Latrell Mitchell or Cameron Murray for the Rabbitohs.

The Eagles without Daly Cherry-Evans, Jake Trbojevic, Haumole Olakau’atu and those too in the casualty ward.

By kick-off, it’s expected to be 13°c and raining.

So, what can we do?

Beetson Raudonikis Medal 2024 – Round 15

Like we’ve said, there’s no perfect answer.

But we need to do something different.

In recent times we’ve seen regional councils fork out good money to NRL franchises to bring games to their grounds.

The St George Illawarra Dragons and Mudgee announced a partnership in 2017 that saw NRL matches and Charity Shield clashes against Souths played at Glen Willow.

Wests Tigers and Tamworth.

“Feels like a seismic abuse of power and how certain clubs are dictated to”: Lachlan Galvin needs to bite down hard, man up and get on with 2024

Parramatta and Tourism NT.

Surely the NRL could sell a full round like the one we have this weekend and send it to a regional centre and make more of what we have now?

A mini magic round?

Hell, send it to Auckland.

The people of New Zealand deserve as much rugby league as they can get.

Peter V’landys might like it.

It’s money for old rope.

@woodward_curtis