Before the chaos began, they played a tune inside the MCG that perfectly set the tone for what was to come: “Let’s go to war.” He summed up the appeal of this gladiator blockbuster.
For this first-time State of Origin; The event did not disappoint. It’s a wild visual experience. As rugby correspondent for the UK’s Daily Mail, it was an irresistible detour between England’s games in Tokyo and New Zealand. I had seen it several times on television in the past, but I had never witnessed a match firsthand. It was truly epic.
In Melbourne, there wasn’t much to say that the city was hosting a key event on the sporting calendar in this part of the world. A sign on the way from the airport was the only thing that gave it away. Being a midweek game, fans had to time their travel south from the competing states, so there weren’t many around until game day.
When they appeared, Queensland dominated. To the uninitiated, they appeared to be the popular choice and the true superpower, with New South Wales – despite being the geographically closest state – stuck on the margins, overshadowed by a maroon army.
As a Brit, it occurred to me that if Origin presents so much irritation and conflict on the pitch, perhaps it would be the same in the stands and streets nearby. Would there be problems with the crowd? There were no signs of any problems at all. There were jokes, but that was it. Perhaps it is because alcohol consumption is less extreme than in the most important sports in our country.
It was interesting to note how much fan mixing took place in the city. There would be groups of friends of rival colors, or couples with one in blue and another in maroon. It seemed relatively harmonious. Another striking factor was demographic; not just young men but all age groups, men and women, and an ethnically diverse group. It was an indication of how Origin seemingly captures all areas of Australian society.
When the teams were announced before kickoff, it was fun to hear the soundtrack of boos. No one seemed to be cheering. It was as if all the energy was used to mock the opposition rather than cheering their own players and coaches. Billy Slater received by far the biggest tirade of negativity from the stands, which is presumably a reflection of his high standard in the game, making him a favorite target; a pantomime villain.
The fact that the game is taking place in Melbourne shows that the NRL is in the midst of an expansion campaign. In the United Kingdom, rugby league is restricted to a narrow northern corridor. We’d have a clash between, say, Wigan and Leeds at Wembley, and it would spark mass migration to the capital, but there isn’t the same feeling of a mega-event.
Mail Sport rugby correspondent Chris Foy attended his first State of Origin match
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The origin is not well known in the United Kingdom, outside the strongholds of the league. It doesn’t really register with the general public. But those who see it find it a primitive and impressive spectacle. He’s so harsh, so overtly aggressive. League is like that, but when these quality teams collide, it escalates to the max as a display of almost legitimate violence.
This game was on the edge, but it didn’t go overboard often. Two years ago a group of us watched a game while in Sydney and wondered how there were no deaths. In the first 10 minutes, there were so many high shots that they caused concussions and players were removed without moving. It was wild.
However, the MCG match had some high points and the reaction to them is telling. The crowd loves it. There was no need for the tannoy guy to make any noise, as he usually had to do, when everything started to get going. A fight early in the second half led to tunes being played in tribute; ‘I’m about to lose control and I think I like it’, followed by ‘you have to fight for your right to party’. Physicality and confrontation are celebrated. Why not?
It reminded me of a previous visit in 2013, when the then-NSW captain committed so many offenses in quick succession that, as an outsider, unfamiliar with the event, he felt he would have to be arrested, let alone sent off. . Instead, from memory, he escaped any action on the field and there was speculation that he might be reported. Could. Amazing.
That, in turn, led to an agonizing debate about violence in the game and a harsh headline in Sydney: “NRL bans biff.” There was an uproar. It was even raised in parliament. Clearly Australians don’t like being told they can’t fight!
Despite it being one of the most brutal rivalries in the world, there was no hostility between rival fans at the MCG.
More than 90,000 people packed the stadium on a Wednesday night, signalling Origin’s position as one of the biggest sporting spectacles.
Origin would undoubtedly find a home in the UK. We will take it and learn to love it too.
There were times Wednesday night when it seemed like the ball wasn’t necessary. Just let them crush each other, no matter the score. There was a strong desire to make shots that were telling, whether the victim was in possession or not at the time. It’s clear that antagonists and rope merchants are as adored as supreme athletes and creative masters.
What is clear to a foreign visitor is that these games matter a lot. Each year, it affects large areas of the host country.
State-on-state rivalry is something we have no equivalent of at home. People care more about sporting battles between cities; like when Manchester and Liverpool teams meet in football (soccer). Cricket is county-based and there is a real advantage when Lancashire and Yorkshire meet, but it is nothing like this.
Origin feels, on the one hand, like a ‘derby’, such is the familiarity and tension between the parties, but also like an international sport, given its enormous scale and mass-market interest. In the league, it is undoubtedly the biggest spectacle of all, completely overshadowing any World Cup final.
On a Wednesday night there were 90,000 people at the MCG, many of whom had travelled from far and wide to be there. That’s a big deal. It was grand and dazzling, from the light show before kick-off to the super skills on display throughout, against a backdrop of endless wall-to-wall advertising. But many tickets were a bargain, so the organisers are clearly trying to ensure it remains an event for the masses. Good on them for that.
All in all, as a visitor passing through, this was a bucket list occasion to savour. It’s fiercely compelling. Next time, never mind Melbourne, Perth or anywhere else in Australia, look north and bring a match to London or Manchester. We will take it and learn to love it too.
