There are growing concerns about how State of Origin is impacting NRL teams.
NRL fans have once again raised concerns about the byes during the State of Origin period, with a number of teams fielding significantly weakened teams for Round 12. As NRL fans start to feel the build-up ahead of the game’s biggest showpiece, the same debate has emerged over the ‘unfair’ scheduling of the byes and the standard of the competition during the Origin period.
The Penrith Panthers have once again been decimated heading into round 12, with Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo, Dylan Edwards, Brian To’o and Liam Martin picked for NSW and unavailable for their club this weekend. While fans could point to Ivan Cleary’s host of Origin stars as the reason the team has won the last four premierships, it is still a blight on the game when they line-up this weekend ravaged by the representative game.
The Panthers are still desperate for a win this weekend against the Knights. who only have one origin player in Kalyn Ponga missing. In years gone by the absentees didn’t really hurt the Panthers because they were always high on the ladder heading into Origin. The Panthers haven’t been lower than third on the table since 2020 heading into round 12. But in 2025 they’re sitting in 13th spot.
The Roosters are another team hit hard in round 12. The Sydney side will be missing Lindsay Collins, Robert Toia, Spencer Leniu, Angus Crichton and Connor Watson. This is a blow for the Roosters who will face a Sharks team not missing a single player due to Origin. Nicho Hynes will be confident leading the Sharks against a depleted Roosters outfit and they will be heavily tipped to climb into the top four.
It will take an enormous effort from James Tedesco and the Roosters to overcome the Sharks and they will also face the same situation in round 15 and 18. Despite missing a number of players last year, Manly will enter round 12 with only Daly Cherry-Evans missing. They will take on the Eels and enter as heavy favourites with a number of players missing out on Origin selection.
The Warriors only have one Origin representative, while the Tigers have zero but both teams have been afforded two byes during the Origin period. Fans have once again called for a standalone Origin period with the bye schedule impacting some teams more than others.
You have the big clubs like the Panthers, Roosters, Storm giving away the most Origin players (in Game I) but then you get to the byes before the State of Origin games this year and you have the Broncos with two (byes), but the Roosters don’t get one, so they get three games without five (Origin) stars, same with the Dogs and Manly. It’s not fair.”
The Broncos often have a host of Origin players missing during the schedule, but this year they are only missing Payne Haas and Patrick Carrigan. Although they will have two byes during the period.
When it was put to Rothfield the NRL does not know how many players each club will lose to Origin, the veteran reporter hit back. He claimed the likes of the Broncos, Storm, Roosters and Panthers have recently been depleted due to Origin and it should be taken into account the next year.
“Why should the Roosters have to play the Sharks, Tigers, Knights in three different weeks without five stars,” he added with the Roosters arguably facing the toughest bye period. “You can say, let’s get all 17 clubs and give them as close as possible as we can to an even share of byes at this critical part of the season. Why have the Warriors got two byes before Origin? Why have the Tigers got two byes before Origin?”
There are plenty of calls for a standalone Origin period, which would see the NRL competition come to a halt. However, this could be opposed by broadcasters and the NRL as they would lose viewership over the weekend with the AFL continuing.
Push for standalone State of Origin period
Fans have continually urged the Australian Rugby League to push for a standalone State of Origin period so the number of representative players missing does not impact the quality of the competition. Holding Origin at the end of the year had been done before, but due to the rigours of the NRL schedule and a dip in viewership it appears unlikely the move will happen again.
The depth of the competition is also a concern during the Origin period. Last year, the Rabbitohs headed into a clash against Manly as heavy favourites with the visitors missing 13 players due to injury and Origin selection. And in the end, the Rabbitohs held Manly scoreless against them for the first time in 75 years in a dire watch.
