League: NZRL proposes Origin-style series

Benji Marshall. Photo / Getty Images

League has had 'mate against mate, state against state' since 1982 between Queensland and New South Wales.

New Zealand Rugby League is determined to match it with 'brother versus brother' from 2013.

Efforts are under way to create a State Of Origin-like series where New Zealand-affiliated players born in Auckland or overseas would play those born elsewhere in the country over three matches a year, replicating its transtasman relation.

The prospect of match-ups like Benji Marshall (Whakatane-born) vs Kieran Foran (Auckland) in the halves, Simon Mannering (Napier) vs Steve Matai (Auckland) in the centres and Adam Blair (Whangarei) vs Bronson Harrison (Auckland) in the forwards make it worth considering.

NZRL chief executive Jim Doyle says it is a raw concept and could well be tweaked before being instituted; but they at least want to show some initiative.

"It has been talked about before but we've never had the player depth we have now. I've been liaising with the likes of [Kiwis captain] Benji Marshall, [coach and assistant] Stephen Kearney and Tony Iro and [NZRL football manager] Tony Kemp on it."

The NZRL's idea is based on future State of Origin series featuring on stand-alone weekends to the NRL competition. That follows protests that State of Origin is squeezed into the NRL calendar and distorts the competition by taking form players away from what are generally the top clubs.

"If we asked for 36 extra Kiwi players to be released during Origin it would never happen, given players are paid primarily by the clubs," Doyle says.

"We've had initial talks with the NRL and want to co-operate with them. Ideally we'd create the equivalent of a four-week representative window in the middle of the NRL season.

Clubs could continue to derive income - albeit without their best players - through a British Challenge Cup-type knock-out tournament in that gap."

Doyle says Sky would consider broadcasting the series, given it would be full of NRL players, but it would make sense to coincide each fixture with its State of Origin equivalent to maximise advertising revenue.

A Pacific Island All-Stars vs Indigenous All-Stars match is also being contemplated at the beginning or end of the season. Doyle says any income from Sky and gate-takings would go towards paying the players and investing in grassroots, particularly so the sport maintains momentum at schoolboy level.

Other ways to raise the profile include the choice of venue. Doyle says one match of the three would always be played in Auckland followed by another in a main centre such as Sydney, Brisbane, Wellington or Christchurch and then one further afield in venues such as Whangarei, Palmerston North or Dunedin.

As a former Kiwis captain, Ruben Wiki says the concept would produce some intense battles but fears it will be tough to fit into the current schedule.

As someone who played the majority of his 16-year club career in Australia with the Canberra Raiders before moving to the Warriors, he knows the value of any 'Bro vs Bro' contest.

"It's already been that way for a long time in NRL matches but this would be on a grand scale," Wiki says.

"You show more 'love' when you're playing 'the brothers'. They won't hold back; no-one will go soft on it. I had that issue playing for Canberra against the Warriors [from 1995 to 2004].

"Another plus would be using the matches to pick the Kiwis team perhaps for a test against the Kangaroos at the end of the four-week window. It'd be a great chance for New Zealanders to lock heads. It would benefit the test game."