The State of Origin season is officially upon us, which means a lot of absentees during the next month of club footy. While this has been standard practice in the NRL for years, many are debating whether a change should be considered, much to the dismay of one Blues legend.
Andrew Johns shared his thoughts around the consequences of losing star players throughout the NRL season this week, with 36 athletes missing from their clubs throughout the Origin period.
"There are people calling for a month off [the NRL season], that won't work," Johns declared on Nine's Freddy and the Eighth.
"They are calling for international Tests... the best system is what they have now."
Johns argues that the loss of Origin representatives from star-heavy rosters brings the NRL to an even playing field for a short period, granting weaker sides the opportunity to topple premiership threats.
"The Warriors generally go on a run, and some of the lower clubs who haven't got many [Origin] players."
Nailing the perfect schedule that satisfies all 17 clubs is a tall task for the NRL to maneuver, which is why the eighth Immortal believes the rules should remain as-is.
"They [the NRL] somehow have to sort out who gets more byes during his period. But then they also have to think hypothetically when the draw is done who is going to play in Origin," Johns emphasised.
"It's impossible, just keep it the way it is."
The Penrith Panthers and Sydney Roosters are the two most affected clubs in the NRL, with the top three squads missing one or two players each. This is unusual for most years, however, with the premium clubs seemingly underperforming for the first third of the season, Johns' sentiment around building a sense of continuity throughout the league during Origin period may become moot in 2025.
