State of Origin returned to its Sunday night slot as the New South Wales Blues mauled the Queensland Maroons, but it simply doesn't work for fans if there is no replacement rugby league across the course of the weekend.
The NRL are about to be dealing with a swathe of bigger problems owing to the COVID spike in Sydney, including the location of Game 3. But fans were left wanting across Saturday and Sunday this weekend.
The NRL's representative round has been an excellent addition to the sport in the last few years. Not only that, but it has put the women's game on something of a pedestal, with Women's Origin played as a standalone fixture on Friday evening.
That part of the weekend survived the cull, and while the game wasn't of the highest quality, it was an excellent chance for women's rugby league to again shine.
But then came 48 hours of nothing for rugby league fans.
And sure, there have been some slightly mixed views on the way representative round should be run, or if indeed it should be run at all, but while State of Origin is in the middle of the season, one of the games on a Sunday is a must.
The way it lessens the overall impact on teams with players heading for Origin (look at the Penrith Panthers as an example this year), is critical to the overall viability, fairness and legitimacy of the NRL competition. Furthermore, it evens out the field with each team receiving one bye, and having to play one game without their stars before an Origin.
Lessening the impact on the NRL of State of Origin is a primary aim for those at NRL HQ, but so too should be not giving a free kick to other sports. On a weekend where the AFL had a full round and the A-League had its grand final, there must be content for NRL fans to sink their teeth into.
Granted, the COVID situation would have made it impossible for the Pacific Island nations to bring players into the country, but there are more than enough Australian-based players to make up the teams and allow valuable preparation in what is a Rugby League World Cup year.
And whether the NRL want to admit it or not, the Pacific Islands hold the key to future expansion in this sport. Their fans are passionate, the players equally so, and some of the most talented individuals currently in the game have come out of, or have a background within those nations.
Think players like Maika Sivo, or, before his switch to rugby union, Suliasi Vunivalu. Without supporting those nations, we don't get those players, or the passion of the fans in the future. Matches are televised in these locations and can get the future of sport in the Pacific Islands hooked on league, rather than union. It's a constant battle in those nations, and one league must win for the longevity of the sport.
The rise of international rugby league has been a major talking point over the last handful of years. The last World Cup was the best probably ever, while teams like Tonga, Fiji, Samoa and even Papua New Guinea have begun to be competitive. Taking away the chance of them being able to play a mid-season game with all the NRL stars is a rather unfortunate decision which robbed both fans and players alike.
There were some minor international games at Belmore it must be noted, but it simply wasn't the same as what fans have come to expect from the representative round.
On top of that, the impact of another junior Origin campaign not at full strength will have an impact on the future of the senior product in itself. Last year's cancellation was quite obviously unavoidable. The juniors, through competitions like SG Ball and the Harold Matthews, lost their entire season to COVID, so playing series at under-16, under-18 or under-20s level would have been impossible, and rather foolish.
But this time around, those competitions are up and running again. Given the structure of their season's at that level finishing quite early, it makes logical sense to hold the junior Origin's as curtain-raisers, as they have in the past.
While the COVID situation makes it difficult for any of these matches to go ahead, it's not impossible. That much is evident with an under-19s game set to be held ahead of Game 3.
Those matches may not rate the roof off or make the NRL any money, but it's beyond important for the future of the code in both aspects, international, and junior footy.
The representative round might be a concept up for debate, but while Origin is on a Sunday, the NRL can never again go 48 hours without elite rugby league in the middle of its season.
