Would the NRL season be better without the Origin interruption?

The State of Origin series presents the three marquee fixtures outside of the Grand Final each rugby league season.

Games one, two and three are routinely the highest rated programs of the year and it's rare that the games themselves don't sell out.

Despite the re-emergence of Test football, Origin is still the pinnacle of the game, with players performing at club level with an aim to represent their state.

That said, there is little doubt that the Origin series casts a big shadow over the NRL competition each and every year.

Origin talk kicks off during pre-season and does not go away until well after the yearly interstate series.

Prior to the 2018 season kicking off all the talk about Nathan Cleary was whether or not he'd make his Origin debut this year of next. Not whether he could lead the Panthers to the top four or even a premiership.

Talk around Andrew Fifita was all about whether he would continue to represent Tonga or if he would switch his allegiance back to the Blues. I'm not sure it's coincidence that since announcing he would continue to play for Tonga that Fifita has re-emerged as the best front rower in the game. He has been unstoppable since ending the distraction of Origin selection.

Fifita's form lead me to thinking, would the NRL season be better and more enjoyable without the annual distraction of the Origin series?

On Wednesday night I tweeted whether fans would miss Origin if it were to fall off the calendar, or perhaps be moved to the end of the season where it would not disrupt seven rounds of NRL action.

Only one of over thirty responses said they would. Unsurprisingly that response was from a Queenslander.

Don't get me wrong, Origin nights are three of the best of each and every year. Who doesn't love a monster game with mates and beers for bragging rights?

That said again, anyone who says they'd prefer an Origin series victory over their side winning the Grand Final is either a brilliant liar or downright crazy.

As the Dragons and Panthers are about to soon find out, the Origin series is a huge distraction and can potentially change the course of a season.

With Tyson Frizell a 100% certainty for Blues duty, they can also add the names Aitken, Vaughan, Sims, de Belin and McInnes to possible names called out for the first Origin camp.

The Panthers will lose at least one of their halves and possibly their entire halves combination as well at least one of their forwards. Josh Mansour was a certainty for a spot for NSW prior to his injury.

Although the NRL have FINALLY taken moves to limit the disruption to the competition by the Origin series, the fact is an injury in the most brutal three games of the season can all but end a season for a club.

The Broncos and Storm have historically struggled through the Origin period, which in the past has affected up to nine NRL rounds. Players missing through selection, and rested due to fatigue all lead to upset results in this period.

Although technically Origin players will only miss one game this year due to the schedule changes, in theory the results reach much futher.

Cameron Smith has routinely played three x 80 minute games in the Origin series. That's 240 minutes of the most intense competition in the game. That's tough, even for the most experienced player in the code.

There's no way that it does not affect Smith's body and mind. A young player like Euan Aitken, who should be among the first players picked, will be targeted by either Greg Inglis or Will Chambers on debut. You times that effort by three and try and tell me Aitken doesn't go back to club land a little worse for wear.

If Cleary is fit and selected, he'll need to make 30+ tackles in each of the three games. He'll have the best pack in the game running at him in attack and battering him in defense. Bumps and bruises are guaranteed, at the very least.

It may not affect results straight away but it's impossible that it won't have a lasting affect on players, especially those in their first series.

If I'm a Dragons fan I'm hoping that Sims, de Belin, Vaughan and McInnes are over looked. Frizell is a certainty and I can't see Aitken being overlooked. For the record I'd pick Sims, de Belin and Vaughan, but it's possible they may miss out.

Sharks fans spent years cursing Paul Gallen's ability to play 80 minutes at Origin level and then pay the price for weeks or months to come for his club side.

I'm not sure I'd miss Origin too much if it were moved to the end of the season. It would certainly improve the quality of the week to week competition. It would also end the terror that comes along with the byes and short rounds of rugby league.

For the record there is no chance that the NRL and players will make any further changes to their cash cow so the series is here to stay but I have no doubt in the world the NRL would be a better competition week to week if the Origin distraction was put aside.

Let us know below your thoughts on whether you'd miss Origin, and the affect it would have on club football should it be shifted.