As another bruising State of Origin series kicks off, debate is once again heating up over whether the NRL should pause its club season to accommodate the rep schedule.
But league great Andrew Johns isn’t having a bar of it, calling the idea “impossible” and warning that change could ruin what already works.
Speaking on Nine’s Freddy and the Eighth, the eighth Immortal weighed in on mounting calls to give the NRL a month-long break while Origin unfolds, a proposal that’s been floated in the name of fairness.
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“There are people calling for a month off, that won't work,” Johns said. “They are calling for international Tests... the best system is what they have now.”
A rare leveller for weaker sides
Johns argued that the current setup, where 36 Origin players are missing club action during the representative window, actually helps level the playing field. It’s a unique moment in the season, he believes, where bottom-ranked clubs get a chance to shine.
“The Warriors generally go on a run, and some of the lower clubs who haven't got many [Origin] players,” he said, highlighting how the absence of superstars from powerhouse teams can open the door for surprise upsets.
With the Penrith Panthers and Sydney Roosters hit hardest this year, and other top-three sides missing fewer players, the usual imbalance is already shifting.
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But Johns insists that trying to tweak the schedule would only complicate things further.
“They [the NRL] somehow have to sort out who gets more byes during this period. But then they also have to think hypothetically when the draw is done, who is going to play in Origin,” he said.
“It's impossible, just keep it the way it is.”