WHAT DO YOU RECKON?

I reckon the decision to hold an Origin game in Adelaide makes as much sense as holding that one in the US back in 1987. No offense to South Australian rugby league supporters, but their State deserves an Origin game as much as California did. I’ve got no problem with Adelaide having an NRL team. If they can raise the dough and put together a decent side, good luck to them. It’s the same with Melbourne. The Storm is a champion outfit and they bring a lot to the competition. It’s just Origin where I draw the line, and the NRL should do the same. As I have said time and time again, Origin isn’t just a game. It is a tribal contest between Queensland and NSW, and it should be played in Queensland and NSW. Simple as that. It represents passion and tradition and history. To sell it off to the highest bidder is simply not on. I heard an NRL official this week saying how they had to take the game on the road to raise the necessary money to put into grass roots development. Sorry, but if you can’t run the game with the huge money that the broadcast deals bring in then you’re either not getting enough or spending too much. I reckon if people from Melbourne or Perth or Adelaide – or Long Beach, California, for that matter - want to watch an Origin game they should come to Brisbane or Sydney. What do YOU reckon?
 
I reckon the sighs of relief when Cowboys coach Paul Green named his side for Saturday’s pre-season trial against Wests Tigers would have travelled all the way to Brisbane. There at the top of the list was Johnathan Thurston. While seeing JT back on deck, even if only for 20 minutes or so, will mean everything to Cowboys fans hoping to go one step further in the premiership than last year’s second spot , it will be even more exciting to everyone planning to get along to Suncorp Stadium on Friday February 23. The JT-Cameron Smith testimonial match is without doubt the most eagerly anticipated trial game in the history of rugby league. Green wouldn’t even consider risking JT if he wasn’t 100 per cent fit, so confirmation that he will face the Tigers means everything is on track for the grand final replay. With proceeds from the match going to charity, both sides keen to put on an entertaining show and Queenslanders turning out in numbers to salute their Origin heroes, I reckon this is going be a night to remember. What do YOU reckon?