By Nick Wright
Broncos star Julia Robinson believes changes to State of Origin scheduling need to be made to ensure the showpiece represents the pinnacle of women’s rugby league.
The theme of growth has been synonymous with the code since its inception, as the NRL seeks to develop the female game. This culminated in record-breaking crowds of 31,247 across the two Origin games.
Queensland’s players celebrate after clinching the two-game Origin series.Credit: Getty
However, the series launch, thrust in the middle of a seven-week preseason, proved a scrappy affair, with 30 errors between the two sides.
Robinson, who scored a crucial Maroons try in game one, believes a return to the post-season model of 2020’s COVID-plagued campaign has merit to ensure players are match-ready before an ever-growing audience.
“It’s a tough one because it’s good to have State of Origin when it’s the State of Origin time of year with the boys as well, but then you want to have Origin when everyone’s at their peak form for NRLW,” Robinson said in the lead-up to Brisbane’s round one clash with Sydney on Saturday.
“Being fit and strong having played a couple of games at the top level, then going into Origin would be amazing because that’s what happened in 2020 when we had the COVID year and the bubble.
“We had our NRLW season first and then Origin, and I felt like we were so much more prepared for the big, tough games.”
Robinson’s stance came after fellow star Millie Boyle slammed media coverage of the female code for focusing too much on its growth and not enough on the quality.
“Our first game of Origin, god it was bad, it was actually embarrassing, then afterwards they were like, ‘Hey guys, we had 43 per cent more viewers than last year’,” Boyle said.
Bronco’s player Julia Robinson prefers playing Origin after a few matches of the regular NRLW season.Credit: Louise Kennerley
“I went, ‘Oh god, if this is what people are tuning in to for the first time, that’s embarrassing, and we are so much better than that as a product’.”
Scheduling issues have also been floated in the aftermath of last Wednesday’s men’s game three clash, with NRL club coaches scrambling to ensure their best outfit remains fit.
The injury toll coming out of the campaign – including Nathan Cleary, Tom Trbojevic and Tom Gilbert – prompted suggestions of a midyear representative period.
However, Robinson also said that if the NRLW remained in its usual slot – this year’s July 22 launch the earliest, aside from the 2021 pandemic-enforced delay – such measures would both fail to address the issue in the women’s space and disrupt the women’s preparation.
Queensland players celebrate Julia Robinson’s opening try during game one.Credit: Getty
“It’s been hard,” Robinson said.
“It’s been good that we’ve had that longer preseason, especially with the Origin girls missing out for around two weeks not being with the team.
“It does affect your preparation as well because you want to be with the team the whole preseason and it makes it hard for Princey [Broncos coach Scott Prince] … to really focus on all the players and combos.”
