Bizarre suggestion that a third team should be added to State of Origin as fears raised over its ‘survival’

There has been plenty of discussion around State of Origin availability and the role Tier Two nations play in the concept with plenty of State of Origin stars hailing from Samoa and Tonga.

The two nations have had brilliant Rugby League World Cup success which should perhaps see them promoted to Tier One which would deprive Origin of some of its star players like Jarome Luai.

Now, there have been questions over whether it could survive in the future as international rugby league evolves and changes.

Thus, a pitch has been made for a third team to be added State of Origin.

“Should we open up Origin altogether, would you watch a three-way Origin series, let’s take out the word ‘State of’ and make it Origin, that had New South Wales, Queensland and Pasifika,” Matt White said on SEN 1170 Mornings.

“You’d have to work out the eligibility around that all over again and that becomes a separate argument.

“So do we just go from ‘State of Origin the time is done there’, to Origin, it’s amazing when you take a couple of words out how much difference it can make to the actual arrangement itself.

“Or… does Origin survive anyway, if there’s no Jarome Luai, if there’s no Brian To’o, no Josh Papali’i, (Viliame) Kikau, (Daniel) Tupou.

“Is Origin big enough to survive anyway? So should we turn our focus to State of Origin, does it need tinkering, or do we leave it just as it is?”