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Newcastle coach Brian Smith has labelled the NRL "not a fair competition" because of the lack of flexibility in game scheduling.

Smith has been on a long crusade against the NRL over its scheduling around the representative time of the season and continued it today following his side's 38-26 loss to Wests Tigers at EnergyAustralia Stadium.

The Knights were backing up from an intense and narrow loss to the Storm in Melbourne last Monday and were without Origin stars Danny Buderus, Ben Cross and the injured Kurt Gidley.

The Tigers were almost full-strength, only prop Todd Payten missing with injury, and had too much class for the Knights who appeared to struggle with fatigue midway through the second half.

Smith said he felt for teams like Brisbane and Melbourne who both suffered weekend defeats to drop three places on the table because they were without their best players.

"How can you possibly expect Melbourne to take their best nine players out and win?" said Smith.

"It's just ludicrous. You may as well say on that weekend we will give them (their opposition) the points and them the points.

"Brisbane has been doing it for donkey's years and other clubs have it from time to time.

"It's just we have all got to understand the NRL is not a fair competition.

"There's other things that are not fair. You play at times when you get Monday night games away week after week and get backed up with injuries.

"You don't play everyone twice. Sometimes you get to play teams that are no good, or not as good as the others twice and the other ones once.

"It's russian roulette and you just have to do your best."

Smith believes a lot of the problems can be solved if the NRL puts State of Origin on a stand alone weekend, as the AFL did with its Hall of Fame tribute match, allowing players not to miss any clubs games.

But he knows it will never happen.

"Until Channel Nine or somebody decided that State of Origin would be a better ratings winner for them on Sunday afternoon it's not going to change," he said.

"It's a bit of a futile argument and something the chief executives and people at the top of the pile should be dealing with if they feel like it's worth dealing with."

Former NSW and Newcastle forward Steve Simpson said a weekend Origin would be warmly accepted by the players.

"As a stand alone it would get a lot of support from the players because you would get a full week between games and you would probably not be quite as worn out come the back end of the year," said Simpson.

It's russian roulette and you just have to do your best...

Brian Smith, Knights coach

Comments

18/05/2008 2:33:53 PM I totally agree with Brian about the state of unfairness in the league, Broncos have spent the last eight years battling for their season because their team got hammered by State of Origin and I always 'felt' for their supporters, now it's Storms turn, next year 'who knows'. The answer is 'stand alone' weekend Origin, giving everyone a fair go and letting some players get over niggling injuries.but, like Smith,I can't see it happening!. Go Storm. Posted by: Col Maguire, Melbourne, Australia Reply

18/05/2008 9:15:29 PM I couldn't agree more with Smith. While Brian is much maligned around these parts his comments are at least logical in this instance. The problem with his criticism, as with so many others', is that he offers no alternative. The rep season as it is constituted is a farce. I grew up infatuated with State of Origin, but maturity has taught me that it means very little in the scheme of things. As a fan of the Roosters, I couldn't be happier that Braith and Pearce weren't picked for NSW! Posted by: Brandon Clark, Kellyville, Australia Reply

20/05/2008 9:13:50 AM I agree with Brian.Origin doesn't mean what it did back in the 80's. All the best players from Q/L are playing in the N.R.L these days no one gets picked from the Q/L comp. In fact I reckon all rep games represent a B..S..deal to any clubs with players talented enough to be selected. The clubs pay the players they should all band together and boycott rep games until the toffs at N.R.L headquarters come to their senses. If they wont play rep games on stand alone weekends, don't play them at all. Posted by: Damion Webster, Singleton, Australia Reply

20/05/2008 12:00:59 PM I too agree with Brian and I think the solution (one which will never ever happen though) is that State of Origin should be ONE game each year, held on a Saturday with no other NRL games scheduled for that weekend.
I think one winner-takes-all State of Origin game per season would be great, with minimal impact on the overall NRL comp. The winner of the game should host the next game, and if that means 10 games in a row in the same state so be it....more incentive to win the better!! Posted by: Brad Skidmore, WOONONA, Australia Reply

21/05/2008 12:45:27 AM I seem to recall the Dragons being hit the same way some years ago, with 6 players out with Barret, Bailey, Cooper, Gasnier, Hornby, Ryles all being unavailable, I also seem to recall that the fill in players stepped up to the mark and they won the majority of those affected games. Yep the only thing here that has changed are the teams affected, and the whining coaches that they employ. Posted by: Anthony e, St Helens Park, Australia Reply

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'The NRL isn't a fair competition': Brian Smith

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