Queensland focus on winning the State of Origin series rather than becoming movie stars

Queensland Rugby League chair Bruce Hatcher is open to State of Origin documentary but not this year as Maroons focus on winning rather than becoming movie stars.

Incoming Queensland coach Wayne Bennett takes charge of an inexperienced team. Picture: NRL Photos

Queensland Rugby League chair Bruce Hatcher has defended their decision to reject a fly-on-the-wall documentary of this year’s State of Origin series, insisting the Maroons’ priority is to win rather than turn their players into movie stars.

Hatcher has also dismissed suggestions that the decision to rebuff the documentary was driven by Maroons coach Wayne Bennett, saying the buck stops with him.

Hatcher insisted the QRL would be happy to play ball down the track provided they were given ample time to digest the proposal, which was put forward by Channel 9 presenter Karl Stefanovic and had the backing of senior figures within the game.

However, the state leagues have ultimate control over the Origin series and they have kiboshed the plan, which was already attracting interest from streaming companies given the success of The Last Dance, the 10-part documentary of the Chicago Bulls during the Michael Jordan era that was a smash hit on Netflix.

“We have lost two series,” Hatcher said. “We have new coaches, we have the most inexperienced team we have ever had. We just don’t think it is appropriate to have guys in camp for 24 hours a day for a number of weeks wanting to wire people up and hear what Wayne Bennett says.

“For us, we are happy to do to it with adequate planning over what is in and what is out. There is no advantage in it given our plight.

“I sent an email pretty quickly after hearing the outline of it all … saying it is not appropriate for us but if you want to spend a bit of time planning what it would look like next year, we are happy to co-operate.
“We’re not going to run around trying to make young guys movie stars when their major responsibility is to win Origin for Queensland. As I said, we have the most inexperienced side we have ever had so we’re not really in a position to do it properly for anyone.”

Queensland Rugby League chairman Bruce Hatcher says it was his decision to block plans for a documentary

The Maroons are coming off successive series defeats and will head into this year’s contest with one of the most inexperienced squads in their history given the injury toll that has stripped them of Newcastle fullback Kalyn Ponga, North Queensland captain Michael Morgan and Brisbane backrower David Fifita.

The good news is that Melbourne five-eighth Cameron Munster made it through the grand final and is expected to play despite a lingering knee injury. Queensland also suffered upheaval off the park when coach Kevin Walters was forced to stand down after being appointed to take charge of the Brisbane Broncos.

Bennett stepped into the breach and has added Mal Meninga — the most successful coach in Origin history — to his staff. Between them, the pair face a mountainous challenge to get the Maroons over the line given the quality of the players who are missing.

The last thing the QRL wanted to do was place more pressure on the coaching staff and the players given the daunting challenge they face to turn things around.

“If we got flogged because we became movie stars and didn’t concentrate on what we should have, we would be the laughing stock,” Hatcher said.
“It is just not how Origin is played. The All Blacks did a (documentary) but it took 12 months planning. If there is some way of conveying some good information to a wider audience, we will certainly do that.

“But you have to plan that. There is not enough planning.”

Asked whether Bennett was the driving force behind the QRL’s stance on the issue, Hatcher said: “Totally unfair, totally unfair. If anyone wants to point fingers, they can point fingers at me. NSW have the right to go ahead with it but from our point of view it is all too rushed, it is not clear and if we are going to do it, let’s do it properly.”