The dust has settled from the release of the NRL draw, and while fairness is never possible, the Origin period is always a bug bear of fans.
Zero Tackle have analysed the strength of every team's schedule during the Origin period to determine just how bad your team has it.
For the purposes of this, we are stating that the Origin period starts in Round 13 (the round leading into Game 1 of the series when players will sit out and teams have byes) and concludes with Round 20 (the round after Game 3).
In that period, the rounds are as follows.
Round 13: Before Origin 1, five games, seven byes.
Round 14: After Origin 1, seven games, three byes.
Round 15: Full round between Origin 1 and 2.
Round 16: Before Origin 2, five games, seven byes.
Round 17: After Origin 2, seven games, three byes.
Round 18: Full round between Origin 2 and 3
Round 19: Before Origin 3, five games, seven byes.
Round 20: After Origin 3, seven games, three byes.
Use the drop down menu below to navigate between each club.
Sydney Roosters
Fixtures: Cowboys (home), Bye, Eels (away), Bulldogs (home), Tigers (home), Dragons (home), Bye, Storm (away)
Number of byes: 2
The Roosters have two byes during the Origin period, coming after Game 1 and before Game 3.
That means they play without any Origin players - Lindsay Collins being the most likely - prior to Game 1 and 2. Those games will see them tackle the North Queensland Cowboys at home, and the Canterbury Bulldogs, also at home.
The Cowboys are unlikely to be at full strength thanks to Origin, while the Bulldogs are something of an unknown quantity as they continue rebuidling.
Playing the Tigers after Game 2 sets things up fairly easily, while the Storm after Game 3 could go either way, pending on who is selected and rested from both sides.
This is a draw that is cut down the middle for the Roosters. They will need to be good to overcome it, but it's not insurmountable.
Difficulty: 5/10
I think if I were Wayne, I would concede that the chances of winning the three pre-Origin games is zero. Having done that, I would give most of my non-Origin players some Rest & Recovery time and field a Queensland Cup side.
That will make no difference to the outcome of each match, but will leave the squad a whole lot less battered for the run in from the end of the Origin to the end of the season.