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.
The Dolphins
Fixtures: Raiders (home), Bye, Sharks (away), Storm (home), Dragons (away), Bye, Rabbitohs (home), Panthers (away)
Number of byes: 2
The Dolphins are the NRL's only team who will be forced to play before all three Origin games. That would be tough if you were the Warriors. When you're a Queensland club with plenty of Origin players, it is borderline madness.
Last year both Thomas Gilbert and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow found themselves selected for the Origin arena, and don't be surprised if, as the Dolphins improve, more are pushing for selection this year.
Off-season recruit Thomas Flegler could be viewed as something of a certainty to play, and Felise Kaufusi can't be discounted fro the selection debate for the Maroons either.
Their games during the period are hardly straight forward either. They play the Raiders (who could be close to full strength) before Game 1, the Storm before Game 2, and then the Rabbitohs before Game 3. While Melbourne and South Sydney will likely have representatives, it's hard to see this schedule being anything other than the NRL's toughest during the Origin period.
The byes they do have come after Game 1, and in between Game 2 and 3 in a full round. Their games after Origin with players backing up come against the Dragons and Panthers.
Difficulty: 10/10
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.