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.
Cronulla Sharks
Fixtures: Eels (away), Broncos (away), Dolphins (home), Bye, Bulldogs (away), Titans (home), Tigers (home), Bye
Number of byes: 2
The Sharks miss the game prior to Origin 2, but have to take on the Eels and Tigers without any Origin players - whether they will actually have any is another question altogether, although most would suggest Nicho Hynes has been unlucky to not play a whole lot more in that arena over the last two years.
The issue for the Sharks of course if he is picked is just how important he is to everything the club do.
That said, the Eels won't be untouched by Origin, and the Tigers could lose Apisai Koroisau.
The Sharks also play the Broncos backing up brigade after Origin 1 and get the Bulldogs after Game 2, while their other games during the period are against the Dolphins (between Game 1 and 2) and the Titans (between Game 2 and 3).
They have the bye to close it out as well in a freshen up before the run home as attention turns back to the regular season. This is certainly one of the easier schedules despite playing prior to two Origin matches.
Difficulty: 4/10
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.