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.
Gold Coast Titans
Fixtures: Bye, Rabbitohs (home), Tigers (away), Warriors (home), Bye, Sharks (away), Eels (home), Sea Eagles (away)
Number of byes: 2
The Titans have byes before Game 1 and after Game 2 during the Origin period, and will likely have to play games without Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, as well as possibly AJ Brimson, Moeaki Fotuaika, David Fifita and Beau Fermor.
That means they will be understrength, and being lumped as the only team to play the Warriors prior to an Origin game certainly won't help.
They have the Eels before Game 3 but at home, while they play the Rabbitohs after Game 1 and the Sea Eagles away after Game 3 - two tough games potentially without stars backing up.
The Tigers and Sharks are their other games in the period. It's not the toughest run, but that game against the Warriors blows their difficulty rating out substantially.
Difficulty: 8/10
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.