National Rugby League side New Zealand Warriors CEO Jim Doyle believes New Zealand is "capable of staging its own State of Origin fixture to showcase the burgeoning talent flourishing outside of the game's heartland states," according to Adrian Proszenko of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. Doyle, the former COO of the NRL, believes a contest between Auckland and non-Auckland Kiwis -- "which could potentially take in players from the Pacific Island nations -- could be a success." While Origin has "long been considered a showpiece of the game's best talent, some of the biggest names aren't eligible because they don't meet the eligibility criteria." With the number of players of Polynesian heritage in the NRL growing -- the figure is currently 38% -- there is "a belief they are not being properly showcased, particularly given" the only Australia-New Zealand Test scheduled for '15 has already been held. It is understood the NRL is "investigating whether a Kiwi-style Origin competition would be viable as it begins negotiating the rights to the next broadcast deal." Doyle: "For me personally, the biggest driver of State of Origin is the parochialism between NSW and Queensland. If it was to be done from a Kiwi perspective, you'd want to create some level of significant rivalry" (SMH, 6/2).
