"Unless I get Origin players or international players in here, it ain't going to change."
This memorable press conference line from Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart last year sparked headlines after a loss. But they could soon learn their dearth of Origin players is a blessing in disguise.
While everyone can understand Stuart's point, the glass-half-full view is it gives the Origin-snubbed Raiders a chance to entrench themselves in the top eight.
If you count Manly's Daly Cherry-Evans before he was ruled out injured, the Raiders and Penrith are the only teams without representation in State of Origin I.
Canberra, sixth with a 5-5 record, now has a golden chance over the next six weeks to beat up on teams minus their big-name stars, beginning with Canterbury at home on Sunday.
The calls for stand-alone State of Origin games is growing louder, with players complaining of mid-season burnout, but the Raiders certainly aren't whingeing.
What's worse? Losing your Origin players for three games, or not having any at all?
That said, the case for stand-alone Origins is strong. Crowds drop away alarmingly as fans refuse to pay up to watch teams minus their stars, as do TV ratings as the game's showpiece hogs the limelight.
But unless the NRL introduces more initiatives to make the competition a more even playing field, the Origin series is one of the few things that helps achieve just that.
It's no secret the Raiders struggle to attract big-name talent from outside, and concentrate on harvesting juniors in the region to compensate.
The stigma, fair or otherwise, the city of Canberra suffers from is a factor. The perception it's boring with little to do for 20-something footballers with cash to burn is rife.
It's a battle the Raiders continually endure, and they regularly have to pay "overs" to lure players to the capital from Sydney or Queensland.
Right now Canberra's squad is ideally placed to take advantage of the Origin period.
Aside from halfback Sam Williams' collapsed lung, the Raiders have barely had an injury all year.
They have a number of young players who wouldn't look out of place in Origin in Josh Papalii, Blake Austin, Jack Wighton, Jarrod Croker and Paul Vaughan.
The squad is relatively balanced and not over-reliant on any one superstar to carry a huge load, like Johnathan Thurston at North Queensland, Greg Inglis at Souths or Cameron Smith at Melbourne.
Canberra's off-season recruits have been superb and many of them - Sisa Waqa, Frank-Paul Nuuausala, Josh Hodgson and Sia Soliola - are overseas-born players not eligible for Origin.
Recruiting low-maintenance players who take responsibility for their performance is a strategy that almost mirrors Penrith's of last year, who recruited shrewdly without attracting any huge names and finished one game shy of the grand final.
It's proof success is achievable without big-name players burning a big hole in your salary cap.
The Raiders have targeted players with leadership and attitude qualities beyond reproach. Dependable players who work hard, train hard, and are consistent with performance.
Rolling out virtually the same 17 each week has been a godsend for Canberra and they have a chance to prove Origin players ain't compulsory for success.
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The huge money on offer in world sport these days has made acts of gallantry as rare as hen's teeth.
It was therefore disappointing to see Aussies Richie Porte and Simon Clarke penalised after Clarke helped Porte with a wheel change when he suffered a puncture in the Giro d'Italia.
It was a golden chance blown to celebrate sportsmanship and mateship can still exist in top-level sport, despite the fact everyone's competing for sheep stations.
These types of qualities are becoming harder to instil into juniors, who continually watch coaches blame referees for losses or witness over-exuberant parents screaming abuse from the sidelines.
When you consider cycling is still rebuilding its reputation after years dogged by doping controversies , ruling by the letter of the law should have been replaced by common sense with a view to the big picture just this once.
