‘Key attractions are sitting in hotel rooms': Bulldogs hit out at Origin 18th-man rules
Two of the biggest attractions in Friday night's blockbuster clash between Canterbury and Brisbane are unavailable after Jacob Kiraz and Reece Walsh were selected as the 18th men for NSW and Queensland respectively.
Neither will be permitted to play in the NRL clash, despite a gap of five days and the slim chance either will be activated for the game III decider.
No club has been more affected by the club stand-down edict than the Bulldogs. Since the start of the 2023 Origin series, Matt Burton has served as Blues 18th man on five occasions, while Kurt Mann was the Maroons' 18th man for the 2025 series opener and now winger Kiraz is on standby for Brian To'o or if a concussion substitution is required.
'From a commercial standpoint, the NRL is built on marquee match-ups and star players drawing crowds and television audiences,' said Canterbury chief executive Aaron Warburton.
'When you've got situations like this where key attractions are sitting in hotel rooms instead of entertaining fans, we're not maximising the value proposition for anyone - broadcasters, sponsors, or the fans.'
NSW chose Kiraz – the third Origin 18th man to come from the Canterbury side in this series alone – despite having players from seven bye teams available to choose from in round 18. A potential solution is to allow 18th men to back up for Origin after their club commitments, or to stipulate that the 18th man must be chosen from one of the teams having the week off.
'We absolutely celebrate our players being recognised at Origin level – it's a massive honour for Jacob, his family, and our entire club,' Warburton said.
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