But last week's crowd of 12,740 at McDonald Jones Stadium was a reminder of State of Origin's unique capacity to simultaneously undermine and overshadow the NRL competition.

Most clubs would probably regard an attendance of almost 13,000 on a cold, gloomy night as more than acceptable.

But most clubs aren't the Knights, who have proven time and again that, on a per-capita basis, they have the most loyal and parochial fans in the business.

In their first seven home games of the season, Newcastle had attracted average turnouts of 21,725 - the third-best in their history.

And then suddenly they found almost 9000 fewer bums occupying seats at a game.

As mentioned before, the Warriors have rarely threatened to wear the turnstiles out in Newcastle. In 18 visits, only twice have they played before crowds of 20,000-plus, and not since 1998.

The inclement weather, as noted, was also a factor. It was as good a night as any to crank the heater up and order a takeaway pizza.

But for mine, the primary reason for the downturn in numbers was simply that five of Newcastle's most high-profile players were unavailable because of Origin.

Mitchell Pearce, David Klemmer, Daniel Saifiti and Tim Glasby had been chosen for the series decider, while Kalyn Ponga was still recovering from the calf strain he suffered in Origin II.

That's a massive reduction in starpower.

And it's not as if clubs offer discounted tickets because their main men aren't on deck. Fans are still expected to pay the same freight, and season-ticket holders aren't entitled to some form of refund.

It is just accepted as the way it is because Origin is this behemoth that dwarfs the club competition.

And it's not just the gate-takings of the clubs that cop a dent. There is also the impact on game-day performances.

The Knights lost 24-20 to a Warriors team that, as usual, was unaffected by Origin commitments. At full strength, Newcastle could have been reasonably expected to win that game.

Come the end of the regular season, those two points might be the difference between a spot in the top eight, or the top six, or even the top four.

And perish the thought that one of your club's highest-paid players suffers a long-term injury in Origin, in which case you can pretty much kiss the season goodbye.

Obviously this is not an issue unique to the Knights, who have had little cause to worry about Origin in recent seasons.

It's a handicap all clubs have to deal with, at some point, to varying degrees. The stronger their roster, the more a team is likely to suffer. Origin punishes successful sides and rewards mediocrity.

Origin is also a false economy. The great crowds for this year's series - 52,191 (Brisbane), 59,721 (Perth) and 82,565 (Sydney) - are surely offset by the dwindling attendances at club fixtures, just as the massive Origin TV ratings can't hide the lack of interest in split rounds featuring depleted teams.

It's hard to imagine any other self-respecting sporting organisation in the world allowing the integrity of its competition to be similarly compromised, on an annual basis.

In soccer, for instance, FIFA has international weekends when the Premier League, Bundesliga and Serie A are put on hold.

So having outlined the problems, what is the solution?

A mid-season NRL break, during which Origin is played over three consecutive weekends, would be one alternative, allowing clubs a chance to re-set themselves for the business end of their campaign.

My preferred option would simply be to switch Origin until after the grand final.

That would allow the club competition to proceed, uninterrupted, without the annual mid-season hiatus.

Origin players not involved in the finals could have a bit of time off to recharge and recover from injuries, before joining their state squads for a train-on period.

The Origin series would then kick off two weeks after the grand final, over three consecutive weekends.

Meanwhile, the likes of New Zealand, Tonga and England could be staging an international tri-series, with the winner to clash with the Australian side named after Origin.

What it would mean for footy fans is they still get the same quantity of games, but hopefully of higher quality.

No Origin stars stood down from club duties. No players being asked to back up for the club sides 48 hours after Origin.

No need for these four-game rounds featuring teams that are almost unrecognisable.

Best of all, footy fans would have something to look forward to after the grand final.

It will, of course, never happen.

Rugby league officials live by the adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

If they haven't noticed yet that running repairs are required, it's unlikely they ever will.