You can have your say by leaving a comment below.

JOEL RITCHIE

Is City-Country a waste of time? This year, no.

With the most open NSW Origin team in years, tomorrow's clash at Wade Park, Orange is shaping as a genuine trial - the only justification for such a clash.

Traditionalists get a lump in the throat from seeing the boys from the bush take on the city slickers.

However, the only way the clash can be rationalised in the era of an expanded NRL and longer international season is if it helps NSW selectors name the team to wrest the State of Origin trophy off Queensland for the first time in four years.

Luckily for the fans in Orange, the 2009 instalment will do just that.

Who will be the halfback? Country's Jarrod Mullen or City's Peter Wallace? Country selectors ignored the valid claims of Bulldogs No 7 Brett Kimmorley because he is not in the frame for a Blues jersey. Tomorrow's duel will be vital in determining who steers the Blues around the park in Origin I.

The same goes for the vital hooker and front row positions. City's Robbie Farah and Country rake Michael Ennis could secure the inside running for the No 9 jumper while City rep Keith Galloway and Country's Michael Weyman will be sizing each other up to join Australian incumbents Brett Kite and Luke Bailey in the Blues' the engine room.

One-on-one contests like these, with so much at stake, will make tomorrow's clash worth watching and translate into a pulsating contest across the park.

MICHAEL COX

City versus Country is a waste of time. It serves no purpose other than to put the careers of some of the NRL's brightest stars at risk.

Club officials will be holding their collective breath when millions of dollars worth of footballing talent run on to Wade Park at Orange.

The worst part of this futile exercise is that it will prove nothing. The only influence this game will have on Origin selections is players being ruled out due to the injuries they sustain in the match.

Queensland fans, as usual, will be laughing to themselves as our state's best bash each other. Actually, they will probably be watching the test match in Brisbane, which will be played at the same time in a puzzling piece of scheduling.

I'm all for taking the game back to the bush, but lets make it meaningful - not an afterthought. Take some NRL games to country areas instead, it would make a welcome change to playing in cavernous, half-filled stadia.