Jeremy Pierce | 06:51am September 21, 2012



THE Gold Coast will launch an audacious bid to snatch a State of Origin match from big brother Brisbane.

Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate is desperate to stage a marquee event on the Glitter Strip in the lead-up to the city's 2018 Commonwealth Games and has his sights set on an Origin showdown.

The plot comes as the Victorian Government also attempts to steal games from Brisbane.

The Queensland Government has rejected any notion of paying for the right to stage Origin matches in Brisbane, which has opened the door to Victoria and the Gold Coast. Cr Tate said he would chase State of Origin hard.

"We just had a Wallabies Test and I am going to go after State of Origin," he said. "We have had the Aboriginal All Stars game, we host the International Rugby Sevens, bringing State of Origin here to the Gold Coast makes a lot of sense.

"If we snag it here I think it would be bigger than Suncorp."

Cr Tate said he was not bothered if the plan upset Brisbane's rugby league faithful.

"That's an even better reason to have it here," he said.

Under the plan, a State of Origin fixture would come to the Gold Coast before the 2018 Commonwealth Games and would utilise Carrara's Metricon Stadium.

The 27,000-seat Skilled Park, purpose-built for the rugby codes, does not have the capacity to stage an Origin match, but Metricon's 25,000-seat stadium will be upgraded with temporary grandstands to accommodate more than 40,000 spectators for the Commonwealth Games.

An Origin match would be an ideal test event for a large-scale sporting spectacle.

The Australian Rugby League Commission has indicated it would be prepared to offer some Origin matches to the highest bidder.

Brisbane and Sydney would both continue to host one Origin game each year, but the ARLC is open to staging the third game elsewhere every second year.

Queensland Rugby League CEO Rob Moore was diplomatic on hearing of the plan.

"It's great that the Gold Coast has an interest in hosting the game as it reflects the drawing power of State of Origin," he said.

"But ultimately it is a decision for the Commission."