Ryan Hoffman has stirred the pot in the sports world by sharing an eye-opening insight during a recent episode of The Boardroom.
The former NSW Blues representative highlighted that some figures in the AFL admitted the atmosphere of NRL's State of Origin at the Melbourne Cricket Ground surpasses that of their Grand Final.
Hoffman, who was part of the 2014 series victory, emphasized that his discussions with AFL associates convinced him of the unmatched energy generated by rugby league's premier interstate competition.
"I was talking to a couple of AFL guys to get their opinion around Origin, and I asked, 'How does it compare to an AFL Grand Final?' and they all said it was a 'heap better' because they tend to think the AFL Grand Final atmosphere is 40% corporate," Hoffman revealed.
"Probably 90% on Wednesday night was purely rugby league fans."
He further noted that the pre-game entertainment contributed to creating a remarkable spectacle.
Chad Townsend, Hoffman's co-host on The Boardroom, also shared his impressions after attending Game 2 as a commentator for SEN Radio.
"It was fantastic, full credit to the NRL and the MCG for putting on such a magnificent spectacle," he expressed.
"The MCG is a fantastic venue for Origin, so many Melbourians and MCG members just turning up and taking place in their seats and obviously making most of an opportunity to go and watching Origin in Melbourne."