Well, at the moment I couldn’t pick the winner in a two horse race even if one horse was missing a leg and its jockey was a sumo wrestler. But I can turn to speculation about the make up of the New South Wales Origin team.
It is easy to be an armchair selector. And it seems just as easy to a Blues selector. There seems to be no accountability for the dubious selections over the past few years that have partly lead to the four series defeats in a row. Laurie Daley’s selection ideas are puzzling. He was a great Origin player yet he seems to have forgotten to apply what he learned to selecting the right players. It seems more a case of playing favourites than picking a side to beat Queensland.
Bellamy is the other problem. I still haven’t forgiven him for picking Steve Turner on the wing for a game a few series back. Turner only got into the side as he was a Storm player. He had a poor game and that thankfully ended his origin career. Bellamy has a right to push for players to be selected but like Daley, he has some strange ideas on who should play Origin.
So who should play Origin in game one for NSW? I have some ideas that will have no influence on the NSW selectors but they should.
Fullback: Jarryd Hayne should get the spot. But he won’t. Gidley, who would be better as a bench player, will get the spot thus nullfying one of the most potent attacking players they have. Some may counter with reminders of Hayne’s performance on the wing last year. But Morris will take Hayne’s preferred side further blunting Hayne’s attack.
Josh Duggan has had some support. A very talented player he has to earn his dues. A smokey for a wingers spot.
Wing: Brett Morris and Timana Tahu. Tahu has played wing for NSW and he’ll be happy just to play Origin again. Morris picks himself.
Centres: Michael Jennings on the right and Jamal Idris on the left. Yes, Idris is still raw but he has really lifted his game this season. He is aggressive and not afraid of anyone’s reputation.
I was going to pick Cooper but that is the safe option. NSW need to attack and Jennings had the strike power we need.
Five-eigtht: Lyon is assumed to this position which is a joke. Campese deserves another go. Soward has the stats but I question his ability to play from behind. If you want a wildcard then how about John Sutton? Origin could be what he needs to become the great player he threatens to be. Carney may be an option but at this stage, he is still finding his way back into the NRL.
There is some suggestions of Barrett getting the job but he hasn’t done that much for the Sharks to get a call up.
Half-back: If Mitchell Pearce was fit then he would the NSW half. Alas, we are stuck with Kimmorely whose age is starting to show this season.
Back row: Hindmarsh should be in the side and made captain.He is an Origin player. But that won’t happen. But if it did then I’d put Creagh and Watmough around him.
Front row: Michael Weyman deserves one spot. For the other side, tough pick. It likely will be Josh Perry. Kade Snowden is one who could sneak onto the bench. Also some talk about Tim Mannah but unless there are some serious injuries to the NSW front row, he’ll need to bide his time.
Hooker: Michael Ennis. Farah’s form hasn’t been that good lately. Ennis is combative to say the least and will get in the the QLD player’s faces. He may even make Kimmorely look good.
Bench: Gidley for sure. Luke Lewis deserves a spot and unlucky not to be in the run on side. Tom Learoyd Lahrs should get the third spot with Kade Snowden my smokey for the bench.
Yeah, I’ll grumble about the side when picked tomorrow night but come May 26th, the only this that matters is beating Queensland.
7 responses so far ↓
gilmae // May 17, 2010 at 1:57 pm
My starting thirteen for NSW
1 Preston Campbell
2 Steve Turner
3 Jamie Lyon
4 Greg Bird
5 Eric Groethe Jnr
6 Jamie Lyon
7 Brett Kimmy
8 Luke Lewis
9 Kurt Gidley
10 George Rose
11 Willie Mason (c)
12 Carl Webb
13 Paul Gallen
Shaun // May 17, 2010 at 11:04 pm
Well, you got the halves right.
Actually, Campbell may have been a good selection a few seasons back. He’d be a good player to bring on when the forwards tire around the rucks.
And sorry, you can’t just give Webb to us. He is one of yours.
Mountain Boy // May 18, 2010 at 11:23 pm
Campbell may be the only Dally M player of the year to not represent either state, or country. No, I havent checked the records so I can’t be sure – but noone else springs to mind. Oh – I just had a flashback – Mike Eden. There’s probably others too. So much for that theory. Anyway, my point is, the Panthers were cheering every time Preston got snubbed, as I’m guessing Dragons fans are now, about keeping their number 6 during Origin period. In saying that, I don’t think Campbell would handle the number 1. He is a great cover defender, and takes his share of bombs, but as the last line of defence, he wouldn’t be my pick. As far as specialist fullbacks go, I would go for either Patten or Hayne.
Cooper sulking after not making the Australian team, so claims injury to not play in the city-country trial, then still makes the NSW team. I may not need to tell you what Karma does to those that feign injury once too often.
Idris ?? the headlines this guy is grabbing is unbelievable for someone that literally struggles to catch a ball and has no football insticts regarding positional play in attack or defence. In attack, the amount of times he turns an overlap back into a scrimmage is enough to convince me he could be the next NRL turned Wallaby. He either cuts back in when he should have stayed out – or kicks when he could have just passed. In defence, his choices are either backpedal, stand flat-footed, or rush out of the line to take out the ball receiver. Friday showed that when he mis-times the rush, the other team scores. Terrible choice and much made of someone that is far less talented that people are making out. God help NSW if they throw him in at some stage, thinking he is a game-breaker.
My team would look like this
1. J. Hayne
2. M. Gordon (turning 4 into 6 could be important)
3. B. Champion
4. M. Jennings
5. B. Goodwin
6. J. Soward
7. K. Gidley
8. M. Weyman
9. M. Ennis
10. L. Bailey
11. N. Hindmarsh
12. M. Minichiello
13.B. Creagh
14. A. Watmough
15. L. Burt
16. N. Merritt
17. M. Hodgson
Shaun // May 18, 2010 at 11:31 pm
I’ve grown to like Idris this year. Yes he has some liabilities but also has the potential to be a great player.
Origin will either make or break him. But it is a gamble worth taking. NSW need to take some chances.
Two wingers on the bench? That is not to say both Burt and Merritt don’t deserve consideration (I rate both highly – Burt just a little higher of course). But another forward would be good.
And no Waterhouse?
Mountain Boy // May 19, 2010 at 12:34 pm
Burt and Merritt can both cover Fullback, Centre, and Wing. Very handy I would have thought. Forwards will get less tired, the less you have of them, I say.
Waterhouse I have never been a great fan of. He likes running the angle (then running the angle again). Occasionally he can pop a ball away, but very rarely will he bust the line, and is one of the lazy Panther defenders – not in regard to effort, but in regard to being quick enough to react when required.
Mountain Boy // May 19, 2010 at 12:46 pm
To answer the question about lack of forward reserves, you may notice I have picked lots of big minute forwards. Only Weyman and Bailey will need a regular rest, and when the others need a rest – well.. you really don’t require a full pack of forwards for 80 minutes. NSW with possibly 9 backs on the field at one time would be kind of interesting to me?
Shaun // May 20, 2010 at 11:59 pm
Very interesting MB. I’d love to see your ideas implemented. Goes against the grain.
I could see you method though work against you on a heavy track. And if you suffered a few forward injuries then it would be a problem.
But I was watching NRL tactics tonight and they had a segment about what players to put on the bench. General consensus was two props, hooker and another utility.
Then Tim Sheens mentioned the game were he lost both wingers and I thought “Aha, MB’s bench would have been brilliant that day.”