New South Wales team huddle before their final training session at ANZ Stadium, Sydney, Tuesday, June 23, 2009. New South Wales take on Queensland in the second State of Origin match tomorrow night. AAP Image/Dean Lewins
When it comes to Origin, Darren Lockyer knows what he’s talking about. So when the Maroons captain comes out and publicly questions the selection of an opposition player, you know something is amiss.
Clearly, Lockyer isn’t having a go at Josh Morris’ playing ability, nor is he engaging in ritual pre-match gamesmanship. It seems he, like many, is perplexed as to why the Blues selectors have gone the way they have.
WIth Craig Wing ruled out, many were predicting the inclusion of Ben Hornby in the utility role. Even Michael Ennis would have offered more variety off the bench than Morris.
The problem for the Blues is that if Morris is called into action, then a myriad of positional changes will most likely occur. Kurt Gidley, Jarryd Hayne and Joel Monaghan will all potentially shuffle around if, as expected, Robbie Farah is given a rest at some stage.
For a team who have struggled for cohesion in recent times, it’s hardly an ideal scenario to be facing.
On the other hand, if there is an injury somewhere across the back line, then they’ll have more than adequate cover – but only slightly more than what Hornby could have offered.
The other potential problem facing the Blues is the decision to only go with one frontrower on the bench. Despite the Maroon’s frontrowers getting on top of the Blues pack for all but the back end of each half in Origin One, the NSW selectors have opted to up the ante on their policy of having mobile forwards.
The Maroon’s are fortunate to be largely unchanged, once again, and they have all the momentum heading into the second match.
While they’ll miss Justin Hodges on their right side, Willie Tonga has been in good form of late and has done the job at this level before. Whether he can move away from his preferred left side is another story, but modern footballers are more than capable of playing on different sides these days.
Across the board, the Maroon’s have too many game breakers, even on the bench, who will be able to turn the game in the unlikely event that it’s a close one.
The Blues selectors will need to go back to the drawing board for Game Three if they want to get anything out of this series.
Again.
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