Forget the coach, NSW need new selectors
Roar Guru
Sydney, July 7, 2004. NSW Blues Coach Phil Gould celebrates a try. The NSW Blues beat the Queensland Maroons 36-14 in the third State of Origin match to win the series at Telstra Stadium, Sydney tonight. AAP Image/Action Photographics/Colin Whelan
As the dust settles on NSW’s fourth straight series loss, the calls are coming thick and fast for Phil Gould, Wayne Bennett and even Warren Ryan to come and rescue the Blues, but all of that is pointless if the same crop of selectors continue their meddling with the NSW Origin team.
Plenty has been said about some of the bizarre selections for the Blues this year, but overriding that is the whole culture of the team, which seems nervous and disjointed, while the Maroons camp seems as effortless as Greg Inglis’ running style.
Let’s take a look at the Wolfman.
Okay, so the bloke has a bit of shocker on debut, fair enough. But what will probably happen is that the selectors will toss him out and replace him with another young bloke who’ll probably be equally nervous and likely to stuff up.
Jaryd Hayne hardly covered himself in glory in his first few games (remember the pass back to Lockyer?), but he has now settled and just looks all class.
I say we let the Wolfman have another go. Redemption after all, can be a powerful motivating source. But if not, the winger chosen should be chosen for Game 1, 2010.
And what about Campo?
He was to blame for Origin one, apparently, and we needed an experienced cool head. So the selectors opt for Trent Barrett, whose old head decided it was a good move to try and take Greg Inglis’ off.
So what happens next year or the next game when we have to start again? Do we call Terry again? I’m sure he’ll be in a great state of mind.
What the Blues need is structure and strategy from well before the series begins. And then they need to a pick a team and stick with it.
They need to decide if they want experience or youthful enthusiasm or what mix. But what they mustn’t miss out on is mental toughness.
I was full of respect for Queensland on Wednesday night.
The game may not have had all the razzle dazzle to keep the blow in fans, mums and women’s magazines happy. But it had plenty of toughness.
Queensland had blokes who suffered from a virus, blokes with busted ribs, and dodgy knees. But they all muscled up and defended for their place in history.
Good luck to them.
NSW seemed shell-shocked. Three of Queensland tries came while they were defending, as the Blues just seemed to lose all composure.
So that is probably the first test for any future Blues player: can they stay composed and are they mentally tough enough to handle the pressure?
After that game, you’d have to have doubts about Robbie Farah, Paul Gallen and Peter Wallace. While Jaryd Hayne, Glenn Stewart and Kurt Gidley would already be on the team sheet, for mine.
Who NSW bring in for Game Three must be with an eye for 2010 and beyond.
It would be great for the Blues to find another Andrew Johns. But I think they just need to find people as committed for the Blue jumper as Ben Hannant, Dallas Johnson and Ashley Harrison are for the Maroon one.
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spiro said | June 27th 2009 @ 7:52am | Report comment
Steve puts his finger on something that has puzzled me for some time. How is it that journeymen players play well for Queensland and better players, in theory, play poorly for NSW. The management of Queensland creates a specific State of Origin environment with people like Alfie Langer and others deeply involved, even to the extent of running plays at training if the clips are to be believed. NSW tends to play in an over-awed manner trying to do too much in parts of the field, inside their 22, when they should just knuckle down and tough out their defence. There does not seem to be a NSW Origin tradition or spirit right now. A change of selectors as Steve suggests would help, presumably. I also think that Wayne Bennett should be made an offer he can’t refuse to coach the side. If this means giving him control over selection, then so be it. Two birds killed with one stone, and a second stone left for Queensland. l
Tom Alexander. said | June 27th 2009 @ 11:17am | Report comment
Comes down to the administration NSWRL has too many cronies in power people who have been running the showfor almost 30 years (since Bob Hawke was PM). The difference with the QRL is that eventhough we had old fellas like the senator Ron McCauliffe John Macdonald and now John Ribot running the show they are apart from being ex-players great supporters of Rugby League who want nothing but the best for the game up here for example they gradually decentralized the state league by including all the regional cities in the competition which has done wonders for the game in the bush where the standard has improved and the juniors now have a more gradual and better managed pathway to the top.
Worlds Biggest said | June 27th 2009 @ 5:19pm | Report comment
New selectors is an absolute must as is getting Bennett. The culture is not there in the Blues set up and hasn’t been for a few years. When the selectors are weilding the axe after every game no player can afford an error or he is gone. I would stick with the Wolfman, he is a quality player that made a few errors ( costly ) but Justin Hodges suffered a similar horror debut yet he turned out OK. I don’t think Wallace is an Origin player but the rest of them are up to it but haven’t produced consistently at this level. The Blues need a pick n stick attitude. They need to surround themselves with passionate former players who can contribute so much. Blocker Roach, Chief Harrogan, Cement Gillespie etc.. Have NSW ever invited Peter Sterling or Brett Kenny into camp or be part of the set up ??. Qld do this so well and this tradition will be passed onto the next generation. Hopefully NSW can bounce back in Game 3. They did this in 2007 winning Game 3 at Suncorp. Yes it is a dead rubber but a win could do a huge amount of confidence for the younger guys.
mannie said | June 27th 2009 @ 6:35pm | Report comment
I f Bennett coaches a nsw team, he can say goodbye to ever being welcome in QLD again.
nsw dared to criticise the qld props BUT they dont even have any good enough.
However as a queenslander, I will happily add a few clues for the nsw team, as their selectors seem unable to
1.patten
2.hayne
3.jennings
4.cooper
5.morris ( either of them)
6.mullen
7.gidley
8.bailey ?
9.farah
10
11.creagh
12.watmough
13.o’donnell
14.laffranchi
15.
16.wing
17.
Midfielder said | June 27th 2009 @ 9:16pm | Report comment
Must see youtube …. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3-V-xhoGog&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fhornsby-advocate.whereilive.com.au%2Fsport%2Fstory%2Feven-kids-carry-the-ball-back-better-than-wolfman%2F&feature=player_embedded
cosmos forever said | June 27th 2009 @ 9:51pm | Report comment
steve – understand your hypothesis but based on a story I heard about the interaction between the selectors and coach in the lead up to 2 – I blame the coach…
Grand weather in London!
Ripper Bloke said | June 28th 2009 @ 2:13pm | Report comment
Des Hasslers for Coach and Matt Orfford as Skipper and you’ll have a winning side
joeb said | June 28th 2009 @ 7:14pm | Report comment
“So what happens next year or the next game when we have to start again? Do we call Terry [Campese] again? I’m sure he’ll be in a great state of mind.”
For Origin 3 I haven’t a clue though Campese was somewhat hard done by being dropped like a hot spud after Origin 1, but for next year I’d watch Anasta again closely because this guy’s true potential still seems to not have been properly tapped. Too old? Yeah. Look at Kimmorly, absolutely slaying ‘em, but it still comes down to forward domination. Without the muscle men up front punching holes and making yards your backs aren’t going anywhere.
“…it had plenty of toughness. Queensland had blokes who suffered from a virus, blokes with busted ribs, and dodgy knees. But they all muscled up and defended for their place in history.”
And Barrett contrary to media reports everywhere was 110% fit… it was all a smokescreen (damn those media guys can be deceptive), ‘cept the old-fashioned “don’t argue” to Inglis’s head, a timely symbolic reminder of just how far the game has seriously strayed from its true traditional working-class roots. Tell me money isn’t the root of all evil?
“NSW seemed shell-shocked. Three of Queensland tries came while they were defending, as the Blues just seemed to lose all composure.”
Bunch of highly incompetent wankers is what NSW resembled last Wednesday night.
“After that game, you’d have to have doubts about Robbie Farah, Paul Gallen and Peter Wallace. While Jaryd Hayne, Glenn Stewart and Kurt Gidley would already be on the team sheet, for mine.”
Well Cap’n Gidley was guilty of a very poor attempted tackle on Folau from behind which led to the Folau try under the sticks as Farah also fell away like a cream puff.
“It would be great for the Blues to find another Andrew Johns.”
Make that a Peter Sterling, or a Steve ‘Turvy’ Mortimer, and speaking of a replacement coach (that Bellamy should stay is ludicrous), Turvey’s the man, someone with fierce pride and determination for the sky blue jumper. Sheens (if he qualifies as a New South Welshman) is also worth consideration as is Gus, but we need personnel with passion and pride and ability for the state, not these current useless pretenders.
“NSW tends to play in an over-awed manner trying to do too much in parts of the field, inside their 22, when they should just knuckle down and tough out their defence.”
Yes former NSW coach Terry Fearnley’s approach all those years ago came to mind last Wednesday night, and from memory we won under him I think. The current coach Bellyaches and team don’t seem to have a clue, they’re a total embarrassment and yet Geoff Carr suggested on TV last Friday night there’s nothing wrong with the NSWRFL admin that Gus is rightfully criticising… Holy Jesus.
Or perhaps it’s all a slick PR exercise to grow the game bigger in Qld as when NSW wins, interest wanes north of the border. The Sunshine State then takes on a dark, forbidding morbid complex, and we can’t have that: bad for tourism.
Tom said | June 28th 2009 @ 7:50pm | Report comment
The funny thing is back in 2007 they selected Mullen at halfback over Kimmorley or Orford, reason being they wanted to blood new talent. If they had selected either of those two, they would still be playing, and will be next year and quite possibly 2011 as well. That would make 4 or 5 years NSW potentially could have got out of Orford or Kimmorley from 2007, both of whom I would consider better players than Mullen, Wallace or Pearce.
joeb said | June 28th 2009 @ 9:05pm | Report comment
This is from Phil’s Sun-Herald column today, page 2:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/lhqnews/phil-gould/2009/06/27/1245961447654.html?page=2
“The losses have had little to do with Coach Craig Bellamy. NSW have failed on the field because they have failed off the field. NSW have just lost four consecutive State of Origin series. That’s right, four. It’s a record just in case you haven’t heard. It’s a total cop-out to say this current Queensland side is full of Australian players, therefore it is OK for NSW to lose. Please. They weren’t a champion side four years ago when this winning streak began. ‘Queensland were coming off “four years without a series win” and searching for answers’.”
Is this last bit right, because I hadn’t been paying attention? So Gus is saying we won four series straight against our northern foes? Hmmmmm……… The plot thickens. This actually heightens suspicions as to why NSWRL Chief Geoff Carr doesn’t seem at all fazed by 4 straight series losses; we did it to Qld, they’re returning serve.
Starting to smell a wee bit like World Championship Wrestling, and those guys are as fair dinkum as they come.
“That would make 4 or 5 years NSW potentially could have got out of Orford or Kimmorley from 2007, both of whom I would consider better players than Mullen, Wallace or Pearce.”
Actually Frank Crook mentioned Orford and Kimmorley overnight as the most likely to have an impact in the half / five-eighth positions, but the forwards are a real worry as well.