NSW finally get more mongrel into their cattle dog
Roar Guru By Steve Kaless, 9 Jun 2010 Steve Kaless is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- Luke O’Donnell, Nathan Hindmarsh, NRL, NSW Blues, paul gallen, Queensland Maroons, Rugby League, State Of Origin
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Queensland's Cameron Smith celebrates with Nate Myles. AAP Image/Dean Lewins
NSW looked to add more mongrel, while Queensland backflipped on their decision to stand down Israel Folau from the Maroons after the Bronco switched to AFL in a move which barely caused a ripple of interest in the Australian sporting news media.
“He’s doing what? Honestly, mate, I read the papers cover to cover every day pouring through the pages looking for some sort of news about rugby league and it really gets my goat that nobody bothered to report this sort of thing in the papers. I’m sure someone would have been interested,” was what Darren Lockyer didn’t tell me when I didn’t confront him about the Folau selection.
But wouldn’t it have made a nice change.
Meanwhile, Dragons centre Beau Scott has redefined what it means to be a Origin bolter by streaking past the likes of Josh Morris, Jamal Idris, Michael Jennings, Chris Lawrence and Beau Champion to secure the other centre postion alongside team mate Matt Cooper.
Scott’s defensive reputation has clearly got him the nod, and the shift towards grunt is underlined, put in bold, and then the font is increased to 72 with the selection of Paul Gallen, Nathan Hindmarsh and the human penalty count, Luke O’Donnell.
The Blues side does look better balanced with Hayne at fullback and a natural five-eighth in Barrett at six.
But really, it’s largely academic when facing the might of the Maroons.
I’m glad they picked Folau – anything to bring us back to some version of normality. The press would have gone into overdrive had he been dumped.
No doubt there would have been calls to drag Ross Livermore in front of International Criminal Court and some human rights abuse charges from Folau manager David Riolo.
It’s high time the circus moved on.
Let’s face it, whether it’s all about marketing or taking up a new challenge, the school kids don’t care. They just want to get out of science class.
It’s a battle hardened Blues side picked to try and stop a Maroons juggernaut on their home turf.
I’ll make just one prediction: Johnathan Thurston will be caught on camera swearing at least half a dozen times during the match.
NSW: Jarryd Hayne, Brett Morris, Beau Scott, Matt Cooper, Timana Tahu, Trent Barrett (vice-capt), Mitchell Pearce, Michael Weyman, Michael Ennis, Brett White, Ben Creagh, Trent Waterhouse, Paul Gallen. Interchange: Kurt Gidley (capt), Nathan Hindmarsh, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs, Luke O’Donnell.
Queensland: Billy Slater, Israel Folau, Greg Inglis, Willie Tonga, Darius Boyd, Darren Lockyer, Johnathan Thurston, Dave Shillington, Cameron Smith, Matt Scott, Sam Thaiday, Nate Myles, Ash Harrison. Interchange: Cooper Cronk, Neville Costigan, Dave Taylor, Ben Hannant
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June 9th 2010 @ 9:53am
dingo said | June 9th 2010 @ 9:53am | Report comment
I haven’t been following the NRL closely this year, but is Jamie Soward eligible to play for the Blues? He’s impressed me every time I’ve seen St George play, but never seems to be mentioned as an option for NSW at 5/8. Maybe there’s a good reason….
June 9th 2010 @ 10:04am
Nicholas R.W. Henning said | June 9th 2010 @ 10:04am | Report comment
Dingo, apart from Soward’s marching on the spot when goal kicking he is a good player. I think he could easily slip into half back, and I would pick him well ahead of Mitchell Pearce. Soward is from down Wagga Wagga way.
June 9th 2010 @ 12:45pm
Daniel said | June 9th 2010 @ 12:45pm | Report comment
Nicholas Henning, the reason why Soward hasnt been selected thus far is due to his supposed defensive lapses.
June 9th 2010 @ 1:12pm
Nicholas R.W. Henning said | June 9th 2010 @ 1:12pm | Report comment
Daniel, thanks for the note. I have watched a bit of Soward over the years and I haven’t noticed this as a problem area. But I haven’t watched him week in and week out. If the selectors are worried about his defensive lapses then they should have thought of that when they gave Steve Turner a run!
June 9th 2010 @ 1:29pm
Boydy said | June 9th 2010 @ 1:29pm | Report comment
Lockyer hasn’t been able to tackle all his career but that hasn’t stopped Qld picking him. Just get Hindmarsh to work as ‘minder’ for Soward and let him play his natural game. Toni Carroll did it for years and now they’ve got Harrison and Thaiday doing it these days. Soward’s the best five eighth in the game at the moment.
June 9th 2010 @ 10:46am
st penguin said | June 9th 2010 @ 10:46am | Report comment
First of all, I should point out that I am a dragons fan. Here are my thoughts:
Beau Scott – yes he’s great at defence, but not at attack. It worked as a solution at saints, especially with soward struggling a bit last year, but is he really needed for nsw? His lack of attack is why I’m so excited at the possibility of gasnier returning.
Barrett – never saw anything amazing from this guy. Sure he’s a good player, just think he’s overated. I’ve seen Soward do more in the last 18 months than I ever saw Barrett do.
Hayne and Morris – the only players not in danger of losing their place? Make Hayne captain now and get it over with.
June 9th 2010 @ 10:57am
Nicholas R.W. Henning said | June 9th 2010 @ 10:57am | Report comment
St Penguin, I am a little perplexed by the selection of Matt Cooper and Beau Scott. I realise Cooper is a favourite for NSW selectors, but I would prefer Wests Tigers machine Chris Lawrence and Josh Morris as the centres combination.
I agree, Soward has had a great eighteen months. Half-back or five-eight he could add value.
Brett Morris has earned his stripes and he could be a true long term solution for the Blues.
June 9th 2010 @ 10:49am
Tom said | June 9th 2010 @ 10:49am | Report comment
How is Brett White still in the team? He has failed every game he has ever played at Origin level. What does he have to do to get dropped? Kade Snowden, Jason King or Tim Mannah would all be preferable.
And what is with only having one prop on the bench? That is a recipe for disaster.
June 9th 2010 @ 10:58am
Nicholas R.W. Henning said | June 9th 2010 @ 10:58am | Report comment
What about Keith Galloway? He’s got some grunt, but he gets injured at the wrong times, i.e. leading up to Origin.
June 9th 2010 @ 1:40pm
Tom said | June 9th 2010 @ 1:40pm | Report comment
Yeah why not. He can’t be any worse than White.
June 9th 2010 @ 11:22am
Paul J said | June 9th 2010 @ 11:22am | Report comment
One problem is that the NSW selectors are terrified of Inglis. They won’t put Lyon or Jennings against him as they give up about 15Kg to him so they are picking defensive guys to try and slow him down, Indris, Cooper, Beau Scott.
I’d just admit that no one in the world is going to completely stop him, Gasnier came closest in 2007 but GI is about 5Kg bigger since then, so i’d pick the best attacking centres you have and hope for the best.
And looking at the rest of the team, i don’t see one area where NSW will dominate Qld. Our props are winning that battle (even with Petro and Price injured), our backrowers Thaiday and Nate Miles are in career best form and are the best back rowers in the comp, our outside backs are great (even with Hodges and Tait injured), and of course our all important halves combination is better than anything NSW has thrown at them in the last 5 years.
This is a better NSW team than game 1 but i don’t see it being enough to beat Qld at Suncorp. Qld by 20.
June 9th 2010 @ 2:51pm
josh said | June 9th 2010 @ 2:51pm | Report comment
I understand what they are doing re Beau Scott – but I’m with you, why not Josh Morris. Morris and Scott are the same height and Morris is only 4kg lighter than Scott.
Is Scott a long term addition to the team, I doubt it. I also tend to think Josh Morris will be recalled not to far into the future and, like his brother, will remain an integral part of the team for years to come. So why not now??
I don’t get these blokes, they are the same idiots who had Steve Turner defend down Inglis’ side in 08′ – another genius decision from Bellamy.
The sooner Bellamy is gone, the better.
June 9th 2010 @ 12:02pm
Gareth said | June 9th 2010 @ 12:02pm | Report comment
Here’s this talk of mongrel and aggression again. Where’s the mongrel in QLD’s pack?
Matt Scott
Cameron Smith
David Shillington
Nate Myles
Sam Thaiday
Ashley Harrison
Ben Hannant
Neville Costigan
Dave Taylor
I can see two in Cam Smith and Neville Costigan. Costigan will probably play about 10 minutes, and Smith is a completely different kind of mongrel. The rest of them are just quality players who will get the job done. Then you look at NSW:
Michael Weyman – Good, honest toiler whose history of brain snaps are behind him.
Michael Ennis – No frills dummy half, but prone to pushing too far with his niggle.
Brett White – Has a highlight reel with him knocking out Steve Price, and not much else.
Ben Creagh – Has an even more embarassing highlights reel. The first guy to take a backward step.
Trent Waterhouse – Tackles unconscious opponents around the neck. Poor form.
Paul Gallen – Someone I’ve been very critical of in the past, but he seems to be focused on just playing good footy and leaving his usual rubbish out. Is essential in the team to cover our weak front row.
Nathan Hindmarsh – Kind of wasted on the bench, but exactly the sort of player we need.
Tom Learoyd-Lahrs – Good strong back rower who can cover the front row in a pinch. Will keep improving if he stays fit.
Luke O’Donnell – Erratic, unreliable and lacking match fitness. Watch the QLDers light his fuse and reap the benefits.
I’d much rather have some honest workers who’ll get the job done than blokes with a reputation for mongrel acts.
June 10th 2010 @ 8:41pm
Brad said | June 10th 2010 @ 8:41pm | Report comment
You are correct Gareth,
Mongrels dont win this game today. There are not many left that have the ability to play rugby league.
I classify Sam Thaiday as a mongrel because he goes full bore for 80 minutes. He is honest but hard. I dont think there is any better footballer in the game than Thaiday. And I am not aborigine.
The game has changed, anyone that thinks that belting will win a game has not played rugby league before. If you are playing state of origin and selected you are not worried by some cheap shot on your chin. They dont hurt when you are playing. True?
June 9th 2010 @ 12:08pm
Jameswm said | June 9th 2010 @ 12:08pm | Report comment
As an occasional League watcher, I think the NSW team still has some genuine flaws:
1. Ben Creagh is soft. I guess Watmough is injured, but he and Gallen need to be there together. Twio tough as teak mongrels in the same pack – just what we need.
2. we have a centre (Tahu) playing on the wing. If we’re going to do that, why not go with Jennings, who is the quickest bloke we’ve got? Or why not go with a specialist winger? Who is the best after Morris?
3. are these really the best centres we have? Personally I’d back Idriss who is the strongest centre in the comp and a future uber-star. Tell him to go out there and let it rip. Forget about having a token captain on the bench – Idriss should at least be there. What side (left or right) do Morris, Jennings and Idriss play – clearly our best theee centres (though I haven’t seen much of Lyon)? (note – I do find it an odd concept that League centres play one side of the field). How can they not look at Jennings? Is his defence poor?
At least they have got Barrett in there. What happened in game 3 last when we had a specialist 6 who could guide us round the field? And the selectors hadn’t learnt their lesson by game 1 this year? The mind boggles.
Also I like Ennis – another tough as teak forward. We do need one or two game-breakers in the pack though.
June 9th 2010 @ 12:41pm
Ken said | June 9th 2010 @ 12:41pm | Report comment
Number 2 point – spot on I’d like to see a specialist winger in there too, I understand the reasoning though – we’re light on decent wingers at the moment especially since guys like Merritt aren’t considered because of the perception that they’re too small for Origin. Add that to the surfeit of great centres and I can see why they’ve gone this way
Ben Creagh soft? That’s a tough call – for someone with a reputation as a pretty boy wide runner he does a lot of grunt work. He’s also very powerful and hard to stop close to the line. I can’t help but think the unfortunate footage of him backpeddling from Hodges last year has contributed to the idea that he’s a soft player – personally I wish he’d decked that arrogant so and so but it doesn’t really relate to how he plays the game.
The centres… are they the best? Well, that’s very subjective – we have so many good centres going around that you could make a case for. Obviously they’ve gone for the best defensive options and it’s hard to argue that they have picked the right blokes with that in mind. Personally I think Cooper is a good choice, great in defence but decent attacker (fast too) and he has a great combo with Morris. I wouldn’t have picked Scott though, he’s really just a backrower running around in the centres with the expected good defence but hardly likely to leave his opposite centre grasping at air like Jennings or Morris could. I’d choose Jennings, Morris or Lawrence ahead of him – I don’t think Idris is ready though, damaging in attack but just too much of a liability in defence, if he can improve this though he will become an obvious choice in the future
June 9th 2010 @ 1:05pm
RAKEEF said | June 9th 2010 @ 1:05pm | Report comment
Seriously I think regardless of who is picked, when you put on a State of Origin Jersey…you play for pride and you give over and above 100% until that final hooter blows. Qld have had to train the young guns into origin material, and they’ve had there share of losses, but they’ve stuck by those younger players coming in and believed in them. I believe the Qld team were grooming and building their younger recruits to take over when the old work horses like Petero and Price would phase out. The selectors had the confidence to keep the same team but tweet it a little each year depending on injuries. NSW selectors have such a large field to choose from…maybe that’s the problem, but whoever is chosen should step up to the challenge. No EXCUSES NSW…just get on with it.
June 9th 2010 @ 1:23pm
Springs said | June 9th 2010 @ 1:23pm | Report comment
Much better than game 1. Common sense prevails with Hayne at fullback, an acual five-eighth at five-eighth and Gidley back to the bench where he is best.
But still some silly selections, Waterhouse starting before Hindmarsh is the main one. Swap those two around before kick-off and we are fine.
June 9th 2010 @ 1:32pm
M1tch said | June 9th 2010 @ 1:32pm | Report comment
Feel for Idris, did nothing wrong but gets shafted altogether for game 2