The City versus Country game has finally been played and, by the look of things, Ricky Stuart and Bob Fulton are pretty much set on 17 players for Origin Game I.
But did this match really have much of an influence on the side that will run out in Melbourne on May 23rd?
We already know that Paul Gallen, Kurt Gidley, Akuila Uate, Michael Jennings and Luke Lewis are certainties (barring injury) for Origin I, thanks to Ricky Stuart’s column a few weeks ago in the Sunday Telegraph.
You can also add James Tamou and Anthony Watmough to this list, after they both played well for Australia on Friday night. So too Danny Buderus, in spite of Robbie Farah having a blinder in the City versus Country game.
The City versus Country game has given us four more certainties for Origin I: Mitchell Pearce, Todd Carney, Greg Bird and Tariq Sims. That gives us twelve certainties in total.
There is one other certainty that came out of the City-Country clash: Jarryd Hayne.
That is, he is a certainty not to be picked. He is clearly wounded at the moment.
I think Hayne will definitely miss Origin I and, unless his knee improves dramatically, I doubt he’ll play Origin at all this year.
Now, let’s get to the more-than-likelys.
We saw in City versus Country that Josh Morris had a successful switch from left to right center.
Combine this with his terrific club form and I think that it is more than likely he will partner Jennings in the centre.
It is also more than likely that either Michael Weyman or Trent Merrin will play in Origin I.
I believe it will be Weyman, simply because Trent Merrin specialises in coming off the bench (he does every week for the Dragons, he did for country on the weekend and he did for New South Wales twice last year).
We already have Tamou on the bench, which is really all we need seeing as Gallen will go for 80 minutes.
The only true question mark surrounds the left-wing and fullback positions.
I think Brett Morris is a certainty to occupy one of these positions. Which one depends entirely on the fitness of Brett Stewart.
Stewart is due back this week for Manly. Should he find form quickly, he will be the New South Wales fullback with Morris to play on the wing.
If not, Morris will play fullback and I believe Blake Ferguson could make his Origin debut on the left wing (despite being a predominantly right-side player).
Ferguson was brilliant for Country, and I believe he deserves his maiden Blues jersey.
The other more-than-likely selection (if reports are to be believed) is Tony Williams.
He is apparently training the house down at Manly, and there is strong mail that he will be picked despite a lack of match fitness.
Assuming Brett Stewart does not miraculously find great form in the next two weeks, the likely New South Wales team is:
1. B Morris
2. Uate
3. J Morris
4. Jennings
5. Ferguson
6. Carney
7. Pearce
8. Gallen (C)
9. Buderus
10. Weyman
11. Lewis
12. Watmough
13. Bird
14. Gidley (VC)
15. T Sims
16. T Williams
17. Tamou
Now, let’s look at what the side would be if it was based entirely upon the City versus Country game (not even taking club form into account):
1. Coote
2. Ferguson
3. Leilua
4. Lawrence
5. Turner
6. Carney
7. Pearce
8. Woods
9. Farah
10. Weyman
11. Sims
12. Creagh
13. Bird
14. Hinchcliffe
15. Learoyd-Lahrs
16. Gibbs
17. Merrin
Now obviously, I picked this side based on who I thought were the best players in the City versus Country match.
Feel free to disagree with me. But, based on the side I just picked, how can anyone say that City versus Country is a genuine Origin selection trial when most of the best players in the match won’t be representing New South Wales in Origin 1?
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