Maestro Merritt is a man on a mission
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The maestro: Nathan Merritt celebrates scoring a try (AAP Image/Action Photographics, Renee Mckay)
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With so much gold-medal whingeing polluting our media over the past 11 days, I wanted to devote some space today to an ‘Olympic class’ rugby league winger – Nathan Merritt.
South Sydney’s Nathan Merritt is my man on the podium and I am eagerly awaiting his heroics in the upcoming NRL finals series – incredibly, the first in his brilliant 10 year career.
Read more: The time is now for Rabbitohs
This guy never plays Origin or Test football but inevitably excites when he pulls on the red and green jumper.
I have been a Merritt fan for many years now and it has long confounded me that he is not one of the first names discussed when the rep season rolls around.
As a modern day try scorer, Merritt sits up front in a class of his own.
He has scored 135 tries in just 194 top grade games to be listed among South Sydney’s greatest try-scorers. Last year was a record-breaker for the speedy Aboriginal, topping the NRL tries tally for the second time with 23 four-pointers.
He scored five tries in one unforgettable outing against Parramatta and backed up the feat with a hat-trick against Canberra the following week.
I really like the way he goes looking for the ball, whether he’s picked on the wing or at fullback, where he is proving to be a more than capable substitute for suspended superstar, Greg Inglis.
His positional sense is at times uncanny and his ‘nose’ for tries is right up there with the game’s notable try-getters such as Ken Irvine, Terry Lamb and Steve Menzies.
When thinking defence, Merritt is not the biggest back going around at 181cm (5’11) and 90kg but he is fantastic in the air, owns a great pair of hands and has the courage of three men when onrushing monsters threaten to smash him into the turf.
There are many big names to salivate over when the Rabbitohs are on the run but for mine, Merritt is the ultimate entertainer, a player whose game is tailor-made for finals footy.
Injuries or Souths’ poor (team) form has denied him a shot in the pressure cooker playoff games but when Merritt makes his debut in the weeks ahead, it’s a sure bet he will be one of the most dangerous players in the series.
And this brings me to the main point of this article.
NSW have a new coach coming in for Origin 2013 and whether it’s Phil Gould, Trent Barrett, Laurie Daley – whoever – I implore that man to closely watch Nathan Merritt’s performance against the best in the code.
This man deserves a serious crack at State of Origin football. His statistics alone demand a sharper look than he has been afforded in the past, but it will come down to how he plays in the cauldron that is finals football.
The Blues (and the Kangaroos, for that matter) could use a winger with his Olympic class and composure.
His ‘finishing line’ every week is painted with thick white chalk and I believe his personal best in rugby league, is yet to come.
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- Nathan Merritt, NRL, Rugby League, South Sydney Rabbitohs
August 8th 2012 @ 2:56am
Johnno said | August 8th 2012 @ 2:56am | Report comment
When GI comes back will Merit force GI into the centres, in other words will the coach drop GI from fullback in favour of Merrit who is in the form of his life. I mean what a player Merrit is.
August 8th 2012 @ 4:54pm
Tim Prentice said | August 8th 2012 @ 4:54pm | Report comment
No Johnno. Inglis will return as a fullback, where he has had an incredible impact for the Rabbitohs this season.
August 8th 2012 @ 6:44am
crip said | August 8th 2012 @ 6:44am | Report comment
As a staunch NSW fan it really gets on my goat that Nathan Merritt isn’t the first player chosen for Origin. Some people suggest that his defense is questionable but I watch him every week and think that is a feeble excuse. But let’s just say that that is the reason for not picking Merritt and think about this: NSW are staring down the barrel of 10 series losses, Ultimately no one really knows how he will perform in Origin except God. He is putting up Don Bradman figures in the try scoring department and at some point the selectors should say hey maybe we are getting it wrong. Hell we should be thankful that he wants to play for his home state.
August 8th 2012 @ 6:44am
crip said | August 8th 2012 @ 6:44am | Report comment
August 8th 2012 @ 8:19am
Marlin said | August 8th 2012 @ 8:19am | Report comment
I don’t know why you felt it neccessary to refer to merritt as aboriginal. He is, there is even a picture above the article which could lead people who don’t know this to draw that conclusion but in the context of that sentence and the article it just isn’t relevant. Speedy winger would have sufficed
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August 8th 2012 @ 8:51am
Tim Prentice said | August 8th 2012 @ 8:51am | Report comment
Was that comment really worthwhile Marlin? Nathan is fiercely proud of his heritage and would appreciate its acknowledgement here. Are you a fan or a nark?
August 8th 2012 @ 8:56am
Ben from Brisbane said | August 8th 2012 @ 8:56am | Report comment
Oh for heavens sake Marlin, talk about nit-picking.
That aside, the guy is a legend, and for the life of me i’ve always been baffled why he isn’t one of the first chosen for rep sides.
August 8th 2012 @ 10:39am
Andy said | August 8th 2012 @ 10:39am | Report comment
I do not think playing for Cronulla or Souths has entirely helped Merritt. Because Selectors have chosen quite a number of players from premiership, winning or well coached sides in recent times and who can blame them. If Merritt had played at Manly with Hasler as coach he would have had a shot at the nsw side and maybe Australia.
August 8th 2012 @ 9:35am
Chop said | August 8th 2012 @ 9:35am | Report comment
I’ve always thought he was similiar to Luke Burt, dependable never going to progress past NRL level.
I agree he should’ve had a chance by now, but the problem with the NSW origin team isn’t on the wing (apart from Uate having a shocker). It’s in the halves so unless he moves to play 6 or 7 I don’t think he’s going to be a game changer in State of Origin.
August 8th 2012 @ 9:40am
oikee said | August 8th 2012 @ 9:40am | Report comment
If Merrit was a Queenslander, he would have his name on the walk of fame outside Suncorp, played 25 origin games, and have a sculturer ready to mould him a bronzy on his retirement. The guy has been let down badly, very badly by NSW.
No wonder the rugby league Gods are disgusted with the Blues,,,,,,, boo, boo.
Nice story Tim.
August 8th 2012 @ 10:34am
planko said | August 8th 2012 @ 10:34am | Report comment
That is complete rubbish … He has not played for NSW cause his form has never been good enough. Which winger would you kick of the team from game 2 and 3 ? His defence in the past has been woeful. Most sides barring injury he would be marginal selection for 1st Grade.
Dan that is a bite ! Oikee you can have him on your wing in fact I dare you to select him !
August 8th 2012 @ 10:17pm
Smell The Win said | August 8th 2012 @ 10:17pm | Report comment
Hey Planko. That is complete and utter rubbish!! Merritt’s defence has been exceptional for the last 7 years. Maybe, in his first 2 or 3 years it was not his focus, but I know for a fact from about 2006 onwards that very few players have gotten through him or over him.
Who should not have been picked in front of him?? Well, taking form into it, McManus, Hazem El Masri, David Williams, Jason Moodie, Michael De Vere, should never have been picked in front of Merritt.
It is no fluke that he holds such a high try scoring record. He is a great player, and will continue to prove it this year!
August 8th 2012 @ 9:53am
Dan said | August 8th 2012 @ 9:53am | Report comment
I know you just want a bite okie
well ill give you one.
Who would he replace Boyd (Clive Churchill medal winner) or Tate (one of qld’s best this series) and how could he possibly have played 25 games for Qld? The last few years he would have been competing with the likes of yow yeh, falou, Inglis and slater for wing spots.
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August 8th 2012 @ 10:07am
Andy said | August 8th 2012 @ 10:07am | Report comment
“His positional sense is at times uncanny and his ‘nose’ for tries is right up there with the game’s notable try-getters such as Ken Irvine, Terry Lamb and Steve Menzies.” Yes but Steve Menzies was a second rower and Terry Lamb a half back. You could make a comparison with Ken Irvine and Merritt perhaps. However, one could argue that the changes to the corner post rule have made scoring tries easier for wingers in recent times. Also, their would be a good reason as to why Merritt has not represented NSW or the Australian National side.
August 8th 2012 @ 4:49pm
Tim Prentice said | August 8th 2012 @ 4:49pm | Report comment
Andy, I see your point but Merritt’s nose for tries also comes to the fore when he plays at fullback.
This guy scores tries in his sleep and those who feel that his defence and bomb disposals aren’t up to the mark, I’d suggest you watch him very closely in the finals.
There is an X-factor to his game and as an Origin winger, I’d prefer him to another X-man, J.Hayne.
August 8th 2012 @ 10:10am
eagleJack said | August 8th 2012 @ 10:10am | Report comment
He has played for the Prime Minister XIII and has made a few Kangaroos train on squads but has always been overlooked for starting positions due to superior players being available. In relation to NSW who would you have had him replace over the years? The only time we picked an inferior winger was when we selected Wolfman in 2009. That was a mistake. And Turner but that was a Storm preference for Bellamy.
But don’t forget he has been terribly hot and cold. Was released by the Rabbits to play for Cronulla for 2 years and struggled to crack first grade there. Since being back he has had ongoing injury issues.
Whenever I read articles about Merritt not getting higher honours you always sense there is a tinge of racial discrimination associated with it. But Im of the belief he simply has always had better players ahead of him (Wolfman excluded although he was in pretty sensational form at the time).
April 8th 2013 @ 10:33am
Michelle said | April 8th 2013 @ 10:33am | Report comment
EAGLE JACK, how can you justify your comment? He could have replaced anyone in recent NSW squads, because the chosen teams couldn’t do any worse could they? The so-called better players that have been chosen over the last few years clearly have not done thei jobs, yet you say all the best players were chosen.