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The possible suspension of NSW Blues stalwart Greg Bird could prove the catalyst for ending the Queensland dynasty.
It has certainly been anything but a clear run into State of Origin for the Blues with a number of key players off the field injured or dithering about in terrible form.
In many ways it was somewhat inevitable that this weekend saw two regular players, Mitchell Pearce and Greg Bird, put their selection in serious doubt thanks to on-field and off-field misdemeanours.
The loss of Pearce is being joked about as a blessing for the Blues. His lack of poise and terrible kicking have been an enormous source of frustration for NSW fans. Most are satisfied that his loss of experience will be more than compensated by the selection of a new halfback.
Pearce is considered to have had his chance, and is unlikely to offer anything different regardless of how many more times he is selected. A different halfback will offer a better chance of breaking the line, kicking into space and creating points.
The loss of Greg Bird on the other hand is causing an outbreak of overwrought hand-wringing and muttering about the dire consequences of missing ‘Birdy’ in the heat of the battle. The Blues simply won’t be able to compete without his dogged energy, mongrel enthusiasm and intense brand of league.
The reaction to the loss of these players is vastly different and there is absolutely no reason why this should be the case. The things that make Greg Bird a great player are all redundant in State in Origin.
‘He has great energy’ – as does everyone else. ‘He tries hard all game long’ – just like his opponents do. ‘He is such a great mongrel of a player’ – and the Maroons couldn’t care less.
The players who make a great impact at Origin all have one, or both, of the following attributes – incredible skill or formidable size.
The Maroons have won eight series in a row by selecting sublimely skilled and enormous players and giving them a gritty Origin attitude. The Blues have lost eight series in a row by picking blokes who have the right attitude and hoping they become better and larger players when the game begins.
Everyone recalls the disaster of Justin Hodges’ Origin debut. He would never have been selected for a second game for NSW, but Queensland recognised that he had size and skill, it was just the attitude that had to be perfected. Ten years later and he has been a key player in the Maroon dynasty, while the similarly mercurial characters down south are in and out of the squad like yo-yos.
Hopefully Laurie Daley will be forced to pick a new forward for the series, a player that can bend the line backwards, offload the ball and exhaust the Maroons every time he needs to be tackled. This, in addition to selecting a new halfback who has the ability to kick to a patch of vacant grass, instead of directly to Billy Slater.
Finally, if you still disagree with me, imagine how much easier Origin would be for NSW if Cameron Smith, Greg Inglis or Johnathan Thurston weren’t playing.
Do you know of any Queensland fans that feel the same sense of relief that Greg Bird is not playing?
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