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Time for a culture and perception shift for the NSW Blues

Paul Gallen's selection in Game 3 is crucial to creating a new Blues identity. (Photo: AAP)
Expert
11th May, 2015
108
2346 Reads

Despite finally breaking the drought with last year’s State of Origin series win over the Queensland Maroons, the New South Wales Blues will likely field a very different team in this year’s series, due to a number of forced changes to Laurie Daley’s ideal line-up.

Through a combination of suspensions, injuries, brain snaps, loss of form, and an even an NFL tryout, NSW will be without players who would have been almost guaranteed to earn a sky blue jersey.

Greg Bird will miss the entire series due his suspension for a lifting tackle in the Anzac Test. Paul Gallen is struggling to be fit for Origin I, and there is no guarantee he’ll be right for the second encounter either. Brett Morris’ hamstring tear will unfortunately see him miss all three games.

Josh Reynolds’ inability to control his emotions has all but sealed his fate and his number 6 jumper will undoubtedly be handed to someone else. Beau Scott is not demanding selection in the backrow.

Lastly, Jarryd Hayne, as well documented, is in San Francisco attempting to make the 49ers’ final roster for the upcoming NFL season.

Though the Blues would certainly prefer to have all those players in-form, healthy and available, there is a potential sliver lining to all the doom and gloom. Specifically, NSW has the opportunity to select a squad that could change the perception of the team, and perhaps even its culture.

The NSW Blues have overcome the first obstacle and won back the State of Origin shield after eight long years. Now comes the opportunity to build on that legacy.

Regardless of what you think of Bird, Gallen, Reynolds or Scott as players, it’s hard to ignore the fact that none of them have ever been confused with being ‘cleanskins’ of the game.

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That is not the dig at those players it would seem on the surface.

A number of the Queensland Maroons players are no better or worse than those aforementioned NSW players, and in any event, rugby league is a tough sport, with very few players involved in the game comfortably wearing the tag of ‘cleanskin’ anyway.

Yet some have labeled that particular Blues quartet ‘thugs’. Others have called them ‘dirty’. Even more have used the word ‘grubs’, which is even Reynolds nickname, un-ironically enough.

Whatever adjective you want to use – and I’ll go with the politically correct and overused phrase ‘made for Origin’ – these four players have struggled to command the respect of their biggest critics: Queensland fans.

I should point out that it should never be the objective of a NSW player to earn the respect of Queensland fans. Not necessarily because it shouldn’t be something they aspire to, but rather, because it’s like waiting for the Cronulla Sharks to win a competition. In other words, one shouldn’t be holding one’s breath.

Let’s face it, come State of Origin time, the irrational, illogical, one-eyed bias and vitriol that emanates out of both states is as comical as it is stupid. It’s unquestionably entertaining – and I’m more than partial to getting involved in it myself – but it can also get rather boring rather quickly.

Attempting to get extract a balanced view out of NSW or Queensland fans during the Origin period is the definition of foolishness. That therefore ensures that any discussion around the Blues team trying to earn Queensland’s respect is a little silly – but I’ll push on with it anyway.

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Why? Because NSW, with a number of their more, shall we say ‘niggly’, players out of the line-up, can potentially field a team that doesn’t need to get inside the Maroons heads. They have the opportunity to simply pick a good football team, and beat Queensland while exuding a bit of class.

Again, I’m not judging Bird, Gallen, Reynolds or Scott. In previous years, I’ve more than approved their selections, and would happily do so again this series. There is no question that the attributes they bring to the table are useful ones to have in an Origin series.

However, it would be nice to beat Queensland fair and square. To beat Queensland by playing 100 per cent clean. To beat Queensland, and then shake their hands after the game, knowing the team had played with integrity, class and sportsmanship.

If for no other reason than to discover what Queenslanders would whinge about instead.

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