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The man the Blues will miss in Game 1

24th May, 2016
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Chad Townsend showed he could well have what it takes to play Origin football (NSWRL)
Roar Guru
24th May, 2016
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1120 Reads

I cannot help but fear that when the NSW Blues cross swords with the Queensland Maroons next Wednesday night that Laurie Daley’s men will miss one big name.

To many it will come as a surprise as big as Jason Gillespie’s double-ton in Chittagong in 2006, but Cronulla’s Chad Townsend should be the man to don the number 7 jersey in the opening clash of the series.

Let’s begin with the fact the halfback has twice as much game-time under his belt this year as Adam Reynolds; Townsend has played ten games for the Sharkies to Reynolds’ five for Souths.

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Much has been made of Reynolds’ kicking game, and rightly so – he is one of the best off the boot in the game. His last-tackle kicks inside the Rabbits’ attacking 20 are pin-point, and he can be sure to kick for good territory when the forwards aren’t churning through the metres.

But history tells us that the running and passing game of a player like Townsend would be more suited to the Origin cauldron.

Jamie Soward was picked purely for his superb kicking game for the 2011 series, but instead of his golden boot being a threat to Queensland, his size and lack of willingness to run the ball made him a liability.

The heightened intensity of the Origin arena places a lot more pressure on kickers than at club level.

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The players not only run and hit harder, but the whistle-blowers turn a blind eye to a lot of rough and rumble to ensure a more free-flowing, aggressive spectacle that lives up to Origin tradition.

It also came as a shock to me that Reynolds was picked in light of the absence of Beau Scott, a proven Blues aggressor. Scott’s treatment of opposing giants, like Sam Thaiday and Matt Scott, reduced their impact on the Blues’ smaller men in his barnstorming Origin career.

Does the NSW pack boast the grunt to protect a halfback the size of Reynolds?

The running and passing game of Townsend is what’s needed.

Cronulla’s pivot is averaging 57.7 metres run per game in 2016 to Reynolds’ 49, and has made two line-breaks to Reynolds’ zero.

A halfback willing to stick his nose through the defensive line would wreak havoc given an ageing Maroons forward pack, and Townsend offers just that.

Perhaps the biggest reason why Daley should have opted for the Cronulla playmaker is that he plays with James Maloney at club level, the five-eighth for Game 1.

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Cronulla’s halves know each other’s game inside-out and the Blues’ only series win since 2005 showed the importance of fielding a 6 and 7 who play together at club level. Guided by the Bulldogs’ halves of Josh Reynolds and Trent Hodkinson, NSW wrapped up the 2014 series in the first two games.

The Sharkies occupy the top rung of the NRL ladder after 11 rounds. Townsend has been crucial in his side’s early-season success and wouldn’t look out of place in another brand of sky blue jersey.

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