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How can a state with only 16 per cent of the rugby league population supply the game’s top ten eligible halves and hookers for next year’s State of Origin challenge?
The facts don’t lie.
Queensland has five Origin-class hookers and each of them rate higher than the NSW Blues incumbent Nathan Peats. Embarrassingly, they also have 11 Origin class halves, and at least eight of them would likely make the 2018 NSW team if they were a Blue.
These figures are startling and offer a powerful testimony and a blight on the junior coaches and coaching systems in NSW.
The sunny state have been represented by nine hookers in this seasons NRL competition and an incredible five (56%) are rated as Origin class led by living legend Cam Smith, who has a mortgage of the position. When he decides to retire, the Maroons have Jake Granville, Jake Friend, Andrew McCullough and James Segeyaro all chomping to take over.
NSW overlooked veteran Robbie Farah this year and promoted the hard-working Nathan Peats, who looked out of his depth in Games 2, and especially 3 where he made only one run for three metres – as opposed to Cam Smith who made 18 runs for 114 metres, underlining that there is more to the art of hookering than just tackling.
Unlike the Maroons, the Blues do not have vast depth in the crucial hooking position but the in-form Dragon Cam McInnes, who made 72 tackles in Round 19, and the powerful running Sea Eagle Api Koroisau will come into future calculations.
Sadly for NSW, Peats, McInnes and Koroisau do not rate higher than any of the top five Queensland number nines.
While the Blues lacked any tactical flair from dummy half in this year’s series, the greater problem was a half combination that could mastermind 22 points in each game – the winning benchmark.
(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
The challenge for Blues selectors seeking a winning half combination is similar to the hooking position – a lack of depth to choose from.
The Maroons are blessed to have 56 per cent of their hookers and 53 per cent of their halves being ‘Origin ready’.
This is in stark contrast to NSW who are likely to only consider four halfs from a list of 32; that is only 12 per cent compared to the Maroons 53 per cent.
It gets worse for NSW!
Queensland has a possible eight halves who would likely be selected for NSW if eligible.
Mitchell Pearce was not the reason why NSW did not win this year’s series, but again he failed to emulate his wonderful club form at rep level, and only a masochist would consider him for 2018.
His partner on the left, James Maloney missed 22 tackles during the series, and conceded untimely dumb penalties creating crucial Maroon points. He struggles at rep level with his lazy defence and the astute Maroon on-field Generals have noted.
There is a flickering light in the tunnel for the Blues in maybe 2019, but like with hookers, the cupboard is skinny for a 2018 Origin challenge.
Two of the Blues promising teenage half backs, Nathan Cleary and Kyle Flanagan, both have fathers who are NRL coaches. Maroons coach Kevin Walters’ son Billy is also highly promising and part of the Storm affiliate Easts Tigers in the Queensland Cup. Only Cleary will be mentioned for 2018, but he is not expected to be a serious contender given his tender age.
Brilliant Panthers skipper Matt Moylan will hold a lot of optimism for NSW, as will Rabbitoh halfback Adam Reynolds, widely regarded as the best tactical and goal kicker. However he is injury prone and his true talents have been inhibited since he led South Sydney to a grand final win in 2014. Other hopefuls include Jack Bird and Cody Walker.
If you are not excited by who NSW has on offer in 2018, here is the list that Maroons coach Kev Walters will salivate over.
Assuming champions Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk will not play, the Maroons can still call on Anthony Milford, Daly Cherry-Evans, Ben Hunt, Cameron Munster, Ashley Taylor, Michael Morgan and Corey Norman.
All of these options would likely make the Blues team.
The Melbourne Storm supplied the entire spine for the series winning Maroons in Game 3 this year and their guru head of recruitment Paul Bunn believes that it is not a coincidence that the Maroons have so much depth in the key positions.
“NSW have two junior competitions called Harold Matthews and S.G.Ball and within those competitions are very ambitious coaches who think they have to coach their teams just like an NRL team, they coach structure rather than the players.” Bunny says.
“In Queensland, junior players are allowed to develop without this undue structured play, and abracadabra we have halves and hookers and NSW don’t.”
Almost half of the rugby league population from both states resides in the major capitals, but country areas have had the most success in manufacturing elite rugby league players, especially halves, including Blues greats Peter Sterling, Laurie Daley, Ricky Stuart and Andrew Johns.
Other Blues halfs from the country include Steve Carter, John Simon, Jason Croker, Matt Johns, Scott Hill, Trent Barrett, Preston Campbell, Ben Hornby, Brett Finch, Greg Bird, Todd Carney, Jarrod Mullen and Jamie Soward.
The man they call ‘Bunny’ may just have something; especially given the two head coaches he has worked with include Wayne Bennett and Craig Bellamy, who between them supplied nine of the 17 (53%) Queensland players in Origin (game three) this year.
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