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NSW set for more Blues at hands of ruthless Maroons

6th July, 2010
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Roar Guru
6th July, 2010
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1563 Reads
Queensland's Cameron Smith celebrates with Nate Myles. AAP Image/Dean Lewins

Queensland's Cameron Smith celebrates with Nate Myles. AAP Image/Dean Lewins

NSW line up tonight with a team which is apparently picked with one eye on the future. However, anyone with a knowledge of history would know that is utter tosh. With their current structure, the Blues seem unlikely to approach next year with any sort of planning or process, given it’s completely deserted them in the past.

Michael Jennings carved it up in game three last year and it has taken until game three this year for the Blues selectors to track down his mobile number.

In between now and next year, I argue the Blues need to approach the match in the same way Billy Beane approached the Oakland A’s and was documented in Michael Lewis’ Moneyball.

In short (and if you are interested, it’s well worth a read), Beane approached the drafting of baseball players with a heavy reliance on statistics, particularly on those he felt were undervalued. It paid huge dividends for the A’s and I’d argue that something similar should be used with the Blues.

No more reputations, no more talk of “Origin type” players (whatever the hell that means). Just blokes who run up the numbers and we build from there.

Who should be our two props?

Well find the two with the highest work rates; ditto the back row. It sounds simple but it certainly hasn’t been used this year, that’s why you end up with props like Michael Weyman, Brett White and Josh Perry getting smashed.

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Halves?

Line-breaks, line-breaks assists, 40-20’s, forced line dropouts and a lack of missed tackles. Step forward Jamie Soward. We need players who can create, not just undersized forwards, because we all know Queensland can score.

Outside backs? Linebreaks and trys. Not just tackling machines.

Good luck Beau Scott. And I’ll admit the bloke does try hard, but come on, he doesn’t even defend as a centre for St George so the concept of a defensive centre which is flawed to start with falls down here.

Finally, pick players in position, and let’s pick a fulltime coach, not just a bloke who goes to his home town roster every time the selectors are stumped for a position.

Perhaps we need an exam for potential candidates.

“Frank is a champion bloke and tough as nails. He plays second row for his club but seems to a dab hand at an off load. You are struggling to find a five-eighth. Should you pick him there?”

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“Tony is a winger at your club, he seems like a nice kid, he always seems to try hard. Should you pick him for Origin? (After all, what do wingers do?)”

“Team bonding. Discuss.”

As for the other blokes, well here is Queensland’s chance to put the exclamation mark on their chapter of history. They allowed the Blues to steal a bit of thunder from them last year and I doubt they will have forgotten.

That could spell trouble for the home team.

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