Rugby League is indeed a funny game. At the beginning of the year, Darren Lockyer was considered over the hill, Craig Bellamy was a strategic genius, and NSW were tipped to take back the Origin mantle with mighty thrust.
My how things have changed!
The iconic Darren has gone from looking decrepit to evasive, Bellamy’s tactics now look about as effective as the United States’ exit strategy from Iraq, and Queensland look so dominant in this series so far you would swear they were playing 17 aging David Barnhill’s in sky blue jerseys.
So what has changed?
Well, as far as the Blues are concerned, lamentably not enough.
I have been on the record as saying that Bellamy has coached the fun out of State of Origin, and I stick rigorously by this assessment.
The Storm coach has a defensive mindset when it comes to coaching. In my opinion, he coaches to avoid losing, and does not coach to win matches.
This is a fatal outlook for a coach, as far as I’m concerned, because it focuses too much on the opposition and not nearly enough on the offensive tactics one must attempt to implement to win football games.
His mantra this series has been to “shut down” Greg Inglis.
Shut down!?!? He makes his centres sound like bomb diffuses.
How about we start a new era adopting the age-old philosophy that “the best form of defence is offence?”
We should because it’s true. Bellamy and his selectors have elected to go for defensive teams for far too long. The penny must drop Craig!
NSW desperately needs to pick an aggressive team who can score points, that is the only way of destabilising the QLD juggernaut. The likes of Paul Gallen, Matt Cooper, Nathan Hindmarsh, Greg Bird, Brett White and Trent Barrett must go.
The new breed of point scoring elites must make their way into the NSW rep culture immediately. Just some of the names are Jamal Idris, Lachlan Coote, Josh Dugan, Glen Stewart, Luke Walsh, Todd Carney, Mitch Aubusson, Beau Champion, and hurry up and get Aku Uate eligible please.
These are just a taste of the types of players we need playing in sky blue, guys who are naturally adept at scoring tries, and at ENTERTAINING.
We need to bury the antiquated notion that it’s just heart a player needs to be successful at Origin level. Yes, it helps, but I can assure you that sheer talent plays an even bigger role.
Let’s move on and install a creative and attacking coach and employ a team that can roll these dam Maroons off their perch once and for all.
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