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I want to preface this article by saying I am a proud New South Wales fan, and whilst I support the Tigers in the NRL, I spent the first 22 years of my life growing up in the wider Newcastle area.
With this in mind, it may come as a surprise to a lot of you that I think Kurt Gidley is one of the most overrated players running around the league ranks today.
I just cannot understand why everyone continually places him amongst the top echelon of representative players when he has done nothing to warrant such praise.
Obviously Gidley has a real passion for the game, and I respect that, but you could head down to your local park every Saturday and see the same thing. Passion is not the criteria for Kangaroos or NSW selection.
The other thing you constantly hear about Gidley is that he is the fittest bloke running round in the NRL.
I must admit, he does seem to be a very well tuned athlete and he’s clearly done his best to maximise the talents that he was given, but sadly those talents just can’t match what those around him have.
Gidley lacks the acceleration of a Michael Jennings or the power of a Greg Inglis, he doesn’t have the vision of Darren Lockyer or the kicking game of Jonathan Thurston.
Sadly for Gidley, his greatest asset is his versatility.
This makes him a great squad member for any NRL side, but that’s as far as I would go. He is more journeyman than superstar.
I want to make it clear that this is no attack on Gidley.
As I have stated, he has put his heart and soul into getting the best out of his body and there is no denying that he has succeeded in doing so. Through this he has became the most versatile player in the NRL and the ultimate team player.
I also think he has been, and will continue to be, a great captain for Newcastle. He is a local boy and has the respect of all those in the Newcastle region.
But when it comes to representative footy, Gidley just doesn’t seem to fit. This level demands more from a player. They must have some x-factor skill that defines them from the rest. And I just can’t see this in Gidley.
He has had the misfortune of being involved in NSW’s worst ever period of Origin football and it doesn’t look like ending any time soon.
I believe if the Blues are any chance of winning Origin they need to be more bold in their selections. They know what they will get in Gidley. He is consistent and solid. These are two characteristics that will not beat a truly great Queensland side.
I cannot understand how a clearly gifted player like Jamal Idris, who oozes x-factor, can be left out of the side. Like Gidley, Idris has the ability to play multiple positions.
It is clear the Blues want to have a mobile pack, consisting of ball-running backrowers like Gallen, Watmough, Lewis and co. Having Idris on the bench allows you to supplement this tactic while also providing cover for the backline.
If a centre gets injured, Idris slots straight in, and if one of the back three get injured, Hopoate moves back and Idris comes into centre. Simple.
But I could go on for hours about NSW’s selection deficiencies. That is not the purpose of this piece.
Our problem lies in placing faith in solid journeyman like Kurt Gidley, who just can’t make the step up to representative level, at the expense of exciting young talent.
Until this is rectified, I’m afraid NSW faces an uphill battle to overcome Queensland.
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