The simple fact that Ricky Stuart is considering Danny Buderus as part of his Origin side spells disaster for the Blues chances.
And not just this year.
Stuart shared breakfast with the 34 year old in Newcastle yesterday, to sound him out about his fitness and desire to play on May 23.
Why? Buderus is 34 years old. He isn’t the player he once was, but he is still very effective, and a great leader. He provides plenty of Origin know-how and a cool head. These are the arguments from those who would see him take the Origin field for the second time.
But ‘Bedsy’ hasn’t donned the blue jersey since 2008. He has been back in the NRL for eight weeks, and he has tendonitis in his ankle. This affected him enough to see him leave the field in the Knights win over the hapless Panthers on Monday.
Stellar record or not, he is old, he is injured, and he won’t be around for much longer.
The ankle might be enough to sidestep this selection issue. If he can’t return to the Origin arena, then the selectors will look elsewhere. However, the fact remains: Even if Buderus is match fit, even if he was the form hooker in contention, he should still be overlooked.
Queensland have created a dynasty. By consistently picking a crop of young players, they have created a powerhouse team. Injuries or retirements are easily covered, as star players have ready made understudies who have played their own rep footy and learnt the team culture over the years.
If you need an example, look no further than Cooper Cronk’s elevation to a starting spot in the absence of spiritual leader Darren Lockyer. Admittedly, Cronk’s selection moves Johnathan Thurston to five-eighth, but JT has the versatility to make the transition with ease.
Why? Because he has been around the same team long enough to know how they work.
For Queensland, picking players based on Origin experience isn’t an issue. They all have it, and those that don’t start, or play, are around the team enough to slot in.
Every year the Blues selections are up in the air until the last minute. Club game injures leave the brains trust scratching their heads and making repeated positional changes.
Players north of the border relax in the knowledge they will be picked, and they will slot in to training and match preparation with ease. With such a short time together, familiarity is key. The team that clicks the best generally wins game one and history shows it’s very tough to come back from there.
Buderus’ possible selection is a classic case. The idea that a 34 year old with injury issues could be selected over others who are injury free, in form and have the potential to play for the next five years seems ridiculous. You want Bedsy’s experience? Make him a trainer.
New South Wales must develop consistency, particularly in the key 1-6-7-9 positions. Last year they chose Michael Ennis, before that Robbie Farah. Ryan Hinchcliffe is another name being chucked around.
Whoever you choose, stick with him, and barring injury or a huge dip in form select him consistently. Then there won’t be 17 Blues players out there, rushed into a squad and with an eye on retaining their place.
Instead there will be a settled New South Wales unit with the single goal of re-gaining their Origin dominance.
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Rob
Guest
They're getting better at it, but the days of putting a player in a jersey that he doesn't wear at club level are long gone. Jamie Lyon is a centre, not a five-eighth. Hayne's best role is a fullback, he should only be out on the wing if there's a more capable player out the back, and he's not a five-eighth either. Heck, Parramatta aren't game to put him in the number 6, and it isn't like they have much to lose now. But now's the time you really need to pick your best 17, no matter where they come from. You need a strong defensive team which means a big forward pack, particularly the second row and interchange, otherwise Queensland will easily rack up 20-30 points and over the course of a three game series, no team will blow the current Maroon crop off the park in a shootout. But NSW often have a history of having really flat attack, I've seen long stretches where the Blues have failed to register a point. The bottom line is, no more screwing around. Flaunting the idea of bring back Buderus, even if he was healthy, is stupid. If NSW can't win this series which I believe will hinge on Game I in Melbourne, then QLD will not only have claimed the series this year but most likely next year as well with two games at Lang Park.
Charles
Guest
Tell that to QLD who have many old boys in their team! If they have the fitness and the form they should be the first selected as experience can be the winning factor
Dan
Guest
Yes well pick the best/inform 17 regardless of age that's all he was saying. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
yewonk
Guest
so let me get this straight, you say "The Blues haven’t won state-of-origin for what is it – 6 years." and then you say " If that means picking half a dozen or more 30-something year olds with a proven track record in state-of -origin, then so be it. none of those thirty years olds have a proven track record at least not for six years. do you see how ridiculous these reasonings are. you guys must be live on another planet, the object of origin is to win its not an old boys club.
Billy Bronco
Guest
Will, Ricky will never pick Farah, regardless of how good he is. Ricky has an agenda, and Farah is on the outer, along with Soward. It wouldn't surprise me if Hinchcliffe gets the nod. Farah would be hooker I fear most as a Queenslander!
sheek
Guest
Will, Obviously historical factors play a part here. The Blues haven't won state-of-origin for what is it - 6 years. Besides this, NSW has lost it's extra home game this year which will instead be played in Melbourne. Stuart wants to stop the rot. Immediately. Now! If that means picking half a dozen or more 30-something year olds with a proven track record in state-of -origin, then so be it. Stuart rightly thinks selecting for the future can wait..... for the future. At the moment anyway.....
eagleJack
Guest
Taylor has lifted his game this year. He has probably finally taken on the advice of Tallis and gone for it. He has so much potential but you are right he is inherently lazy. Maybe the ongoing speculation surrounding his contract has lifted him. But I thought he was very destructive in the early exchanges against the Cowboys. That was Origin style football right there. If Scott is judged fit then Shillington will drop off the bench for either Taylor or Gillett. I think Harrison is in most danger of losing his spot. Nice headache for Mal and co.
Dan
Guest
Well put Ken Llienno I know exactly what you mean but surprisingly he has actually had a real dig this year and played very well -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
llieno
Roar Rookie
eagleJack, I really rate Gillett but he's still pretty raw and I believe he hasn't quite earned his stripes just yet. I haven't seen a lot of Souths play this year so correct me if I'm wrong but Taylor has always struck me as a little lazy. With Origin's pace there's nowhere to hide out there and I believe there are players better suited to it.
Ken
Guest
Yep I'm with you. Origin isn't about 'building for the future', it's about winning the games in front of you. If a guy with huge experience like Buderus was also the the most in-form player (and if he wasn't injured I reckon he probably was) then pick him. Dynasties come about with success, you could ask a whole host of players like Prince, Ty Williams, Webb, Wesser, Tonga (the first time around), PJ Marsh, etc about how loyal QLD was to them when they were losing series after series. QLD are currently running through a very good patch with an extremely strong core of players that pick themselves and that has huge benefits in being able to bring new players into a winning team and have them develop.
eagleJack
Guest
Good squad selections. Interesting to see you have Taylor and Gillett in the 2s.
eagleJack
Guest
Adam, yeah Im definitely in the minority in selecting Gallen in the backrow. My reasoning is that he will play up the middle for 80mins regardless of the number on his back. This team allows us to effectively start with 3 props. Weyman and Tamou would be great in the early exchanges. And then rotate Weyman, Tamou and Sims throughout the match once you bring on the bench. Williams and Watmough then fill the backrow void and will up the tempo.
Charles
Guest
I disagree with your comment in regards to Buderus being too old. You need experienced players but you also need to train up your youth. I would not hesitate to have Buderus and then I would then bring in someone like Ryan Hinchcliffe. As Buderus is gone it is a perfect opportunity to have Robbie Farah with the same arrangement. We must do this now for our future! eagle-Jack you did not include players like Luke Bailey and Brent Kite who still are up there amongst the top forwards. Pearce should never be included in the top side, he is simply not up to it.
cos789
Guest
yeah, with Hinchcliffe on the bench playing a bit at hooker and mostly in second row. Morris/Hayne on the wing to cover Dugan/Stewart, Luke Lewis covers wing/centre. Hayne at wing/centre or a bench utility to cover halves.
llieno
Roar Rookie
I've got to say I believe a 3rd string Qld side would really struggle against NSW but I believe a 2nd team would still be pretty competitive. There's plenty of representative experience in that 2nds side. 1sts 1. Billy Slater 2. Darius Boyd 3. Justin Hodges 4. Greg Inglis 5. Justin O'Neill 6. Johnathan Thurston 7. Cooper Cronk 8. Matt Scott 9. Cameron Smith 10. Petero Civoniceva 11. Nate Myles 12. Sam Thaiday 13. Ashley Harrison. Interchange: 14. Ben Barba 15. Corey Parker 16. Ben Hannant 17. David Shillington 2nds 1. Matt Bowen 2. Ash Graham 3. Brent Tate 4. Willie Tonga 5. Dane Nielsen 6. Scott Prince 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Josh McGuire 9. Matt Ballin 10. Martin Kennedy 11. Dave Taylor 12. Ben Te'o 13. Dallas Johnson. Interchange: 14. Aaron Payne 15. Matt Gillett 16. Ben Ross 17. Jacob Lillyman 3rds 1. Tom Humble 2. Daniel Vidot 3. Shaun Berrigan 4. Will Chambers 5. Dale Copley 6. Travis Burns 7. Ray Thompson 8. Mick Crocker 9. Nathan Friend 10. Neville Costigan 11. Scott Bolton 12. Aidan Guerra 13. Josh Papalii. Interchange: 14. Jake Friend 15. David Tyrrell 16. Jason Taumalolo 17. Jason Bukuya
roarr
Guest
The most alarming thing about buderus is that stat after 7 games where he had 0 line breaks, 0 line break assists, 0 trys, 0 try assists. Sure he has experience, and is a good leader... but are you really gonna beat slater/thurston/cronk/smith for points if Buderus cant even create points for his club team? Especially considering Mitchell Pearce isn't really noted as an attacking guru, which leaves you pretty much Carney and Stewart/Hayne/Dugan to score the minimum 20-30ish points needed. Personally I'd use the tag-team of hinchclife/farah. Gives you the best of both worlds.
Adam-15
Roar Pro
wow they do have a lot to choose from, i think ben creagh has been hard done by being in the 3rds, he is at leastr better than beau scott. I've seen a lot of watmough this year and he has just been crabbing across the defensive line way too much, might be good against a tired pack but if the queenslanders remain vigilant he will be ineffective. but as everyone NSWelshman says he is built for origin, Greg Bird to replace him if necessary. gallen wouldn't play second row, if anything he would swap with G Stewart, gallen plays up the middle hard and straight.
Dan
Guest
Pick the best team available, forget about the future, let's win this series now! We've been "rebuilding" since Joey retired in 2005. Can we just pick a team on form, not potential in the future. The reason QLD can stick with a side is because they have the best players, isn't that obvious? Ricky Stuart can't just be blindly loyal to players if they are in bad form. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Will Sinclair
Guest
I'm a Tigers fan, but I am different to most NRL fans in that I DON'T want any Tigers players picked for State of Origin. I would much rather having them play for my team to pick up some crucial premiership points around Origin time. Having said that, if Robbie Farah is not the clear choice for NSW hooker then I'm not here. The alternatives? Danny Buderus is injured and unavailable. Michael Ennis is also injured (he's playing on one leg at the moment) and no longer even the clear first choice for his club. Ryan Hinchcliffe doesn't even play as starting hooker for his club. Mitch Rein looks a very good player, but is probably not ready yet for the step up. It just defied belief that the NSW selectors would go for anyone other than Farah.
eagleJack
Guest
Actually thought I'd go one further and instead of saying "could" name 3 sides I would do it. Interested to see other's thoughts as well as possibly a QLDer naming their top 3 sides. We keep hearing that a QLD 3rd string side could beat NSW but I beg to differ. QLD would struggle to name a competitive 3rd string side. Even a 2nd side would include some fairly average first graders. My sides are based on form from a week back. So I have ignored recent injuries (eg Buderus and Gidley). And Im assuming players like Gordon and Scott could possibly recover in time for Origin to take their place in the 2s. 1sts 1. Hayne 2.B Morris 3.Jennings 4.J Morris 5.Uate 6.Carney 7.Pearce 8.Weyman 9.Buderus 10.Tamou 11.Lewis 12.Gallen 13.G Stewart 14.Hinchcliffe 15.Watmough 16.T Sims 17.T Williams 2nds 1.B Stewart 2.Ferguson 3.Idris 4.Lawrence 5.Gordon 6.Soward 7.Wallace 8.Learoyd-Lahrs 9.Farah 10.Snowden 11.Hoffman 12.Scott 13.Bird 14.Gidley 15.Merrin 16.Mateo 17.Tolman 3rds 1.Dugan 2.McManus 3.King 4.Leilua 5.D Williams 6.Maloney 7.Mullen 8.Mannah 9.Ennis 10.Galloway 11.Creagh 12.Houston 13.Fensom 14.McCrone 15.Woods 16.Douglas 17.Payne Couldn't find spots for NSW stalwarts Hindmarsh and Minchiello. And plenty of others like Dan Hunt, Tupou, Reynolds etc etc...