Chances are when you think of country rugby league players you imagine a tall, rangy, bearded bloke crashing through the defensive line and wrestling his fancied city slicker rival to the ground like a prized ram got loose in the top paddock.
That is, Shaun Fensom.
However, in a rural travesty of justice right up there with any dodgy Easter Show livestock silly buggers, Fensom finds himself with nothing to do this weekend but shop for new flannos and fix a few miles of fence as he’s missed out completely on rep footy.
The mind boggles, it really does. If Fensom isn’t Noel Cleal 2.0 then I’m Ben Gonzales, and everyone knows how good Crusher went when given a shot in the big time.
Usually you could rack an oversight like Fensom’s up to the fact that the selectors had forgotten that there is actually a team in Canberra, but look through the Country side and there are three of the buggers in there!
The selectors managed to find a place for Sam Williams, a bloke who the Raiders were on the verge of shipping off to the Dragons a month ago; Jack Wighton, who has only had a handful of first grade games thanks to a cursed trampoline; and Josh McCrone, a player who’ll only play halfback in Origin if NSW have another Brett Finch as Steven Bradbury debacle.
To really rub it in though the country selectors have chosen six back rowers in their team (although James is probably more of a prop these days), and the opening second rowers have only combined played only a handful over half the NRL games Fensom has.
For the life of me I can’t see what Fensom has done wrong.
Perhaps the selectors are worried Fensom might want to steal everybody else’s tackles, and get greedy in trying to break his own world record of 75 in a single match.
Maybe they’re worried he’ll insist on something stupid like playing for the entire eighty minutes of the game.
Or even more fiendishly, maybe there’s now a representative red-haired quota that teams are required to meet, clearly explaining how Newcastle benchie Alex Mckinnon jumped the queue ahead of Fensom.
If any of this is true then it’s truly a sad state of affairs, but even more sadly early reports are that for the first time in his life, this raw boned country lad Fensom is wishing he was born somewhere in down town big smoke.
I mean after all, Tony Williams managed to get a run for them!
Country side
1. Brett Stewart
2. Akuila Uate
3. Jamal Idris
4. Josh Morris
5. Michael Gordon
6. Jarrod Mullen
7. James Maloney
8. Ryan James
9. Mick Ennis (c)
10. Trent Merrin
11. Josh Jackson
12. Boyd Cordner
13. Ryan Hinchcliffe
Interchange
14. Willie Mason
15. Aiden Tolman
16. Alex McKinnon
17. Josh McCrone
steve Doherty
Guest
i was truly gutted that Shaun Fensom did not get selected in the country side. it has been rumoured that his running game was not up to scratch, but this is only because at the Raiders they always use him as the alternative dummy runner. if you look at the attacking side of his game then you will see a guy that always backs up the ball carrier, the on his defensive game there are very few in his class. i am truly amazed. i think he should start to look around of better options - manager and club.
Matt
Guest
Seems to be a lot of Canberra bias going on here , and a fair bit of sledging of Knights players , Mc KInnon , Uate and Gidley , i seem to recall the two teams met 2 or 3 rounds ago. I won't bother going in to any more detail. As for players being selected that people are saying they aren't entitled to playing for particular teams, I am fairly sure those "mighty Queenslanders " have used a couple of players called Lam ( a Papua New Guinea captain ) and a guy called Inglis who we all know is as about as Maroon as I am , maybe i could play for the maroons I have visited Queensland twice.
Man From Mars
Guest
Wouldn't mind seeing some old heads in there. Glenn Hall, Gavin Cooper, Peter Wallace, Beau Ryan, Chris Heighington. These guys would help balance some of the youngers guys. Fensom must surely be discussed in any rep team.
peeeko
Roar Guru
its embarrassing eaglejack, these guys are barely in first grade let alone rep players
Raider mark
Guest
It is a joke. His endurance levels and work rate are as good as anyone playing the game. We have had some brilliant locks at Canberra with Brad Clyde, Dean Lance and Alan Tongue but none gave more than this bloke does.
Ra
Guest
Uata's as Outback Ozi as Tamou and I am
RMC
Roar Pro
I agree Kane is a brillant player. He is deceivingly strong, against the Broncos he broke off two tacklers from a standing start. He is also consistently strong in defence.
Norfolk Enchants
Guest
The only thing uglier than the City and Country teams are the jersies that they will be wearing. Public service warning: do not google the city jersey on a full stomach
Chris Chard
Expert
And word is Michael Pobjie jr has been called in for Curtis Sironen...
eagleJack
Guest
The fact that Curtis Sironen, Nathan Peats and James Tedesco have been called up into City side means that the event has gone from being an Origin trial farce, to simply just a farce.
Dan
Guest
Hinchcliffe is out for afew weeks so fensom will come in for him I'd assume -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Chris Chard
Expert
And while I'm ranting, what about Kane Linnet? The selectors know he's from Warilla right? The bloke has been on fire, contained a rampant Justin Hodges last week and somehow he get's left out-madness!
Noa Nadruku
Guest
Fensom would be a surefire thing to star for Country. His stats this year are incredible and I would say he is better than his stats suggest. It would never happen but he would get the job done for the Blues if he got the call up. Gidley's Roos guernsey proves the only two rep teams that are selected properly in this country are Queensland and the Indigenous All-Stars.
Mailman
Guest
Pearce, J Reynolds, Hayne, & Farrah have all pulled out. City v Country is fast becoming irrelevant. Everyone who missed out on the Aussie team and/or have been guaranteed a spot like Pearce can't be bothered and would rather have a rest wk than risk injury.
Brett the Manly fan
Guest
true
Nick Guthrie
Roar Pro
Yep can't understand this one. Not sure what else he could do, plus he's only 24 so even if he wasn't in Origin plans the selectors could at least use it for representative experience for him! Maybe people just feel he is a defensive specialist because of his record and reputation but he's handy in attack too and runs really well off the short ball. I think it's great to see Josh McCrone there though, I think he's a very much improved, but still underrated player.
Pete
Guest
Chuck Soward in the mix, his form has been Origin worthy
sledgeross
Guest
Oikee, maybe you can claim his as a Queenslander, provided he played some games for Souths in the Brisbane comp when theyw ere a feeder club for the Raiders.
oikee
Guest
Mate, i am buying Cotton Wool, and preservitives along with a sarcophagus (had to look that spelling up, went beyond my year 7 degree) to bottle that little beauty Fenson. This guy would be in the emerging origin Queensland squad, and that is still the difference between NSW and QLD. I know i am still safe for at least a couple of years while NSW mumble, fumble and crumble under the weight and strength and power of the mighty Queenslanders who will be holidaying on stadbroke island i read somewhere. Sorry, i meant training on Staddie. Mate, we will have 2 world champions at the maroons camp this year, Micky Doohan and now "Scott, of Australia" . Queensland just keep on giving and giving, we would never allow players like Nathen Merrit or Shaun Fensom to sit and rot on the vine. Cheers bigears.
Gareth
Roar Pro
Isn't it obvious? They're treating City/Country as an Origin trial, and clearly Fensom is first man picked for NSW and has nothing to prove. Either that or there's someone in the system who suffers from an acute fear of hardworking Raiders locks.