Listen to all of those whining rugby league people from NSW. Like myself.
As another State of Origin loss approaches, it’s nothing but headlines of impending terror from the tabloids, chaff-bagging from the shock jocks and verbalised doom and gloom from the fans like the following.
(For best realistic grouchiness, I suggest reading these out loud in the flinty and crabby voice you utilise when you repeat the statements of a person you’ve just argued with.)
“We’ve lost our fullback and now we have to reshuffle.”
“We’ve lost our winger and now we have to pick someone ordinary.”
“Our captain is going to be underdone.”
“We can’t decide on a five-eighth.”
“The coach likes Mitchell Pearce.”
And so on and so forth.
It’s like a room full of unfed tabby cats. Unless you indulge us with some kind of quail to take our mind off the pangs, the discontented shrieking never ends.
As a whole state we are so stung by the past that this event is now just an unbearable annual burden on our ever-weakening shoulders.
I reckon if we could all just voluntarily contract chronic conjunctivitis around May so our eyes are welded closed by crust for the entirety of the series, we probably would, because we all know how it’s going to finish in the end.
But what we NSW folk need to realise is that we don’t hold the rights to interstate league anguish.
Sure, it may seem like we do after eight years of pain and regular doses of bad fortune and bewildering selections, but have you ever stopped and spared a thought for the Queenslanders and their plight?
Quite inconceivably, they have problems of their own too. And right now they are suffering in their flannelettes thanks to one big pickle in particular.
The poor and unfortunate winners from up above us, drunk on success yet still not inebriated enough to stop being served, have to decide between two of the game’s greatest ever players for one vital position in their spine.
After another bulldozing performance for the Rabbitohs last night that included two tries and much human debris strewn about, the Greg Inglis case for the Queensland fullback role has now become officially real.
Up until now, it’s been a stone cold moral that the annoyingly adroit Billy Slater – a handy fellow to have in your team, considering he is arguably the greatest fullback in the game’s history – would be slotted in at the back where he belongs, in the spot he has earned over a long period of dominance, and rightly so.
After years of remarking the boundaries for custodial conduct, it should take something monumental to usurp a player of his abilities, right?
Well that monumental something is happening right now at Souths.
Up until recently, while ever Inglis had been scorching turf outside of Origin selection time (or in Slater’s absence such as game three last year), the world beating of the Rabbitohs fullback has been considered nothing more than just a funny joke about being uber-rich to Mal Meninga and the Maroon state.
The old garage full of Maseratis and where to park them. Always a hoot for a bunch of rum-quaffing fat cats.
But no longer is the laughter echoing from the cane fields.
It has been replaced by the sounds of flailing sheets as sleep is interrupted by the racing minds of a state, with Meninga sure to be the worst hit by the unavoidable tragedy of his imminent decision to shunt a one-in-a-million player.
It is becoming a stark reality that the team can potentially be improved further with Inglis’s silky battering-ram qualities at fullback.
It is also fact that the team is already disgracefully sterling, and much of that is down to Slater’s influential enterprise in the role over the years.
Which way does Queensland go?
One of the game’s greatest all-time players with a thousand runs on the board? Or 2013’s stand-alone untouchable who is turning everything he touches to platinum?
Sure, Inglis could just be casually placed back in the centres, but that’s probably what NSW would prefer, and Meninga has made his coaching bread and butter in making sure things for us are as difficult and miserable as possible.
But wasting Slater out on a wing is undoubtedly in breach of a number of rugby league’s commandments.
It’s just a complete mess. What a terrible predicament the Queenslanders find themselves in.
You’re not a human with a beating heart if you don’t weep on the inside for them. C’mon benevolent and accommodating members of the community, surely one of you has set up a charity that I can make a donation to?
So next time we Blues fans want to cry foul about being the poor cousin of mate-against-mate, spare a thought for the poor Queenslanders. They have quandaries too.
Well, at least one anyway.
LT18
Guest
Lolly!
Lost Earthling
Guest
As opposed to international borders applying to the NSW team when they pick a kiwi like Tamou. I hear they have already asked SBW to play for them this year
Mystified
Guest
Wow! To turn your back on your own state. What kind of person does that??
Jake
Guest
You cant blame GI for not wanting to play for NSW, who would??? Not even your best player - Jamie Lyon - wants to play for you.
WoobliesFan
Guest
lol. So true.
WoobliesFan
Guest
He is....and get this, he has no ex-QLD legend calling him a black so and so. ;)
Daniel Szabo
Roar Guru
Mate haven't you noticed? Borders don't apply to QLD. QLD is everywhere
Daniel Szabo
Roar Guru
Peter Sterling left Toowoomba before the age of one and there is nothing Maroon about Michael O'Connor. Sterlo, being born in Toowoomba, but raised in Wagga Wagga, would have been well within his rights to choose either NSW or QLD. He chose NSW because he spent all but 1 year of his childhood there. Inglis on the other hand is a Blue full stop. Born in Bowraville, raised in Bowraville, played all his junior footy for Bowraville and played his first senior footy for Newcastle Hunter at the age of 16. So I would say that he doesn't really have the right to decide who he wanted to play for. You can't just "decide" to play for a state if you are ineligible for that state. Imagine if Inglis just "decided" he wants to play for New Zealand. I guess he could though. He's just as much a Kiwi as he is a QLDer.
Daniel Szabo
Roar Guru
Slater vs Inglis at fullback a problem? Please. First world problems much? How I wish NSW had such big "problems". Besides, the Slater vs Inglis debate is a no-brainer (perfect for Mal). Slater at the back, Inglis in the centres. Case closed. Playing Inglis at centre does not count as playing him out of position - he played the whole first half of his career in the centres, and he proved that he can still play there with ease for the Aboriginal All Stars and Australia. There is no way anyone can say that Inglis is wasted in the centres. He is State of Origin's leading try scorer at just 26 years of age, and all of those tries came in the centres. He is the type of guy who, whether he plays front row or fullback, rugby league or rugby union, will have an impact because when he has footy in his hand he is near impossible to stop. At the back, in the middle, left edge, right edge. It doesn't matter. He will dominate. Slater on the other hand, except for 1 or 2 Origins on the wing in 2004, has played fullback exclusively for the past decade. In attack he's like Inglis in that he can split the defence from anywhere on the field. But I think he would struggle in defence because he hasn't defended in the front line for 10 years. Moving Slater to the wing, Tate to the centres and Inglis to fullback (I'm not sure who replaces Tate on the wing - maybe Barba or Justin O'Neil) is a completely unnecessary gamble. And as a proud Blue, I hope it's something that QLD do.
Poona Joe
Guest
COS789...Greg Ingils decided himself who he wanted to play for. End of story.eg Peter Stirling , Michael O'Conner Queenslanders. I think they won a few games for NSW. Rugby League is a great game as are all the other football games but in the big scheme of things it is a quite small game. So just enjoy the game ....Poona Joe..
MMADoggzofwar
Roar Rookie
rumour has Big Mal didnt even turn up, they had a manequin with a sign round it's neck "in reference to my coaching style of this team" BAAAAAAH!
MMADoggzofwar
Roar Rookie
LoL! hillarious!
Mango Jack
Guest
Lol! Nice one Gareth.
AdamS
Roar Guru
QLD Selectors Meeting Minutes...leaked. Des: Right guys, this is a big job so lets not waste any time. Open up the folders in front of you. Mal: Hey, are those sandwiches? I thought we were going with donuts this year. Des: Mal, it's the same caterer we've always used. just look in your folder. Mal: Ok...it's just a photocopy of last years team. Des: Here, try one of these Mal, salmon and watercress. Mal: Hmm, that's nice. Des: So, are we good? Mal: If no one wants them, can i take those sangas home? Des: Yes Mal, but leave me some roast beef and rocket for afters..
Brendan
Roar Rookie
Mate, there is no problem... I don't know how 7-0 is any sort of problem. Inglis or Slater??? if that is a problem I'll eat my own hat!!
MRC
Guest
Take your own advice Jake and read them yourself. Inglis actually played his first senior game at 16 for Newcastle Hunter in New South Wales making him ineligible for Qld under the previous and current rules.
Sideline Commentator
Guest
It was a joke Jake. Again.
Gareth
Roar Pro
If GI and Slater were eligible for NSW, they'd probably have a couple of City-Country games under their belt and would be patiently waiting for the NSW selectors to give them an opportunity once Minichiello and Cooper retire.
Jake
Guest
Interesting thought there, Nick. If we had a suitable option on the bench, you could have 2 roaming players from FB, GI and Slater. We would just need someone like a Gillett or Teo to defend in the centres.
Sideline Commentator
Guest
'You don't weaken a strength to strengthen a weakness.' I'm not the first to quote Guss on this one.