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It’s that time of year again, State Of Origin. Or should it be called State Of Choice in the modern era?
It’s time to get pumped up, pull on a Blues jersey and cheer like hell for the most passionate, exciting three games of the NRL season.
I’ve read a lot in the papers recently about N.S.W having the best chance in years to end Queensland’s dominance.
I agree we will probably field the best team we’ve had in long while and it’s going to be a really close series I think it is a little premature to consider the Blues as anything more than a long shot to beat the Maroons.
For starters let’s can the talk about Melbourne and Queensland’s big three and Jonathan Thurston being out of form.
When you put players of their calibre in a Queensland jumper and have big Mal revving them up like a Skyline at the traffic lights, form goes out the window.
These guys are class, they have been for years and while they might not be in scintillating form for their respective club sides in the State Of Origin arena they have the advantage of being able to pass the ball to a devastating backline.
In the heat of battle they are proven performers and as N.S.W fans we need to respect that. J.T. is going to play with more energy than a Jack Russel with six coffees in him.
Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith will direct a team they know like the backs of their respective hands around with aplomb and Billy Slater will do consistently do utterly ridiculous things that border on the impossible.
They have done it for over half a decade now and ho-hum club form isn’t going to change that.
In contrast to this NSW will more than likely go into this series with yet another halves combination.
I like what I’m seeing from Mitchell Pearce and James Maloney at the Roosters this year but it’s an astronomical step up in quality from the NRL to getting absolutely bashed by a marauding pack of Queenslanders.
When it comes to the crunch the smart money is still on the Queenslandspine to control the match and make the big play when it really counts.
Where NSW can probably fairly claim to have the advantage is in the forwards, particularly the back row.
The Australian back row will be lining in blue jerseys this year and if they can win the battle in the middle of the field it must just be possible that Pearce and Maloney will have the time and space required to assert themselves on the game.
Chuck into the mix that Jarryd Hayne is looking promising and it’s not all doom and gloom.
Heading into this year’s Origin the Blues have still got to be rated as outsiders. But let’s not kid ourselves here, this Queensland side is chock full of players capable of turning the series.
As a passionate fan I’ll be screaming at my T.V. for the Blues every minute of all three matches and I’ll be elated if we win.
But we are the underdogs and will need to play with as much mongrel as we can possibly find and hope we can get just a little bit of luck.
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