The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

QLD Origin crisis: Replacements to the rescue!

20th April, 2014
Advertisement
Anthony Milford (AAP Image/Action Photographics, Renee McKay)
Expert
20th April, 2014
38
1967 Reads

For those who missed it The Replacements was a middling early 2000s sports flick about a bunch of rag tag ring-ins who are thrown into a professional American football side during a players strike.

If you could suspend your disbelief for a couple of hours and imagine that one of the goofy stoners from Bill and Ted could play pro quarterback, it wasn’t completely terrible. The sight of the back-ups playing in the big time was somewhat heart-warming.

Now there’s no rugby league player strike, and you might not know it, but there is a #crisis in Queensland rugby league at the moment.

That is, the fans are bored stupid.

“With winning?” I hear the Southerners ask with a hint of hope in their voice?

Err, no.

Queensland could win every State of Origin match until astronauts from the distant future stumble across the Big Pineapple washed up on a deserted beach, Planet of the Apes style, and still whinge angrily about the ‘exhibition’ match in California

No, the maroon mob are still plenty keen for this year’s Origin series. But the lead up to the series? Forget it.

Advertisement

Unfortunately, one of the side effects of Queensland being so dominant in recent times is that the source of much of their dominance has come from their stability. While this makes for great viewing on game night, it makes for rubbish pub banter in the month preceding.

Working for a radio station in South East Queensland every Saturday morning, I’m taking the calls of angry listeners wanting to give it to me for “talking too much about the bloody Blues” and not playing enough Barnesy.

The truth is there’s nothing to talk about. Barnesy is forever in my bad books after bailing from the ‘97 ARL GF before kick-off, and even Hugh Delahunty could pick this year’s Queensland team, save maybe a bench smokie or two.

So what can we do? How do we reignite the spark?

Simple, call in the replacements!

Yes, in a twist of completely fabricated fate, the entire Queensland seventeen from game three 2013 have come down with gigantism on game’s eve.

Or signed with the rebel Ultimate Football Organisation. Or disappeared after getting onto a bus driven by a tall, cackling mysterious driver in an 80s era Parra jersey who must keep his vehicle in perpetual motion in order to stop it from exploding.

Advertisement

Yes, once again Queensland are in Daniel Wagon-style dire straits.

Who replaces Cam Smith? Is there a five-eighth? Can Locky make a comeback? Behold!

Queensland Replacements XVII
1. Anthony Milford
2. Dane Nielson
3. Will Chambers
4. Dane Gagai
5. Edrick Lee
6. Corey Norman
7. Ben Hunt
8. David Shillington
9. Jake Friend
10. Brenton Lawrence
11. Jacob Lillyman
12. David Taylor
13. Aidan Guerra
14. Josh Mcguire
15. Gavin Cooper
16. Ben Hannant
17. Michael Morgan

Coach: Neil Henry

As you can see, while some positions are flush with depth, others are scraping the bottom of the Bundy barrel in a way that would make the 1995 side blush.

So do you agree on the side? Does it need a bit more spark off the bench? And most importantly, could it beat the Blues?

I’d love to hear your argument. Just no Barnesy, ok?

Advertisement
close