Shaun Johnson, meet Jarrod Mullen.
Both these men live in the second tier of halves in the NRL behind the elite: Cooper Cronk, Johnathan Thurston, Daly Cherry-Evans and Kieran Foran.
Mitchell Pearce is somewhere in between.
If I have to hear another learned commentator pimp out Mullen for the NSW five-eighth spot I’m going to request a new elite commentary team.
It would be headed up by the always astoundingly charismatic Tim Gilbert, with expert analysis from Darren Lockyer and Scott Prince. Now those three are a think tank waiting to happen.
During the Test on Friday night, we got to see the stark difference between the champion halfbacks and the rest. Johnson couldn’t engineer the right play on last tackle often enough and consequently New Zealand couldn’t score in the second half.
Sam Moa proved that he is an elite middle forward in our game. The Kiwis’ midfield thrust disappeared when he went off.
New Zealand doesn’t want for power forwards who can make bruising runs. What they lack is the high work-rate skill player. Corey Parker and Anthony Watmough come to mind: men who make few mistakes, cover a lot of ground in defence and show up with a tricky pass or adept footwork when required.
Australia? Yep, aging. But if you believe that good enough means old enough then good enough also has to mean young enough. This also applies at State of Origin level – Tedesco would have been my NSW fullback before injury.
No fullback, apart from possibly Tedesco, asks more questions of an opposition defensive line than Billy Slater. He’s still the best and must be picked, Greg Inglis’ recent video game try notwithstanding.
So now we look ahead to the absurdity that is City versus Country. One thing that would spice up the game: the City players have to play in skinny jeans and hold a latte at all times during the contest. Country players should have to play in overalls and chew a straw of wheat.
Anything to make this game remotely interesting.
MG Burbank
Roar Guru
Louis, Mullen constituent parts (kicking, passing, running) are all good, but I challenge you to watch a game and rate his fifth-tackle options. I'll guess that maybe 6 out of 10 are quality. That percentage needs to be higher if you want to be considered an elite NRL playmaker.
Louis
Guest
It frustrates me that people write off Jarrod Mullen because either they dwell upon his underwhelming Origin debut as a 20 year old, or they can't be bothered watching NRL games that aren't on Friday nights. He is far and away a much better player than Maloney. Maloney is decent in every aspect of his game, but he showed he was unable to get the ball to ground when kicking in general play. In Origin, this is arguably the most important thing to do (apart from scoring points). Origin is a very different beast to every other form of Rugby League. Territory wins matches and you simply don't score tries unless you unleash wave after wave of attack onto the oppositions line. Ever wonder why Hayne's famous try is so famous? Because it is a runaway try in Origin and that is a rare thing. Mullen's kicking game is close to the best in the league. He will get the ball on the ground and not let QLD get those extra few metres when Slater/Boyd/whoever the QLD winger is return it.
MG Burbank
Roar Guru
Foran is a GUN, who has an impact of almost every game he plays. You can't say that about Johnson yet, and this article was dealing in the now. It's not 'crazy' to want Mullen in the Blues team. It simply wouldn't serve NSW moving forward. Better to give a younger player with fresher legs a chance, such as Johnson- or stick with Maloney and hope for improved performance across the board and a decline from Queensland.
MG Burbank
Roar Guru
They did indeed miss him, Haz. Mannering is workhorse but doesn't have the skill and athleticism of Watmough or Parker. Those guys tend to make more of an impact in attack across the 80 mins, which is what the Kiwis lack. You've made my point for me with the 2011 example and Johnson. Yes, he had a great year but hasn't consistently reproduced that form and to be an elite player, you've got to show up for the vast majority of games. He doesn't. As for your "game control", go back and take a look at his last tackle plays in the Test. Not much game control on display.
MG Burbank
Roar Guru
Exactly right, Muzz. Steve, we can take any game we wish to the country and by making it an NRL game, we might free ourselves of the need to delay the NRL premiership a week, just when momentum was gathering.
Cedric
Guest
Johnson better than Foran, you gotta be kidding. Johnson really gave it a good nudge on Friday night though. Johnson is a talent, but lacks knowledge and the mental aptitude that Oz halves have. After playing with Oz halves and then returning to live in NZ (1996) I went down to Carlaw Park and watched numerous games. What I saw was different, no halves barking orders or taking the game by the scruff of the neck, really not much talk from anyone. I think that comes down to the old kiwi, don't sound as though u know too much caper. I think that's why we don't see the Oz type halves here, which is a shame. The Warriors/NZ need a half that is consistent, maybe now Johnson can do this instead of fading in and out of games. You gotta say, without Luke, Foran and lueluwei, we were up against it. And on top of that alot of new personal!!!
kiwijack
Guest
Mate where do you get your ideas on players from the cornflakes packet?. Johnson played very well in the Test, he was the only playmaker and played both sides of the ruck, I don't think that DCE is any better. Thurston and Cronk are very experienced so you would expect them to be a level above.If Johnson had Foran with him he wouldn't have had to make all the decisions and all the last takle plays, he put up an 80 min display. And as for those thugs Watmough and Parker you can keep them 2 of the dirtiest plays in the NRL. Lets wait until the 4N when johnson has Luke and Foran with him maybe a diffrent story. I am not a Kearney fan but he may just have pulled off a master stroke by firing up the left outs and giving heaps of confidence to those that played. A massive improvement on the WC final.
john badseed
Guest
Neutral ref next time?
Pete
Guest
I also think the big thing is that he was having to run the plays almost single-handedly, and in the 2nd half the Kangaroos were able to focus on shutting him down. If Foran and Isaac Luke had been playing, they could've shared the option-taking a bit more which might have helped towards the end of the game.
rvm99
Guest
I have always rated Shaun Johnston pretty highly, but I think your observation that the ability to consistently engineer THE RIGHT PLAY on the 5th tackle option is one of the key areas that he has to work on to aspire to the level of Thurston, Cronk and Cherry-Evans. He’s only 23 so he has time on his side at present.
Jay C
Guest
Tough Marker. Shaun Johnson is a great young player. Of everyone I would think only DCE and Thurston could claim to be better at 23 years old.
Andy
Guest
According to this, all but one NSW half is in the 'second teir', so why is so crazy people want Mullen to partner the brilliant Pearce? Personally, I rate Johnson higher than Foran. Although someone like Foran is an ideal partner. Also, Johnson is only 23, every other 23 year old half is considered a future prospect, so why do we think Johnson won't get even better?
Muzz
Guest
Taking more NRL games to regional centres wd be better i think. Country fans deserve more games but i dont think city country is meaningful. Maybe each nrl side shd adopt a regional area, perhaps one where there is a link from former players, and go there annually. Qld doesnt do internal origin and they go alright....
Haz
Guest
I don't think Johnson is really in the second tier. He's always been billed as the next Benji Marshall, and he demonstrates the same elusiveness, with better game-control. He was the thrust behind the Warriors' charge to the 2011 grand final. But like Foran, he just doesn't get a lot of talk around Origin time. Workhorse player: Simon Mannering. NZ really missed Foran, didn't they? Just needed a level-head field general to get his forwards just going forward in the last third of the game.
Steve
Guest
The Aus v NZ match reminded me of an Aus v Bangladesh ODI, Bangladesh fight and make 230 and Australia chase it 6 down in the 47th over. -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
Steve b
Guest
Mate from where your sitting the game might not mean anythng but for the good people out west its a chance for them to see a great game of footy .