Just over a week ago, I got a chill down my spine when injury rubbed Corey Parker out of Queensland’s State of Origin team. That wasn’t the cause, nor the reason.
The chill came when the Maroons named big Dave Taylor as his replacement.
Click here to read why Tim Prentice is wrong, and why the Blues will win Origin 2.
In my mind, the Maroons gambled on the x-factor of all x-factors. They named their T-Rex, their Tony Williams, their enigma. We all know what ‘The Coal Train’ is capable of, but will we ever see it?
MORE ORIGIN:
>> O’CONNELL: Why NSW will win Origin 2
>> [WATCH] Highlights from Game 2 2013
>> TURNER: Blues skipper Gallen poised for the game of his life
>> Roar preview for State of Origin Game 2
>> [WATCH] Highlights from Game 1 2014
Taylor has had six cracks at Origin football but has failed to fire a single shot. He is a giant athlete with so much to offer who has delivered pretty close to zero at State of Origin level.
So why did he get the SOS call from Mal Meninga when Parker was ruled out?
The answer is easy: Dave Taylor has been a standout for the Gold Coast Titans all season. In the NRL, he has ticked all the boxes in attack, defence, work-rate and so on. He has been playing like an Origin player and richly deserves another shot.
My concern is that he might convert all of his pent-up promise tonight. He looks like The Hulk and if he plays that way, the desperate Maroons will parade another superstar to contend with.
Taylor has shown that he is a confidence player. If he starts a game well, he usually finishes it that way. Few, if any, defences can contain The Coal Train at his locomotive best. Potentially, he can hurt the Blues way more than Corey Parker on a great night.
When assessing Queensland’s chances in this game, I am willing to overlook their injury concerns and look at their history in this series. They are not going to be the favourites, and we in NSW should know they are incredibly dangerous when they are genuine underdogs.
If you are backing the Blues, ask yourself if you think that Messrs Thurston and Smith could be as bad or as ineffectual in a second successive Origin game. If you do, I say that’s wishful thinking.
JT and Smithy will dominate from the outset whether Daly Cherry-Evans plays or is replaced by emerging young gun, Ben Hunt.
And when these two freaks get on the front foot, the Blues will need to be even more heroic in defence than we saw in Game 1.
Looking at the NSW line-up, the absence of the Morris twins, Josh and Brett, is a double body-blow for the Blues. Not enough has been made of their loss. I see William Hopoate and Josh Dugan as capable replacements but they will have to deal with a fierce Queensland blowtorch.
The heavy pressure is on Laurie Daley’s men to win this game. Ahead 1-0 and going into a home game, it’s their big chance to stop the rot and end one of the most incredible droughts in rugby league history.
Without doubt, an unexpected loss will trigger mass apoplexy for the Blues and their army of supporters.
Facing a decider up at Suncorp on July 9 would be like attending a funeral armed with little more than flags, bunting, false bravado and hope.
My prediction: Queensland by 4
Man of the match: Cameron Smith
Renie walters
Guest
Wow the Blues (NSW) won two games in two rows..... I hope they win game 3 again!!!!!
Bluey boy
Guest
Haha well played big (soft) Dave!!!! NSW's 18th man... Fingers crossed you get the SOS in games to come.
jerry
Guest
sweet........sweet
Mark
Guest
AHAHAHAHAHA
Paul B
Guest
Hmm... only saw one turn style.... cost the Maroons the game !!! DCE I believe...
matt brittain
Guest
hahahahaha gooooooo NSW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
dallas
Guest
Yes paul B like game one where nsw outside backs let in two tries to boyd. And the guys who are replacing the morris brothers are far more poor defenders than the morris brothers are
Paul B
Guest
"turn styles in defence" .... You mean like in game 1 ? Gotta love QLD desperation.
dallas
Guest
Your a goose if you think key players are going to change positions during a game. It just doesnt happen, especially at origin level, the team has one week to get it together for the game and they would be flat out getting the combinations and plays right for the positions there picked in let alone changing roles during the game.
Tim Prentice
Expert
Yes, Paul B, I believe there is every chance the Blues will spring some switcheroos. Versatility is a beautiful thing and it can come with an element of surprise. I'm suspecting we might see NSW's main man, J Hayne, on the wing at times for a breather. We could even see him bob up at centre or even five-eighth, if the Blues are firing. Queensland will have arranged for a defence cordon around Hayne whenever he handles. If he shows up here, there, everywhere, confusion might provide an advantage. But . . . I am still tipping the Queenslanders in this highly-awaited and hyped-up game. The Blues, in my opinion, cannot match (or better) the Smith/Thurston/Slater combination two games in a row. There will have to be a decider up north.
Rumpy
Guest
Yeah but they are a lot easier to finish when they stuck on the bottom of your pool.
dallas
Guest
Haha nsw backs may be quicker but the majority of them are deadset turn styles in defence. It will come down how the spine of each team can create space for the blokes outwide. If hodges or inglis get one on one with jennings or dugan it'll be all over. And if the blues inexperienced wingers make bad decisions than expect thurston, slater and DCE to put boyd and tate over for a couple. I really like the look of nsws forward pack, its 5 hard heads who all have a go every game they play, but there outside backs defensively, is where they will come undone and this is where I think qld will catch them out.
Rumpy
Guest
In all seriousness, a 3rd game in Queensland with NSW already up 2-0, is very undesirable.............
Paul B
Guest
Well Daley has been saying nothing. Barely a word out of the Blues camp leading up to tonight's big game. Meanwhile, there has been an incredible amount of speculation and guesswork around the QLD lineup. I won't be at all surprised if Daly makes a mockery of the criticism levelled at Dugan's choice as centre by playing him on the wing. While there is some speed in a few of the QLD players, NSW have more quick men, and I think they will run riot on the back of the efforts of the strong forward pack. Don't know what QLD will score, but I reckon it will be less than NSW who I reckon could score 5 tries tonight.
Tim Prentice
Expert
Nooo, Xavialonso, it was a double entendre. Just count the resultant penalties as the Maroons try to take his (single) head off tonight.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
Not sure I agree, but I do suspect Jennings will be the target for Taylor -- have to assume he'll come on when Thaiday inevitably runs out of juice after 20 minutes so he'll probably be attacking the right edge.
Wilbur
Guest
Channel Hayne will be the winner
Tim Prentice
Expert
You might be onto something there, Paul B. It makes much better sense to me if Hopoate is the man to play centre and try to keep GI in check. Maybe, just maybe, coach Daley is pulling a swifty where we will see Hoppa in-field and Dugan playing out on the wing.
Renegade
Guest
Mate, I know he was joking lol.... i was just being a smart a%#e to get a bite out of a few QLDer's in particular the one who posted before me ;) haha
Isometric
Guest
Oh dear, another confused supporter from NSW.