Bird's cheap shots should cost him his Origin jumper

Ben Hunt over both of them for mine.

I have never ever liked the child... Since the day he kneed Shane Martine at the SFS. Souths against Cronulla. He got 5 weeks, It should of been 10 it was so blatant.

NSW don't really need him anymore Backorders for should be Starting G.Stewart Hoffhmann and Gallen - Bench Cordner and Whatough

Segeyaro off the bench is a genius idea. If he was still at the cowboys last year they win the comp. Much better origin utility than Cherry but Mal will stick with the succession plan and Cherry's no slouch.

He means Nate Nyles.

Woods has played well in the few Tigers games I have seen him in. That hasn't translated to the big stage yet but I think it will. Gillet has improved his defence and I think he does add enough in attack to warrant selection. Maybe not starting but definitely bench.

Thaiday off the bench for the Broncos is a masterstroke. Adds punch off the bench. As for Slater, we just don't have any wingers. Probably a silly move as I also prefer Slater to Inglis. I guess Gagai and Chambers as wingers. Does Segeyaro grab a bench spot over DCE?

Geez mate, Slater to the wing...I think if you're a Blues supporter you're praying that that happens! If Slater doesn't play fullback, he doesn't play anywhere - and I'm partial to Sheens' appraisal of the Slater v Inglis debate...here he basically said that Greg doesn;t have Billy's mindset, attitude and awareness. It obviously comes from always being the biggest and fastest dude on the field - why wouldn't you devote any time to the other things? Honestly, I wouldn;t start Thaiday if I were Qld, he does certain critical things well, but the downsides can really muddy the waters about whether the pros outweigh the cons by enough of a margin in a game like Origin. Experienced, yes, but lazy and always out of shape. And I think Gillett can make you guys vulnerable also - does his attack (which is excellent) outweigh his defence (which is far from excellent)? As for Maguire, I'd not only include include him, but almost start him. At the very least he gives you a middle-third bench player who can play both positions...and seems to have a tremendous motor on him. I think Klemmer could be a real option, but certainly not Woods. I'd like to get a few more looks at Klemmer before I make a call, but from what I've seen thus far, he doesn't seem to be fazed by big games and has mongrel about him, but not in the ridiculous ineffective way that's characterised NSW teams for almost a decade now (I wouldn't even call that mongrel, but anyway). Plus he's big and mobile in your middle third, always a good thing. Hopefully Luke Lewis and Wade Graham find their way into the side (although sometimes I do wonder about the latter, given the "proximity" issue and I few things I've seen in his game along those lines).

I have a mate that raves about Coops all day to anyone who'll listen. Back row will be interesting for both teams this year. Teo will be missed tremendously. I still think Thaiday will play. II reckon being dropped to the bench was the wake up call he probably needed to lift himself out of ordinary. I would love to see McGuire pick up his bench spot. dunno about Taylor? Qld need Matt Scott to be 100%. Gagai would have to be looking at pushing for a wing spot wouldn't he? Hopefully Boyd is back otherwise I would push slater to the wing, Inglis to fullback and gagai at centre. Just had to laugh at myself - probably a bit early to be ramping up Origin talk just yet. NSW have a bounty of Origin quality players coming through - as usual. Curtis Sironen, Klemmer, Woods, Cordner, Moylan, A Reynolds Does anyone know Marty Taupau's allegiance?

I wouldn't pick Thaiday. But I would pick Aiden Guerra before all those other dudes. Jay, do you know if Qld are looking at that Grevsmuhl bloke from Souths? I thought he was from NSW, but last night Gus and co seemed to suggest he was from NQ. And I would have thought Qld would be looking at Gavin Cooper much more intently now that Thaiday seems to be destined for the bench...at best. He had that combination with Thurston for so long on the left. Crikey, wouldn't that be a formidable backrow. Cooper, Guerra and Parker. Although I dunno how much Cooper has contributed to those truly awful Comboys displays since the start of the season. Cordner is a must for NSW and they need to start building a team around those types of players. Agile with good footwork - sort of like a big centre. For too long NSW has just had these slow, plodding backrowers who do little to challenge the line and who slow down the play the ball...but in attack. What's more, they're all dominant senior players and everyone's too scared to 1) overcall them or 2) sack them from the team altogether. And it would also minimise the Blues' vulnerability to conceded penalties and errors at crucial times. NSW just need more guys who are ruthless, focused and mentally tough.It's been the case for years now.

Didn't the NRL had meetings with Thaiday and tell him he had to stop his over aggressive behaviour off the ball. Bit rich when NSW have Bird, Gallen and Scott in their pack.

Qld do have a great spine but all except 2 series we're extremely close. If thurston is NSW half for those 8 series Qld are lucky to win 4 of 8. It's blatantly obvious NSW lacked a game breaker in the 7 jumper and thurston provided the big plays that broke NSW in most of the big moments throughout the run of 8. I could also never understand hayne being pushed to the wing for gidley. A hilarious call if your a Qlder. A winger being NSW best player in an origin match shows your selectors have lost the plot.

Fair enough, apologies. I didn't realise you were gone JayC. I don't get on here as much these days myself. And when I do I've been lurking more so on the rugby pages....

All I asked is why Gareth thought Bird's was less abhorrent than Lui's... I didn't offer any opinion. Settle down eJ. Have you missed me while I have been gone?

Bird will end up being nocked and put out of the NRL just like Carney was. This is a travesty as haters are like a sickness and once a player like Bird is deemed by the fans of a sniffle the fans will make it into a cold. Bird is a quality player just like Carney (who I don't condone) is and was jeered out of the NRL by the fans .

If you don't know the details why post a comment?

Like I said I don't really know the details of any of the incidents involved enough to call them all disgraceful men. Danny Wicks and R. Packer went to prison and they have been welcomed back with open arms. I'm not defending Lui. String em all up. I don't care.

I think all 3 are disgraceful men. My point of highlighting TWICE is that he beat her to a pulp, repented, said he'd never do it again to stay in the game, only do do it again at a later date. Bird and Inglis can't be excused from their efforts either. Striking a woman in the face is the lowest of the low. But both were truly sorry for various reasons and NEVER did it again. They knew what they did was wrong. Lui didn't. When they said it was out of character and a one off, they meant it. Lui should be in prison.

Didn't Bird smash a glass in his girlfriends face? I am not interested in sitting here and throwing poo at each other. This guy did that. Obviously beating up your pregnant wife is bad. The Twice part doesn't excite me quite as much as it seems to, you. If you would do it once of course you are capable of doing it twice. If Inglis did whatever he did then he should be punished as well. Of course that is the case. Why wouldn't it be?

Wowsers Lui beat up his pregnant wife, hospitalised her, TWICE. I assume Jay C you also feel the same way about GI not being allowed to represent our "great" game.