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State of Origin 2015 early edition: NSW’s front row

18th April, 2015
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Aaron Woods has been cleared to take on the Raiders (Photo: @NRLPhotos)
Roar Guru
18th April, 2015
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Going into every State of Origin series, the fans debate selection almost as fiercely as discussing who will win.

In 2015, who will play in the forwards for NSW? Will Laurie Daley choose Paul Gallen, Kade Snowden, Aaron Woods or a bolter?

Here is the next instalment of the 2015 State of Origin early edition.

Paul Gallen (Cronulla Sharks)
The incumbent New South Wales captain will certainly be in Laurie Daley’s team, however it is unknown where he will play. In the past, Paul Gallen has excelled at prop for the Blues and it looks as though the 19-game State of Origin veteran could pull on the No. 10 jersey again in 2015.

Having played nearly 250 NRL games, Gallen will be one of the most experienced players in the Blues’ camp and will look to lead from the front to bring home New South Wales’ second-straight State of Origin series win.

Kade Snowden (Newcastle Knights)
Snowden has played two games for the Blues in the past and his form of late has shown he could be awarded a third state representative jersey in 2015. A veteran of over 150 NRL games, Snowden has played State of Origin before and is built to hit hard for long periods of time.

Aaron Woods (Wests Tigers)
The incumbent Blues prop has played all five State of Origin games since making his debut in Game 2 of the 2013 State of Origin series. Woods was one of New South Wales’ best players last year and dominated the Maroons forward pack up front.

Woods hasn’t been playing his best footy lately as he has handed over a lot of the work to the younger forwards at the Tigers, however his best form should be sparked again during State of Origin.

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Bolters
David Klemmer (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
is currently serving a suspension, however the Bulldogs prop who earned a Kangaroos jersey on the back of a stellar season in 2014, looks to be given another representative jersey.

Klemmer plays rough footy, which suits New South Wales’ style of play as he will likely look to use his muscle off the bench to power the Blues down the field.

Jordan McLean (Melbourne Storm) has improved since his seven-match suspension last year. McLean is now one of the Storm’s best forwards and looks to be a real bolter for the New South Wales jersey. McLean has never played representative football and has only 36 caps to his name, meaning he is still a relative newcomer.

Can McLean can convert his toughness on the field at Melbourne to the Origin arena?

Ten-game Blues veteran Trent Merrin (St George Illawarra Dragons) is one of the best impact players in the National Rugby League and it looks as though Laurie Daley will select Merrin to come off the bench again in 2015. Merrin is one of New South Wales’ more experienced forwards having played over 100 first grade games with the St George Illawarra Dragons and is also one of the toughest players in the Blues camp.

26-year-old James Tamou (North Queensland Cowboys) has played eight games for the Blues in his career so far and 10 games for Australia. James Tamou isn’t in the best of form at the North Queensland Cowboys and he could prove to be a huge risk if selected.

If Daley chooses to pick his side on form, Tamou could potentially miss out. The Cowboys prop will need to improve if he wants to play Origin football again.

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A veteran of over 150 NRL games, Aiden Tolman (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs) has been in the Origin frame for years but has never managed to pull on the blue jersey. Having played three times for Country, it seems likely Tolman will take part in the Origin audition yet again in 2015, but there is no guarantee of selection.

The Bulldogs vice-captain has been in some of the best form of his life lately and the natural-born leader who has played in three grand finals could come closer than ever before in 2015.

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