State of Origin has come down to a decider and it’s about time Queensland stooped to the level of New South Wales to win the series.
Robbie Farah, the New South Wales dummy-half, has undergone surgery to put screws and a plate in his hand to stabilise a fractured metacarpal hoping to play Origin next week.
I don’t know what a metacarpal is but any surgery that takes you a step closer to being the Six Million Dollar Man can’t be a good thing. The Blues’ own doctor has told media he’s unaware of any player recovering in the time frame that Farah is aiming for.
If Farah makes it onto the field for Origin III, and that’s a massive if, the Queenslanders are being served up a free hit.
‘Attack their weakness’ is a time honoured and well-worn concept in any competitive environment. But what if you didn’t need to sift through hours and hours of game film, pore over game stats or create algorithms to filter advanced metrics and locate the enemy’s Achilles heel?
What if your opponent’s weakness was blatant, clear as day, staring you in the face? What if you just had to look over to the other side of the field and see one of your opponent’s key position players with a broken hand?
Next Wednesday morning, if it’s confirmed that Farah will play, every Queenslander in the state will stop pouring XXXX Gold on their Weetbix and break into raucous laughter.
Only a New South Wales side still giddy from last year would be smug enough to play Farah in his current state. The dummy-half touches the ball more than any other player on the field and New South Wales want the bloke who plays that position to do it with a busted meat hook? Are they serious?
Tactically, focussing on an injured player is the same as sending your hulking second rowers at the opposing team’s halves defending on the fringes of the ruck. The advantage of launching a big man at smaller man is clear. Ensuring that you test out a player with a known injury isn’t all that different, the only question is where you draw the line.
In State of Origin, there should be no line.
Before Game 2, New South Wales made a lot of noise about making sure Billy Slater’s shoulder was structurally sound.
The Queensland game plan for Origin 3 must be seizing every opportunity to grab, squeeze and twist Farah’s bung paw. The Maroons need only look to Wendell Sailor’s efforts from a few weeks ago for inspiration.
Tackling Robbie Farah? Now is the perfect opportunity for Queensland to get three men in the tackle, wrestle him to the ground and apply some indiscriminate pressure to the hand and wrist.
Packing a scrum against Robbie Farah? Now’s the perfect opportunity for Cam Smith, Mr Teflon himself, to slide a hand into the scrum – away from the prying eyes of the referee – and get after those busted knuckles.
Shaking hands with Robbie Farah after the siren? Who cares if the game is over, show you’re a real Queenslander, squeeze that broken mitt so tight you can’t tell if his tears are from losing the game or because he knows he’ll have to switch hands during his morning shower because of you.
If Malcolm Norman Meninga isn’t specifically instructing Nate Myles to bait Robbie Farah into swinging the injured hand at that enormous, indestructible dome that sits atop the shoulders of the Queensland number 10 then maybe it’s time for Michael Hagan to take the reins.
What better swansong could you envision for Justin Hodges, in his final game of State of Origin football, to accidently put his studs through the New South Wales number 9’s hand while getting up to play the ball than after being tackled by Farah?
It’s a shame that there will be no statistics to reflect how important these selfless acts could be to a Queensland victory.
Forget all those Disney movies you’ve watched and those ridiculous notions of respect, dignity and pride. Cast morals and ethics aside and be honest with yourself: if a team isn’t taking advantage of every opportunity available to win, it isn’t really trying to win.
And before all you Bluebaggers get on your high horse about how what I’m suggesting is disgraceful, an act that is lower than low, that it should be wiped out from the game, that I should be ostracised from rugby league entirely and sent to live in Melbourne, I’d refer you back to an incident on March 29, 2008.
This was when your glorious captain and talismanic loser performed surgery on a freshly stitched wound in Anthony Laffranchi’s head using only his fingers.
Bring on the Origin decider.
Garry Nicho
Guest
The Blues aren't that much of special's to beat the Maroon's that they can carry a guy into a game with a broken hand and suspect shoulder! Daley should at least be picking someone who is fit.
Casper
Guest
I understand they are using the loophole and Qld did the same, but surely the ARL Commission had to at least step in & rule that Ennis can't join the NSW squad as a 'shadow' until his sentence is served which would be after the Cronulla game is completed!! If not, there's effectively no punishment for a high hit that automatically draws a one match suspension. Everyone knows Ennis would have been selected with Farah unavailable yet gets off scot free. I don't care if he plays as his temperament has found him out in origin before, just seems there needs to be some sort of penalty for smacking someone in the jaw and not the reward of an origin jersey. Dave Smith's silence is interesting, what message does this send. Guess like everything else he does, they'll tinker with rules after they've been embarrassed. Can we go back & retrospectively allow Steve Roach to play that Grand Final he missed for Balmain?
Renegade
Roar Guru
The good old stitches line.... how long ago was that? The first time a QLDer used it, I fell off my dinosaur.... Let's not go down the path of Thaiday,Thurston, Boyd, Teo and Inglis..... Gal's not even in the same stratosphere.
Parrafan
Guest
Geeze there is no one from Queensland who resorts to dirty underhanded tactics. Cough Smith. Cough Hodges.
Jay C
Roar Guru
Farah should have been dropped after the first game
Nayfo
Guest
have to admit, I think this will be a blessing in disguise for NSW. I think Ennis deserves his spot and will play his role perfectly. Nobbie Farah is too much of a glory hunter and always tries to put on the big plays himself and not stick to the gameplan but gets found out making stupid, selfish errors. So many times he is to blame for the play falling apart but unfortunately the halves in both SOO and club level get the blame. I hope he is ruled out and Ennis gets the chance.
pete bloor
Guest
Oh so no stomping but if we say ripped his surgically repaired hand open and dislodged the screws that would be fine?
Jara W
Guest
A great montage of Paul Gallen's "successes". I got 3 minutes in and had to stop before my brain exploded. It's just clips of him being a grub and giving away stupid penalties. Mixed in with a few hit ups or him falling over the try line to beef it up. And of course a few showing of his legendary ball playing skills. Some of the clips are even on the first video. Because Gallen costs NSW at pivotal moments or I'm the opening minutes of a game. Both videos should in fact be titled "Why Paul Gallen shouldn't play for NSW" not just the first one.
Jay C
Roar Guru
you can put put glitter on a turd
steveng
Roar Rookie
This is what PG is 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQpQHA280_w' and what he will do to the maroons on Wednesday the 8th. With Ennis, Klemmer and the NSW pack.
Jamieson Murphy
Roar Guru
"it’s about time Queensland stooped to the level of New South Wales to win the series" Hahaha good one. You nearly made me spit my drink out. NSW finally stooped down the the Maroons level of grubbiness last year, and came away winners. And as it has already pointed out, Farah is just a cunning rouse to throw all the Roaches off. Farah will run out at Suncorp, the camera will zoom in on him, then BAM, he rips a face mask off and it's Ennis the Menace, headgear and all.
jd
Guest
i can't remember the last time QLD had reshuffled their team so much..
Ben
Guest
He is the biggest grub in the game! It's a bad look for the blues to play him when every game he resorts to underhand and filthy tactics.
steveng
Roar Rookie
They would be absolutely MAD not to have Ennis in the Blues team. Ennis is the form hooker and one of the most outstanding players in the league. His dummy half and his ability to put forwards and/or anyone through gaps is outstanding, he is tough, he is menacing and he has all the attributes that the Blues need for the 3rd decider. Much better choice than Farah as he has played with Klemmer and they have that combination that the Blues need, but Michael is just an outstanding player and he would do us proud wherever and whenever he plays. And this is coming from a Souths fan lol
Jara W
Guest
So glad that's not my captain! Can't wait to get home and watch all seven glorious minutes of it.
Jay C
Roar Guru
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9vlLkVEBh0
Jay C
Roar Guru
http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/cronulla-sharks-captain-paul-gallen-reported-for-stomping-during-loss-to-gold-coast-titans/story-fn2mcuj6-1226110255415
The Barry
Roar Guru
Gallen's not advocating that Farah's hand be stomped on...
Jay C
Roar Guru
He says, momentarily forgetting his Captain is Paul Gallen.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Wow! Why stop at his hand then, why not his head?