The worst NSW players of the modern era

After NSW finally received the inevitable State of Origin hammering that has been looming for years a much needed player clean-out will begin in the hopes of securing a bright future for the Blues.

The sad part is that the side we witnessed in Game 3 of the 2015 season is far from one of the worst teams NSW has fielded during a decade of incompetent selections.

Whether through poor utilisation of player skills, ridiculous selections or complete blind faith – and I really do mean blind because Mitchell Pearce and Kurt Gidley have been allowed to happen for years on end – there have been some truly horrid performances from NSW players over the past few years.

This is not to say these players haven’t had exceptional careers in the NRL – quite simply these are players that unfortunately hindered rather than helped the quest for State of Origin glory.

I present to you the top five worst NSW Origin players of the ‘Lost Years’.

5. Ben Creagh
Some might label this selection a tad harsh but bear with me here. Origin is renowned for its incredibly tough and unassuming players and the high quality of skill that its stars possess, sadly for Creagh he fitted into neither category.

Despite his four tries in 11 matches most people unfortunately remember Creagh’s time in Origin for the countless times he retreated from fights that he himself had started. His general lack of aggression in the most aggressive arena of all was damning.

Creagh never made an impact at Origin level, playing in very few winning sides (just three wins from 11 games) and often being badly dominated by opposition forward packs. Steve Roach wrote early in 2013 that he believed Creagh had played his last Origin match, not because he was a poor player but simply because he wasn’t quality enough for Origin.

Roach’s comments have since turned out to be true and unfortunately Creagh makes the list of players who hindered the progression of other promising careers and the NSW squad as a whole.

4. Jamie Buhrer
This was arguably the most bizarre selection in NSW’s history and that says a lot.

A solid first grader switching between starting and interchange for his club side and with less than 50 first grade games experience, Buhrer was selected from obscurity. Apparently it was due to his ‘big game experience’, which realistically was a solitary grand final and a brief cameo in the City versus Country fixture a few weeks prior.

Further compounding this bizarre selection was that Buhrer was initially selected as a utility player despite noted second row utilities Luke Lewis and Greg Bird featuring in the team alongside Tony Williams and Beau Scott, who were both capable of playing in the outside backs.

The nail in the coffin though was when Buhrer was sent into action while the Blues had control of the game in exchange for NSW 2012 Player of the Series Robbie Farah, in the specialist position of hooker.

During his brief time on the field the dynamics of the match would completely shift. The service from dummy half became noticeably bogged down and Queensland would take the lead before Buhrer was hooked after just 10 minutes.

It remains his only foray into State of Origin since and while he played with effort he unfortunately offered no impetus in attack or defence and was completely out of his depth.

3. David Williams/Nathan Merritt
A duo selection for number four begins with David Williams. Wolfman’s two Origin howlers ultimately sparked his fall from grace as a professional footballer – he now plies his trade in the NSW Cup.

On debut in Game 2 of the 2009 series Williams had a torrid time. In the space of 10 minutes early in the first half, he fumbled twice deep in Blues territory. A Jarryd Hayne intercept saved face the first time but the second dropped ball was picked up by Israel Foloau who cruised over the line to give Queensland a 12-0 lead with less than a quarter of the game gone.

His woes would continue into the second half, though. With NSW trailing by just four points they received a fresh set of six 15 metres out with six minutes remaining. Queensland were at sixes and sevens and the ball was shifted wide early to Williams with four tackles remaining. Williams inexplicably attempted a kick and chase but succeeded only in grubbering the ball directly to Darius Boyd.

Queensland would score two minutes later to win the game 24-14 and wrap up the series. Incredibly Williams was retained for Game 3 where he gained some redemption as he claimed a penalty try in the Blues’ win. But he was again targeted, reasonably successfully, by Queensland and struggled to pick up metres with his carries.

Nathan Merritt joins Williams at number four for the poisoned chalice of the ‘never seen again wingers’ (notable mention to Steve Turner). It was a truly upsetting showing for Merritt and rugby league fans in general.

Merritt’s debut in Game 2 of the 2013 series at the ripe old age of 30 will go down as one of the all-time terrible Origin performances from either side.

Continuously and inexplicably throughout the match Merritt would race up attempting to apply pressure on the Queensland players, the problem was he failed to tell any of his teammates. His poor reads directly led to three tries, including a double to Darius Boyd, in a 26-6 loss.

Merritt was heavily criticised and was dropped for Game 3, though there are still questions being asked as to whether this was a tactic devised by coach Laurie Daley.

2. Kurt Gidley
Until Mitchell Pearce happened and forgetting Daniel Fitzhenry, no player has caused quite as much derision as Kurt Gidley (take a quick glance at social media and the countless amount of memes regarding Gidley and Origin if you don’t believe me).

Kurt has been a wonderful servant to the Newcastle Knights and the NRL, particularly in the early years of his career, but for a good six seasons now he has been more liability than legend.

Gidley remains the only player to ever captain his state from the interchange bench. Some would say that is a unique honour. However, a large portion of league aficionados will be far more blunt and tell you that was because he wasn’t good enough to earn a starting spot in any position.

Gidley has always been a player full of effort, but sadly effort can only take you so far. His 12 games in Blues colors have been littered with brain explosions, knock-ons and poor defensive reads coupled with incredibly earning selection in front of players such as Brett Stewart at fullback.

Gidley is a wholehearted player but his continual selection was a key cause for the lack of progression for NSW during 2007-2011 where the Blues never looked like claiming a title.

Whether being selected in the halves, at hooker or fullback, NSW staff were ultimately chasing a dragon in Gidley as they desperately tried to fill the void of Craig Wing. Gidley struggled to ever positively influence a match.

1. Mitchell Pearce
While Gidley was cause for derision Pearce has unfortunately been the source of almost universal abject hatred from NSW fans. So much so that many pundits wished to present the ‘girl in the yellow dress’ – who prevented Pearce from playing Origin in 2014 – with the player of the series award.

Pearce seemed to have finally turned a corner in Game 2 this year after 13 prior sub-par performances. But in Game 3 it again all came crashing down.

Pearce was non-existent in both attack and especially defence. His six missed tackles directly led to three tries and accounted for more than the entire Queensland defence – his halves partner Trent Hodkinson, whose selection was scrutinised, was NSW’s finest defender in a horrendous performance.

Pearce contributed only one run for four metres in the 11th minute and while he did play behind a badly beaten pack that were starved of possession, his kicking game like so many matches before was appalling.

Pearce is not solely to blame for the countless Origin series losses he has been involved in but the problem is that he is an uninspiring focal point of a dreadful attack.

Pearce tops this list due to his complete lack of creativity, an absent running game, appalling kicking game, at times shaky defence and, most importantly for Blues fans and unfairly to Pearce, his consistent selection.

No player has ever been offered so many chances to perform and redeem himself or herself after continuous failure.

The pick and stick option is fine provided you make the right selection, Pearce has almost never been the right selection. Despite an improved showing in Game 2 this season he was still not the right selection, especially considering the outstanding form of Blake Austin. The partnership of Josh Reynolds and Hodkinson should have been retained.

Pearce excels at club footy where he can rely on structured and rehearsed plays, but ultimately when the pressure is placed on him and the side needs either control or a big play he is capable of neither at Origin level.

This is why he tops this list and also why Game 3 now truly more than ever needs to be his final foray into representative football.

NSW State of Origin ‘Lost Years’ team
Kurt Gidley
Nathan Merrit
Joel Monaghan
William Hopoate
David Williams
Terry Campese
Mitchel Pearce
Kade Snowden
Dean Young
Tim Grant
Jamie Buhrer
Jamal Idris
Ben Creagh

Jason King
Justin Poore
Keith Galloway
Steve Turner

18th man: Daniel Tupou