While I was happy with the combined effort of the Blues in the first Origin match of the series, I can’t help but think that there are still some in-house politics ruining their chances.
No matter how well things are looking for the Blues, there are always going to be great players with potential overlooked for others who clearly don’t deserve to be there.
In the Queensland camp on the other hand, players are brought in on form, and while there are loyalties that do play a part, their players always seem to perform on the game’s biggest stage.
I believe lot of this has to do with the politics running through each team’s inner sanctum.
Take the selection for Dylan Walker for example. Having struggled at five-eighth for the Sea Eagles all year, the young premiership winner was shifted back to his preferred position at centre a week before the series started.
He was then selected as the Blues’ bench utility even though he had only played two positions during his first grade career, not including his stints at fullback to cover injuries.
Some have questioned where Walker’s selection came from, and I think there’s a fairly obvious answer – Manly Sea Eagles legend and rugby league Immortal Bob Fulton.
Fulton was at the forefront of recruiting Walker from Souths, and was rumoured to have lured him across the bridge with the guarantee of an Origin jersey. While these reports haven’t been confirmed, there is sure as hell is a lot of evidence to support them.
Needless to say, even the armchair experts were right in predicting that Dylan Walker’s selection would be a bad one, only playing the last nine minutes with an error as the one contribution to his name. To be fair, yes, it was partially Laurie Daley’s fault for utilising him the way he did, but surely a better option could have been conceived.
The sad thing about what I’m saying is that the Blues have a history of making these ‘off’ selections, and the results over the past ten years have shown. While Queensland built a mighty team around the same core players, only changing due to external forces like injury or retirement, the Blues went about picking players who either had relationships with the coach, former players, official or purely because they played for a powerhouse club.
Because of this bias, plenty of players have been robbed of chances to shine in the Origin arena, where others have been given more than what they realistically deserve.
While I do like Laurie Daley’s approach of wiping the slate fairly clean of the team, I do believe the same needs to be done for the selection board.
Fulton, Bob McCarthy and Geoff Gerard were all great players in their heyday, but it’s time for a new set of selectors to come in. We need blokes like Peter Sterling, Brad Fittler and Andrew Johns to step up to the plate, people who have played Origin in the last two decades that know the modern game inside and out.
We need people who have had coaching gigs at clubs, not blokes who have been retired for 40 years and are living off past glories.
Politics like this have deprived New South Wales from the potential they could have reached in the last decade. While they’ve been twiddling their thumbs and humming, Queensland have built up a squad and culture that is the envy of all other rugby league clubs.
It’s time for a clean slate. It’s time we replaced the old with the new. It’s time for a new Blues.
Bluey
Guest
Tyrone Peachey for mine would do more than a job. He's a genuine footballer who can play multiple positions in the backs and fwds.
Chsarles NSW
Guest
Spot on steveng!
Andréa Mandadakis
Roar Guru
I definitely think that the utility position has to go to someone that can play nearly everywhere on the pitch, which is exactly why I disagreed with Walker being selected. He could definitely become a great centre for NSW in the future, but a utility he is not. It was just one of the things the Blues could have done better which definitely could have been the difference between a win and a lost. Had they utilised an X-factor player on the bench and used him wisely, perhaps the scores would have been reversed. I think the fact that NSW have so many players to choose from is a double-edged sword; while there is plenty of depth, there isn't much quality in certain positions. No one really stands out from the rest of the competition and because of that they have a tendency to keep chopping and changing. I definitely hope that we stick with our young guns though, particularly Adam Reynolds and Matt Moylan.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Daley should have used Walker when NSW had some momentum in the first half and Queensland were back-peddling in defence. Instruct him to follow the ball carrier through the middle or the edge and see how it goes for about ten minutes. You know, the whole strike while the iron is hot mentality. I also agree with Jeynolds as hooker, which to me, was just daft. When he played like a half and ran to the line back in that cameo series he opened up the attack and created space for his players. And then Daley took him off. I think Daley is NSW's problem.
steveng
Roar Rookie
You should have rephrased that to 'It looked like Daley had absolutely no idea' full stop! The Blues team was wrongly picked and it showed in their performance, they never ever looked like winning that game.
Dicko
Guest
Maybe I'm missing something, but I think Utility has become a position in it's own right. It's a different mindset. Dylan Walker has not played this role, and so tried his best, but struggled. Can't blame the kid for being selected. The issue with the Blues is this constant need for the next big thing. NSW lost game 1 by 2 points. To me their biggest issue was they looked like a team that was playing their first game together - which they were. Keep them together and let them build. Yes, Cordner has to be replaced due to injury, but maybe we leave the rest alone. The problem we've got is the so-called experts that muddy the water. Earlier in the year James Hooper was one of many that were calling for Laurie to ensure that players with big game experience were selected, yet now after a 2 point loss he wants to bring in Bryce Cartwright in. He wants to bring a player that has played a handful of NRL games in the forwards under his belt, and play him in the halves. The Blues landscape is littered with players that were rushed in before they were ready because they were the only option and discarded the second they did not win the series (eg Jarrod Mullen). NSW need to remember that Cameron Smith did not win his first series in State of Origin - look at him now!
eagleJack
Roar Guru
I thought Paul Gallen said it best on the issue that it wouldn't have mattered if it was Dylan Walker, Jack Bird or Josh Reynolds it was a tough situation to be put in. He said Walker trained exceptionally well all week in multiple positions in case of injury. But when there wasn't an injury, there wasn't really a plan for him except go out and "do something". I thought this was a dig at the coaching staff to be honest. Not only did Walker not know his role, but neither did those around him. There were 9 minutes left, they were behind and Walker was in good position on a few occasions to take the ball but he was cut out. Everyone was frantic at that point. You are on a hiding to nothing in the utility role. Especially when there isn't an injury. We have seen it with Josh Reynolds coming on, going into dummy half and having no impact. Look at Michael Morgan. Came on, got knocked out and left his team a man down. If that was Dylan Walker the cries would have been deafening. I find it amusing that some still genuinely believe that Walker was selected due to a promise of an Origin jersey. But I guess some still believe that Elvis is alive and we never landed on the moon.
The eye
Guest
Generally speaking agree with Les,Blues dont need to mess around with th forwards,like to see a bit more whack in the tackle than last game though.. there's a vacancy for real attacking threats out wide..it's Jack Bird final audition time on Monday night,love to see him on GI..
isaac
Guest
guys I am a queensland fan and I don't care how nsw pick their squad but the sad thing I saw from last game 1 is injecting walker into a losing battle and expect him to create miracles. his confidence has a player was gone because daley had have him in bench for the 70 plus minutes. I really felt sorry for that poor walker, I don't think we will see him in the origin arena not because he is not a quality player, its because the coaching staff made him look stupid by putting him through last minute. he should have been thrown into the first half of the first half just to get some confidence and feel comfortable . mollyan made some few mistakes in the first half but as they game continued he get used to the atmosphere and playing style and toughness of origin. go marrons for the game time..
Onside
Guest
Just two points in the result. The video ref correctly denied NSW victory, but it was by the proverbial 'bees dick'. A bigger bee, and this article becomes not so much without substance , but moot.
Tom Rock
Expert
The criticism of Walker has been needlessly harsh. Good young player, probably destined to play centre long-term for the Blues, who was picked out of position and then thrown into the game when Daley had run out of ideas. I can't imagine another player would have come off the bench at that same time and changed the nature of the game. Walker can't help being selected. Blame those who picked him out of form and those who then utilised him poorly. Don't blame the kid.
AJL.
Roar Pro
It looked like Daley had absolutely no idea what to do with Walker. Contrast Qld with Morgan. The Blues basically played with 16 because the coach doesn't know what he's doing.
Les Mara
Roar Rookie
NSW cannot stop the extra man cut-out pass by Thurston and previously Lockyer-to the outside backs,when on the attack. That is why the le Blues keep losing.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Speaking for myself, he's an out of form centre who's been playing 5/8, picked as a middle third utility. He was on a hiding to nothing...he doesn't know the role. Yes, he only got 9 minutes. But they were 9 minutes where the Blues desperately needed that bench player to add some spark and get them moving forward. He looked lost and touched the ball once with a terrible error. I don't blame Walker he was picked out of position but his selection was mystifying.
Simon
Guest
Mhmm maybe you're right but I don't understand why everyone's complaining about Walker. He played 9 minutes, sometimes that's just what a utility player does
yung
Guest
fulton has long been a cancer in rugby league, im talking back to the 80s. when he goes, guaranteed NSW will shine again