Queensland’s blueprint for success: Recommendations of a smug New South Welshman

Would it have mattered? Would it have mattered if Johnathan Thurston had passed his fitness test? Would it have mattered if Billy Slater had been picked at fullback? If Matt Scott and Greg Inglis had been available for selection? If Valentine Holmes had got a start on the wing?

Would Queensland have won the game?

Possibly. But probably not. Queensland were good, but New South Wales were exceptional. They played with passion and precision, desire and dedication. They out-tackled, out-enthused and outplayed their opposition. They simply out-Queenslanded the Queenslanders.

But despite the Sydney media throwing the term ‘dynasty’ around like an auctioneer at a porcelain warehouse, the news isn’t all bad for the Maroons. History suggests that, however dominant the Blues were in Game 1, they’re unlikely to back it up in Game 2.

New South Wales have won back-to-back interstate encounters only once in the last decade, meaning that the series remains very much alive.

Still, I don’t envy Kevin Walters right now. He knows the Maroons are well off the pace and that significant changes are needed. Faced with rugby league’s version of Sophie’s Choice, the coach will get slammed by fans and media alike no matter what he does.

Make changes, and he’ll be hounded for his hypocrisy. Stick solid, and he risks surrendering the shield in Sydney.

So if changes are needed, where does he start?

Queensland displayed two fundamental weaknesses last Wednesday: breaking the NSW line and stopping easy metres through the middle. Both can be addressed through the inclusion of key personnel.

To the first point, the Maroons need to draft in some game-breakers. The sort of players who can turn a game on its head with a moment of individual brilliance. Queensland has a wealth of quality attacking players, but despite the precision of Cooper Cronk, the game-management of Cameron Smith and the polish of Darius Boyd, their attack had the firepower of a rusty spud gun.

(AAP Image/Julian Smith)

Billy Slater must be selected at fullback. His omission in Game 1 was a mistake, and Slater rubbed the selectors’ noses in it with a two-try, two-try assist performance on Friday evening.

The Maroons desperately missed Billy’s organisation in defence and support play in attack. His combination with Cronk and Smith adds another dimension to Queensland’s attack and provides that game changing ability sorely lacking in Game 1.

Valentine Holmes should also come in at the expense of Corey Oates. The strapping Brisbane winger is solid in defence, provides a strong carry on kick returns, and is a spectacular finisher close to the line, but his game can be a bit one-dimensional.

Holmes’ blistering pace and electric acceleration provides Queensland with an element of unpredictability and may prove a greater challenge for the NSW defence.

Finally, I would give Anthony Milford the nod over Michael Morgan for the utility role. While Morgan’s size and diverse skill-set are ideally suited to the number 17 jersey, I haven’t been impressed with him at Origin level. With fresh legs against a tired defensive line, Milford could be a dynamic bench option at the back end of each half.

But none of that matters if the Maroons can’t hold their own through the middle. Despite ruthless hitting and line speed that would make Ben Barba proud, the Queensland forwards were completely dominated in Game 1. With the Blues opting for a mobile pack of 80-minute men, the Maroons struggled to keep up with the pace of the contest, which severely limited the impact of Josh Papalii and Josh McGuire.

Coen Hess is a certain starter. Another sensational performance on the weekend made his case for selection impossible to ignore. The try he scored in the second half could not have been scored by the likes of Nate Myles, Jacob Lillyman or Aidan Guerra.

I don’t care how young or inexperienced he is, Hess is a much better option than the aforementioned veterans.

The other forwards to enter the squad should be Jarrod Wallace and Korbin Sims. Both are big, mobile bruisers, and both are in form. Taking incumbency off the table, each deserves a spot in the Queensland 17 ahead of Lillyman and Guerra.

(AAP Image/Glenn Hunt)

Does Queensland win Game 2 with the introduction of the Maroon 5? Possibly. Does the introduction of these new faces give Queensland a better chance of winning Game 2 than their current squad? Absolutely.

Don’t call me Locky
Pressure. It can do funny things to an athlete. Some embrace it, allowing it to fuel their performance. Others wilt like a microwaved lettuce. So what will the pressure of being the next Darren Lockyer do to Matt Moylan?

After years of media speculation, persistent talkback chatter and a few less-than-subtle hints by Moylan himself, the Panthers have finally relented and shifted their skipper into the halves. The move has been a long time coming, with Moylan following in the footsteps of Brisbane, Queensland and Australian legend Darren Lockyer.

In the end, Penrith didn’t really have a choice. With the Te Marie Martin experiment entering Tim Smith territory and Bryce Cartwright picking up a long-term leg injury, the Panthers needed a five-eighth.

And with their hopes of making the finals circling the drain, now was as good a time as any to bite the bullet and determine if Moylan has a future in the number six jersey.

I can understand the rationale behind comparing the pair. Stylistically, both players are very similar. Each player excelled as a ball playing fullback. Each possesses a very handy kicking game. Each has taken a turn as his team’s first-choice goal kicker. Each was handed the captaincy at a young age. And each has blonde hair.

But that’s where the similarities stop. A closer look at their careers after a comparable number of first-grade games shows a substantial gulf between the two, and also highlights what an unbelievable talent Lockyer was at such a young age.

It’s been 22 years since Darren Lockyer first debuted for the Brisbane Broncos, making it all too easy to forget just how good he was. At the same point in their respective careers (and four years younger), Lockyer had won two premierships, been involved in a winning Origin campaign, and represented his country.

Save for a solitary Test against Scotland, Moylan is yet to achieve any of these accolades.

It’s inevitable that current players will be compared with legends of the past, but it’s important to stop and consider the impact these comparisons can have on current performance.

Jarrod Mullen is a perfect example. Entering first grade as a highly touted teenager, Mullen played over 200 first grade games, represented NSW country on four occasions, and even represented the Blues at State of Origin level.

By any normal measure, that would be celebrated as a highly successful rugby league career. But fairly or otherwise, Mullen’s yardstick was marked differently to his peers based on the man he replaced. The shadow of Andrew Johns meant Mullen was under constant pressure to be great, rather than celebrated for being very good.

So as Matt Moylan embarks on the next chapter of his rugby league career, let’s give him a bit of space. Instead of waiting for him to become the next Darren Lockyer, let’s embrace him as the first Matt Moylan.

(AAP Image/Paul Miller)

5th Tackle Option
Here are five quick thoughts on the action from Round 13:

1. The referees did a fantastic job in Origin 1. They let the game flow and fans were rewarded with one of the greatest Origin encounters in recent memory. But gee whiz there were a few high shots that were let go in the opening exchanges.

Josh McGuire was particularly lucky. Some of his wind ups and whipping arm actions resembled a young Shoaib Akhtar. The Maroons enforcer must have had a sore rotator cuff after the game.

2. The Dragons are an entirely different prospect with Gareth Widdop on the field. The St George Illawarra captain has been outstanding this season and didn’t miss a beat in his return from injury. With Widdop and Dugan on the park together, the Dragons are a legitimate threat to do some damage in September.

3. The detrimental effect of Origin on club football was again on display in Round 13. The Roosters were without Mitchell Pearce. The Broncos didn’t have the services of Anthony Milford. Brett Morris was out for the Dogs, and Cam Smith didn’t recover in time to take the field for the Storm.

Fans didn’t get to watch their favourite players, clubs were robbed of their best players, and the players themselves are placed under intense pressure to perform under massive fatigue. Who wins in this scenario? The Nine Network and Rugby League HQ. Not good enough.

4. Hell of a week for Boyd Cordner. The Pirate from Old Bar was given the honour of skippering the Blues and handled himself with distinction. Cordner had a ripper of a game for NSW, and then backed it up a few nights later by scoring a double as skipper of the victorious Roosters. It doesn’t get much better than that.

5. The Bulldogs were extremely poor. Their intensity was way short of the mark, the body language of key players was discouraging, and their execution on fifth tackle was park football level. Belmore can’t be the best working environment right now.

Amid reports that David Klemmer wants out of his contract and captain James Graham is being shopped around, the boardroom is once again making headlines after the shock resignation of Raylene Castle. Add in the imminent arrivals of Aaron Woods and Kieran Foran, and the salary cap pressure the club is facing as a result, and it’s no wonder that the Canterbury players are performing like their minds are elsewhere.

Des Hasler has a massive job ahead of him if he wants to make it six straight finals campaigns.