Out there in NRL clubland, there’s been many a time when a once-glorious playing list and coaching staff have gone stale and in need of a good renovation.
So begins the ‘rebuild’, hated yet tolerated by most rugby league fans.
Generally, it’s understood that a few backward steps sometimes need to be taken before a club can rediscover that long-term consistency and success.
There’s a standard template for these times: incoming coaches and the current administrators lay groundwork with the fans, frowning and looking concerned at meetings and press conferences as they talk about the leaner times to come, that players may need to be moved to free up cash, and that a new gameplan will ‘take time to embed in the playing group’.
Unless your head office have great third-party contacts, at some stage in a coaching career this will be the way. And it’s OK – as we’ve seen with Newcastle, fans will cop a trip to the cellar if they are brought on board early and can track gradual improvement on the field over the course of a season.
But State of Origin is different.
It’s the three toughest, most intense contests of the year, asking the hardest questions of a player’s physical and mental stamina.
Supporting the teams are two cohorts of uncompromising fans who demand maximum effort, maximum intensity and a series win.
At the risk of sounding like Phil Gould, Origin demands you to perform, or to have an asterisk next to your name that will be difficult to shake for the remainder of your career.
And into all this comes rookie Blues coach Brad Fittler. He knows what State of Origin is all about – he played his first Origin game at 18 years of age and went on to feature in 31 of them.
Photo by Matt King/Getty Images
Justified or not, one of the biggest criticisms levelled at recently departed Blues coach Laurie Daley was that he stuck with his squad through thick and thin.
New South Wales didn’t change their line-up from Game 1 to 3 in 2017. Daley trusted his squad had strongly established combinations, understanding of one another and a sense of predictability.
Only problem was, that predictability was obvious to everyone watching – especially those in Maroon jerseys on the other side of the field.
So it’s easy to jump on and give Laurie a whack but remember, in Game 2 last year the Blues were literally three minutes away from a series win before their own handling errors, Dane Gagai and Johnathan Thurston’s right-to-left curve did them in.
Game 3’s subsequent washout (and let’s not forget losing 11 out of the last 12 series) has given Fittler a mandate not many other Blues coaches have had – permission to cast aside reputations and create his own team.
Fittler has been upfront about his intentions, too. He wants the best young players in his team to build into a dynasty rivalling Queensland’s.
Right now, we’re smack bang in the hot spot for the traditional mass speculation about how NSW and Queensland will set up for the opener. And why not – with club form and the timing of injuries, there’s a real chance that Fittler could run out almost a completely new backline in Melbourne.
In the mix of names being seriously considered for the work we’ve got Tom Trbojevic, Nick Cotric, Josh Addo-Carr, Euan Aitken, James Roberts and Latrell Mitchell.
Josh Addo-Carr of the Storm (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Again – that’s just some of the options available for the backline.
In previous years, these players would maybe get a week with the squad in a development role, before sitting in the stands and watching those who had ‘done it before’ get the job ahead of them, sometimes with woeful club form – or no club form at all.
If Fittler is true to his word, those days are over.
NSW 2018 needs a vastly different look, drawing upon possibly the most exciting roll call of young Blue talent in a generation. But new blood doesn’t guarantee new results and, as previously mentioned, Origin is a whole different universe.
Fittler’s excitement for the role and the possibilities he sees is almost infectious. Youthful exuberance from the squad and Fittler’s obvious enthusiasm for his state puts a completely new angle on this year’s series.
But like all good rebuilds, a ‘brand new’ squad needs time to build the structures, combinations and understanding that only comes from playing together. Even the Origin veterans who make the cut will need to reset themselves to fit the brand new world.
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Queensland have lost two of their biggest movers in Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk, but there’s still Cam Munster, Greg Inglis, Will Chambers, Billy Slater… I could go on.
The Maroons have rebuilt on the quiet, making the most of a wining situation to bring players like Munster through. NSW haven’t had that luxury.
So there’s excitement on the horizon, but still a lot of work to be done. Fittler has walked into a house with walls, a roof and not much else – but he’s got some great tools to turn the place over.
The only catch is that while Fittler shapes his team into the dynasty he wants them to be, there may well be a couple more years of Maroon hands holding the State of Origin shield.
Can you live with the growing pains, Blues fans?
Ray Paks
Roar Rookie
NSW need to pick based on form and combinations (if they're going to be loyal, at least pick the ones that have form), and just pray it all works out! it is one big calculated unavoidable risk! That has never been done so maybe, just maybe it might work! They need to do a hail mary and hope for the best, if it doesn't work, then just like that time when NSW won 3 in a row and everyone including qldrs were saying SOO was dead, i'll say it is just about DEAD!!!
AJ Mithen
Expert
Great post with some good points, Mushi. The last sentence is bang on - and maybe why NSW selectors have realised they need to change.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Sutton? Do you mean John Sutton? How could you possibly pick John Sutton ahead of Angus Crichton?
mushi
Roar Guru
I think it’s a balance – neither pick and stick nor pure form I think work. Form is often tough to get a read on as you’ve only got a handful of data points? Should that over rule what you think a player could be capable of in a defined role in a far better side. Some players rise and fall to the level of their team mates and some help others the rise and fall. The key is getting a mix and figuring which player is which type. I don’t mind a pick and stick if you think the player has a high ceiling but needs other players to help him reach it, because in Origin you’ll have those players. Plus some guys may be taking a broader role at club than they will at Origin so again prior knowledge gives maybe a better indication. Also sometimes form is because their side is always on the front foot and they look amazing - which isn't your base case for Origin
Bplol
Guest
Rookies with nothing to lose. Imagine the motivation? Winning the series and you will be remembered for ages. It also helps that most of the rookies are in better form than past rep players. Also losing wouldn't hurt as much if the team was young and picked on form. Its so frustrating because we try the same thing over and over but still lose.
Bplol
Guest
Rookies with nothing to lose. Imagine the motivation? Winning the series and you will be remembered for ages. It also helps that most of the rookies are in better form than past rep players.
Rob
Guest
Billy is a small fullback and the first 2 carries are super important. Queensland have built their game around having a strong 100kg plus ball carrier like Filou, Inglis, Taquri, or Sailor to dent a solid Blue wall. Even Adam Mogg was used successfully. Gagai and Slater have the speed and evasiveness to slice through a staggered tired defensive line. It's a good mix and Oats is in career best form unlike Boyd IMO. Holmes won't shirk the charge but he's 20kg lighter.
Michael Keeffe
Roar Guru
I think the idea of a rebuild in Origin is a myth. It is a rep team. You pick the best players available each game and series. In 1989 game 3 NSW had just lost 8 origin games straight (from game 2 of 87 through to game 3 of 89). Only two players who started in game 3 of 89 started in game 1 of 90 and they won the series. In 1995 QLD only had 5 players who had played in the 94 series and won 3-0. In 2001 QLD had 11 debutants in game 1 and won the series. I'm not saying that experience and continuity isn't important it just isn't everything particularly when you're losing. Would you rather pick experienced losers or rookies with nothing to lose?
The Barry
Roar Guru
You’re not going to get someone who fills all positions though. Most backrowers can move one wider and play centre. Cook started in the halves so could fill in at a pinch. Cook coming on 10 minutes before halftime and 15 minutes before full time could be electric. If they started with say McInnes, he could stay on the field as a running player or additional link man and Cook could come on for a back rower. But yeah, playing two specialist hookers would be daft.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Yeah..,when he was at the dogs lower grades and his first few grade games were in the halves
zenn
Guest
Great pack built around Tariq Sims. The pack has him and his four SGI team-mates plus his cousin RCG. Great combinations all round.
Griffo
Guest
Last year, I suspect that had Matt Scott been injured, Nate Myles would not have been selected in game 1. I think the selectors felt there needed to be an experienced hand to accompany Napa. Myles' club form had been way off for more than a year. On top of this he hadn't performed well for Queensland in 2016 during a winning series. Queensland having a pick and stick policy is not a strict doctrine, nor is it a myth. They picked and stuck with players that had kept doing the job in origin even if they were out of form at club level, but they were also prepared to pick a young player if they were best in that position. There was never "not quite ready for origin yet" attitude just because of a player's young age; Inglis and Folau being examples of this.
Emcie
Roar Guru
nevermind...
R N
Roar Rookie
Christian Welch.... its early and he is just back from injury, but he has talent and like alot of Melbourne boys seems to have a good head on him. Would pick him before Glasby and Napa either way.
Someone
Guest
The problem is there have been media reports that NSW have been considering playing 2 specialist hookers as an option. If he was the best utility player available for NSW and happened to be a hooker fair enough, but I don't think he has sufficient experience in various positions to provide sufficient utility value to be on the bench. Also you would be using what should be forward interchanges, just so you can play a second hooker (not great). Ideally the bench utility role would go to a forward (probably back rower) who could fill some backs positions to be the utility player, then if there aren't injuries you could include them in the forward rotation and if there are injuries you could put them in the backs, with a bit of shuffling as required to better cover the injury. As far as I can tell Cook only covers Hooker and Halfback (and then I'm not sure how well he covers halfback).
souvalis
Guest
In the NRL glossary ‘proficient-tackling number 6’ is an oxymoron..
jamesb
Guest
Cook actually played fullback for Souths in one game last year. And in the lower grades, he has played halfback and even on the wing. He is the kind of player that could be used in the backrow, or a running five-eighth type.
Emcie
Roar Guru
I think most people would if history wasn't a factor. But boyd'll be there, for game one at least
The Barry
Roar Guru
I disagree about the two hookers. When was the last time NSW played two hookers? Not since Craig Wing as far as I can remember and he was pretty handy. In Cook NSW have someone that can fill that Wing style role. But I agree as far as picking centres playing 5/8 as bench hookers, NSW has done pretty poorly.
The Barry
Roar Guru
I agree. I’d have Holmes or Oates ahead of Boyd on the wing.