As I write this, Brad Fittler is no doubt agonising over potential halves combinations to take the field for New South Wales Blues on June 6 at the MCG for Origin 1.
There are no two ways about it – it’s a bloody tough decision to make. Personally, I flip between Luke Keary and Nathan Cleary on a daily basis.
There is but one certainty in my mind. That is James Maloney.
Over the last week or so, through the words of Penrith Supremo Phil Gould, it has emerged that there may be some “shocking” selections in the halves. Many have speculated that this means Maloney is on the outer.
“He misses tackles!”
Sure. But his teams win.
“His discipline is terrible!”
Yeah. But his teams win.
“He’s a pest and everyone thinks he’s annoying!”
Absolutely! But his teams win.
Whatever you say about James Maloney, the bottom line is that he is a winner.
Pictured: James Maloney, shortly after winning something. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
He’s taken three different teams to grand finals, winning two premierships along the way. Since cementing a spot in first grade with the Warriors in 2011, his teams have missed the finals just once – that was 2012, with the Kiwis.
He also won three minor premierships in a row with the Roosters from 2013-2015. As an interesting aside, the year that Maloney left the Roosters (2016), they came second last. Coincidence? Maybe. Correlation does not always equal causation. But that’s still one hell of a coincidence.
In 2018, Maloney has been absolutely killing it. He’s second behind Keary in try assists for NSW players (sixth overall) with ten. He’s got the most kick metres of any NSW player (second overall behind Cooper Cronk) with 3178 metres.
On the flipside, his error count is 18, making him equal third overall. This is likely a product of him touching the ball so much due to Nathan Cleary’s injury-enforced break. And yes, he leads the competition for missed tackles by a long way, with 63, but since when do we pick halves based on their ability to defend?
Aside from being one of the form halves in the NRL (certainly the form NSW half), Maloney brings a wealth of experience and knowledge that Keary and Cleary simply do not possess.
In addition, Maloney is of the Johnathan Thurston mold, in that he is equally adept at directing a team around the park as he is at taking a back seat and injecting himself into the game as he pleases.
Maloney is clearly the best half in the state. I don’t care if he’s picked at 6 or at 7 or with whom he is paired. But if there’s one thing that I know for sure, it’s that he simply has to be in the team.
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Those who know Freddy Fittler say he’s a bit weird, a little bit different – marches to the beat of his own drum. To be frank, I can ascertain most of that for myself by watching him on TV every weekend.
They say he sees things differently – I respect that, it’s a good quality.
Not that my approval should mean much to someone who’s played 336 NRL games, 31 Origins and 38 Tests. My highest height in rugby league was missing a tackle on Dylan Walker in the U13s.
I don’t claim to have anywhere near his rugby league knowledge. I am a mere peasant compared to rugby league royalty like Freddy.
But if I may, I have a sneaking suspicion that his desire to perhaps not pick Maloney stems from the fact that he likes to pick the weird option over the normal one, and picking the comp’s form half for Origin is without a doubt what any normal person would do.
Freddy has got to where he is by doing things his way, but if he were to do something different to what is normal for him (keeping in mind that his concept of ‘different’ is most people’s concept of ‘normal’), I would suggest it be picking Maloney for Origin 1.
Make no mistake, once the team is picked, I will be behind those 17 players 100 per cent. But in the fair dinkum department, we as a state are not giving ourselves the best chance of winning if James Maloney is not in the team.
elvis
Guest
Apart from the St George streak players and Lazo, has anyone else won 6?
Philip Heron
Guest
As a QLDER, in glad Freddy is not keen on Maloney. He's not a defensive minded player so why think of him as that. But he will get the backline firing and slot penalties. Isn't that a #6's job? I'd have him and Cleary in my team any day over moses and keary
Daniel Szabo
Roar Guru
Everyone points to Mitchell Moses's world cup performance in a team where Freddy Fittler happened to be the coach (I'm not saying you did that, but many people do and I wouldn't be surprised if that performance is part of the reason you picked him). He did nothing against Australia or England. He carved up France - a team full of reserve-graders + Theo Fages. Just because he chip-and-chased a bunch of semi-professional Frenchmen, in a team coached by the current Origin coach, doesn't mean he's up to State of Origin. But for him to get picked at all - let alone at the expense of someone of James Maloney's caliber - would be absolutely disgraceful. It's not that Moses isn't on Maloney's level. It's that he's not even on the level below Maloney.
Ray Paks
Roar Rookie
I won't be too disappointed with that team. My only problem is probably Moses, he was in all sorts against the Warriors something tells me he's going to have a shocker if he gets the nod. If Fittler was looking at change maybe Luke Brooks would have been a better choice
The Barry
Roar Guru
I’ve heard the NSW team is going to be: 1. Turbo 2. JAC 3. Aitken 4. Mitchell 5. Cotric 6. Keary 7. Moses 8. Vaughan 9. Cook 10. RCG 11. Cordner 12. Frizell 13. Jurbo Only bench player I know is Sims.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Definitely...he got on the paddock. Six premierships - even including one off the bench and super league - is unbelievable.
The Barry
Roar Guru
It’s not the same. TPJ made a choice to play rep footy for Tonga instead of rep footy for NSW. Keary would have to say goodbye to ALL representative footy including any chance of playing for Australia. It’s a shame. It’s impossible to have a set of rules which covers all eventualities. These rules looked pretty good until Keary’s case came along. It’s a shame you can’t have exceptions but unfortunately as soon as there’s one you have a line of players saying “we went to Surfers when I was 8, pass me a XXXX and a banjo, I’m as Queensland as they come” (or vice versa)
elvis
Guest
Does being a reserve in 89 count in the 6, 5, 3 or 1, depending on who is counting?
Pickett
Guest
Agree 100% with this article. Maloney should be first player picked. An absolute winner. The bigger the setting, the better he plays. WIsh he was back at the Roosters.
Rellum
Roar Guru
It is the same. You play where your passion lies. I feel for him and others stuck in an imperfect system. I still remember Ken Nagas struggling with playing for NSW.
Emcie
Roar Guru
That's a different scenario though, TPJ aligned himself to another nation. Keary's in the position of being forced to play for one of his two prefered rep teams or neither of them and he doesn't really have any recourse to change these two options in any way
Rellum
Roar Guru
Personally if I was in Keary's position I would pull out of selection for NSW. Just like TPJ did. You need to be proud of were you are from and if he sees himself as a QLDer then he should stick by that.
Emcie
Roar Guru
Oh I wouldn't select him either based on those exact reasons. I'm just saying that Keary being unable to play for QLD is out of his control and he can't rule himself out of NSW selection without ruling himself out of Australian selection. The whole situation is a bit of a joke, but it's a bit rough to have a go at Keary over it
kk
Guest
Very interesting piece by Chris Kennedy on Maloney at nrl.com Stat attack: JM's defensive problems a myth.
Bunney
Roar Rookie
Dr Chop, Your reasoning is sound. Maloney hasn't been horrible (overall) in his SOO games to date. He is also the form halfback for NSW. I was merely pointing out that a lot of people (rightly) bag Pearce for the failures in Games II & III, but Maloney's identical failure is overlooked. I would argue his good has been very good, but his failures balance that out. However, there are plenty of tales in selection history, where a 'lesser' player is selected due to the selectors seeing something most in the public miss, and it being an inspired choice! Glad it's not my job. If Fittler doesn't select Maloney, and NSW lose, the reaction will likely be apoplexy!
Busty McCracken
Guest
That's no different in my eyes. I honestly would give anything to have the skillset & talent of a professional footballer to have been able to represent the sky blue and do my part to stop this qld domination over the last 12 years. To think we are talking about putting someone in there that doesn't have that same emotion doesn't sit right with me. I want to see people representing NSW that feel the way I and many others do. not someone who wants it as a pathway to the Aus team, or for extra cash. That's not what makes origin special.
Ray Paks
Roar Rookie
Pearce missed a large chunk in the second half of the first game last year and NSW still won 28-4. Whether he's there in person or not, there won't be success, that's what the universe has been telling us for the last how many years..
Daniel Szabo
Roar Guru
You can say what you like about the NSW halves in games 2 and 3 last year. It is 100% BOTH their faults that they didn't target JT's clearly injured shoulder in Game 2. And 100% they both went missing in Game 3. But firstly, you shouldn't make this about Pearce. He's injured. He's not playing Origin this year. With regards to Maloney, for all his faults (especially in Game 3 last year), do you think it solves the NSW halves issue to pick someone like Moses or Brooks etc who are clearly not on the same level as Maloney? Do we cast aside clearly our best option just because he was outplayed by players clearly better than him who are no longer there? Maloney has shown a lot more in his 9 Origins than Pearce has in his 18. Sure he was poor in Game 3 last year. I thought he was good in Game 2 - much better than Pearce. Pearce controlled Thurston's side - it's much more Pearce's fault than Maloney's that Thurston's injury wasn't targeted. Maloney has regularly been one of NSW's best in losing sides. I cannot say that I've ever thought that about Pearce - in Origin he's been at best indifferent, at worst diabolical.
Daniel Szabo
Roar Guru
Find me a NSW player with a good win percentage over the last decade. No one has a good winning percentage. That stat means very little. The fact is that he's had more success than any NSW half in the last decade in all arenas except State of Origin. In fact, I'd say he's been the best half in the game over the last 5 years outside of Thurston and Cronk. Now that Thurston and Cronk don't play Origin anymore, that makes Maloney arguably the best half in the game who is eligible for Origin - an advantage that NSW hasn't had since Andrew Johns played. They would be idiotic not to capitalize on this advantage.
Daniel Szabo
Roar Guru
I hope you're right!