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Freddy's team will either work really well or fail miserably

Snickobro new author
Roar Rookie
29th May, 2018
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Boyd Cordner (AAP Image/Dan Peled)
Snickobro new author
Roar Rookie
29th May, 2018
37
1656 Reads

Brad Fittler has chosen a stunning 11 debutants in his first series as State of Origin coach. The question is, will this new method produce the goods for the success-starved NSW, or will it fall apart quicker than Darius Boyd’s hamstrings?

Of the positives for NSW, speed is power, as we’ve often heard rugby league great Phil Gould emphasise. With such a quick back five, NSW should be able to employ the method tried and tested by yours truly on Rugby League 2 and simply run around the opposition.

With speed to burn, the Maroons’ slow wingers Valentine Holmes and Dane Gagai simply to won’t be able to keep up.

On top of that, with Damien Cook scheming from dummy half like a baby-blue-eyed Mussolini, James Maloney and Nathan Cleary will be free to orchestrate early ball into the likes of Latrell Mitchell and James Roberts.

Throw Tyrone Peachey off the bench and into the mix and you have a team full of genuine strike weapons not afraid to chance their arm and willing to take the fight to the elder Queensland team.

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The downside is that the team has the possibility to crack like a windscreen on a cold Bathurst morning. Mitchell and Roberts showed in Round 11 how easily each other can be exposed, with both putting on an attacking masterclass at the expense of the other.

James Tedesco at fullback has been horribly out of form, and one is inclined to think the experienced and cool as a cucumber Blake Ferguson deserved a spot on the wing, with Tom Trbojevic slotting back to fullback.

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Josh Jackson is another diamond formed under the pressure of Origin who was harshly discarded under the guise of cutting out deadwood, despite Boyd Cordner (and Freddy’s noted good mate) remaining as captain.

Come the 60th minute of Origin 1, and the Blues might be wishing Jackson was still in the team to plug up the middle, and Fergo was there to bring the ball out of danger.

Only time will tell how well Freddy picked his team. This time next year will we be shouting his successes after a long-desired NSW victory, or will we be shielding our eyes after the team backfired like 1998 Ford Festiva?

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