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Why do the Blues insist on self destructing?

Roar Rookie
15th June, 2019
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Roar Rookie
15th June, 2019
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I’ll begin by stating I’m a Maroons fan so that will immediately put many off my thoughts on the Blues.

I was very confident the Maroons would win Game 1 at home and can’t understand the excessive hype that this Blues side has around it. They won last year but it wasn’t domination as many commentators have said. Like Game 1 of this year, the better team won but they weren’t miles ahead.

This Maroons team is very underrated and look like they will improve if they keep these guys together for a few years. They look dangerous moving the ball and they have a lot of improvement in them.

This was many people’s opinions of the Blues last year so what’s happened?

First off the Blues weren’t that bad in Game 1. They were making yards, James Tedesco and Damien Cook were hurting QLD and they got on the front foot easily at times. The problem was the halves couldn’t provide fluency or direction in attack. I love Nathan Cleary and he’s a solid young player but let’s be honest. He was a passenger last series and James Maloney was outstanding.

Latrell Mitchell, Cook and Teddy got all the attention and accolades but in my opinion Maloney was the catalyst for how the Blues played. I rarely see Cleary put doubt into a set defensive line but this is where Maloney shines.

James Maloney

Does James Maloney deserve an Origin recall? (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

It’s the little, subtle things he does that make him so effective in the tight contests. He holds the ball a second longer before passing or fires it out quick at the right times.

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He understands his role so well that when the pressures applied he doesn’t have to think about what to do it’s instinctual, footy nous. The bloke’s a class ball player and he’s the only one the Blues have had since Joey.

The difference in the blues this year wasn’t Cody Walker’s fault because he showed glimpses of promise. It wasn’t Cleary’s fault, he’s already exceeding expectations for someone his age.

The Blues selectors need to be highly critical of themselves. Why wouldn’t they realise pairing a very young and still robotic 7 with a ball running 6 isn’t the best way to go? The rest of the team is entirely stacked with damaging ball runners so you would think they would try to balance the side.

Mitch Pearce is the form half and probably deserves the spot over Cleary but why put that extra pressure on the side.

Pearce being the scapegoat during the Blues drought isn’t right. As an opposing fan I was much happier to see Paul Gallen and Greg Bird overplaying their hand. Or Robbie Farah contribute his two or three high risk, low odds plays.

When the Blues attack featured these things they were heading for a loss. Sure Pearce was the halfback but these senior players stifled more attack than Mitch. His confidence must have taken a battering but to his credit he always comes back stronger.

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I don’t doubt Pearce coming back and succeeding but I trust Nathan to improve on last year if given the same role.

Cleary’s not going to individually turn a games momentum like some halves but he’s effective and reliable beside a dominant half.

Cook and Teddy will terrorise the middle all game but it’s in vain if a 30m break isn’t followed with a quality attacking raid.

If Maloney doesn’t play in this series I strongly doubt the Blues can win it. If he does the Maroons will need to be a lot better than Game 1 to reclaim the shield.

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