Next Wednesday night will be the climax of the strangest State of Origin series I’ve ever seen.
Perhaps it is because of the changing of the Queensland old guard with Greg Inglis, Johnathan Thurston, Billy Slater and Cameron Smith being absent.
Perhaps Brad Fittler’s total unpredictability is the reason.
Perhaps its Kevin Walters and his coach whispering guru.
Perhaps it is the odd team selections that we’ve witnessed.
Perhaps it’s all of them.
Whatever. This series has been bizarre for so many reasons.
Latrell Mitchell
The series started with Latrell Mitchell – who was probably the first player picked for the Blues in most opinions – getting absolutely taken apart up at Suncorp.
There were all sorts of theories as to why but the result was that Latrell is now out of the side. A result unthinkable back in May.
I cannot think of an equivalent fall from grace in the history of the series. I still don’t agree with it. Mitchell had an off game but the bloke is a superstar. The Maroons would never have done it.
Taree is under 200 kilometres south of Bowraville. Perhaps it is also part of the same Queensland prefecture? Kevvie should look into it with haste.
Dylan Napa’s selection
The Maroons’ ethos is ‘to always help your mates, to find an answer, and to not make any ****ing excuses’.
I have previously questioned the suitability of Dylan Napa at Origin level. Not because he doesn’t strive to achieve this ethos but because his defence just isn’t quite good enough. He regularly misses tackles at club level. At Origin level it increases to the point that he misses roughly one in every four attempted.
In Game 1 of this year’s series, he played just 29 minutes but in that time he missed nine. How he was even selected for Game 2 is a mystery.
I’m sure he was trying to help his mates and to find a solution but it didn’t work out that way. You can be assured now that he has been dropped for Game 3, he won’t be making any ****ing excuses.
Dylan Napa (Photo by Zak Kaczmarek/Getty Images)
The Klemmer non-selection
If there was a distinct moment in game one that benefited the Queenslanders, it was when David Klemmer left the field and didn’t return.
To that point, he had been the most dominant forward on the field.
Unavailable because of that same injury in Perth, it was widely assumed that he’d be instantly selected when fit again. When he wasn’t named in the 17 on Monday, most of us were aghast.
While Tariq Sims’ suspension has seen Klemmer recalled, it is bizarre that it had to take something like that for the big unit to be back in blue.
Cleary out – Pearce in
OK, so it’s not nearly as funny as “Pearce off, Jack, Gibbs on”. However, considering the way Mitchell Pearce left the Origin arena in 2017, it is strange to see him return.
Pearce has played in seven losing series for NSW. He has never participated in a winning series. Of the 18 games he played in, he has only won five. That’s a 28 per cent win ratio.
He has played in seven Origin finales and has not won a single one of them – with six of them being deciders and three played at ANZ Stadium.
Yet, in spite of all of this history, this coming Wednesday night he’ll get another attempt.
Mitchell Pearce (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Weird selections in general
On top of the Napa, Mitchell, Klemmer and Pearce oddities, there have been a number of other selections that have raised eyebrows.
Moses Mbye being picked at 14 for the Maroons is still hard to understand. For a side loaded with playmakers, Queensland needed more grunt up front for the bench. I stand by that.
However, it is the Blues who have really pulled the selection oddities. Sure, putting Tom Trbojevic in the centres worked out brilliantly. However, Cody walker at 6 didn’t really.
While Josh Morris acquitted himself well in the first-up loss, he was then dumped. Daniel Saifiti was a left-field call on which the jury is still out.
The Gagai extremities
The boy from Mackay continues to divide people as to whether he is a superb player or a dreadful one. This year’s Origin series highlights the case for both camps.
In Game 1, Gagai ran for 270 metres, scored two tries, broke five tackles, made 14 tackles and missed none. He was very close to being man of the match.
Next Origin out, he made just 69 metres and missed two tackles, leading to this hilarious meme:
The question is which Dane Gagai will turn up on Wednesday night?
Kevin Walters and the team that must not be named
Following Trent Robinson’s example, Walters engaged the services of Bradley Charles Stubbs and had his players and staff taking a leaf out of the Hogwarts manual, not mentioning their arch rivals by name.
It seemed to work in Game 1, not so much in Game 2 though.
The idea of Queenslanders engaging in such methods is unheard of.
Kevin Walters (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Freddie’s coaching
Brad Fittler is one of the best players I’ve ever seen. He could star anywhere in the backline and pretty much anywhere in the forwards.
However, his barefoot training methods – intended to get the players to absorb minerals from the ground – are freaking weird. Then dropping Mitchell. Then selecting Tom Trbojevic in the centres. Then not picking David Klemmer.
These decisions all stunned me.
The really freaky thing is that he heads to ANZ Stadium odds on to be the winning Origin coach in 2019. If that happens, it will be only the third occasion that the Blues have come back from one-nil down in the series to claim the shield.
So what will happen?
History is massively on the side of the Maroons to win the upcoming match and the series. There have only been eight comebacks from one-nil down in the series to lift the shield. NSW has only done it twice.
However, the loss of Jai Arrow and Kalyn Ponga, mixed with the return of David Klemmer, James Maloney and Wade Graham has NSW looking stronger overall. Being at home in front of a sea of electric blue fright wigs can’t hurt either.
But don’t forget; Origin belongs to Queensland. They love being underdogs and they’ll revel in this challenge. They’ll be certain to help their mates, find an answer, and not make any ****ing excuses.
And while that happens, they are always a great chance to once more send NSW out losers.
However, in this bizarre Origin series, I just have a gut feeling that the Blues will prevail.
Snoopbloggyblog
Guest
Any blues fan who believes they get hard done by in origin should go back to 2014. Game 2 was reffed different to any game previous or since. It was the worst game of origin ever and there was hardly any footy played. The blues also had meeting with the referees before games 1 and 2 that the maroons weren’t given and they played the game following the refs guidelines. Any blues fan hanging their hat of that series should be embarrassed.
Chop
Roar Guru
One of the all time greats? I think Pearce cops plenty for so many loses and not all of it is deserved but he's not been able to perform at this level. I hope he lets Maloney do what he did in the second half of last game and not over play his hand. He doesn't need to be the primary playmaker, if he can put his ego aside he might well finally win a series.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
No, I can agree with all of that. But he is NOT the BEST player to have played the game. One of the best, yes. One of the most influential? Certainly. One of the greatest cheats who has controlled the outcome of games that his team has NOT deserved to win? Absolutely! In THAT category alone he stands unrivaled as the greatest of all time! Case in point, the Storn's "Bulldozer" tactic against the Rabbitohs. With the scores locked and seconds remaining Kenny Bromwich played the ball on last tackle 15 metres out from Souths line and Cam Smith breaks to his left to kick a field goal. Kyle Turner takes off to tackle Smith and was only 4 paces away at marker. Kenny Bromwich grabs him and drives forward off the mark driving Turner backwards and clearly and intentionally blicking his path and in so doing allowing Smith a clear uncontested shot at field goal which is successful and wins the game. It was one of the clearest cases of obstruction the game has ever seen but no call was made. Why? Because Smith had the ball, QLD needs a hero to replace Wally Lewis and QLD MUST be appeased lest we have a repeat of the Super League years when QLDers from the Broncos and then the Raiders lead the walkout! You will say it was ALL on Kenny and Smith had nothing to do with it but NO ONE ever thinks they can get a kick away from dummy half with double markers pooring through on both sides of the play the ball. It is too shallow and too acute an angle and too easily stopped for the kick to get off much less be successful. Q.E.D. Smith KNEW! It was a rehearsed move just for that scenario. Cheat!
Beetle
Roar Rookie
Maloney is definitely a big game player. Success seems to follow him more than most players. But what are you insinuating by calling Smith a "false idol"?? Even as a Queenslander, I hate the way he controls the game, niggles the ref and gets away with his wrestling but he is definitely the most successful player today and, perhaps, history. You don't have to agree with that opinion, but the stats back me up on this. He has tormented the blues for years. Yeeeaaarrrsssss
The Barry
Roar Guru
I hope so mate...but a long history tells me, every time I think NSW should win comfortably is when I should be most concerned...
Kurt S
Roar Pro
They didn't pick Klemmer as first open when he was available again and he is their best forward.
Farkurnell
Guest
Good point Albo.I think the spotlight needs to focus on the men in the middle.Now that Referee Smith has retired will the Blues get a more balanced outcome from the decision makers.
nrlfan
Roar Rookie
Freddie has done a great job, sick of all the criticism
nrlfan
Roar Rookie
I disagree, I think NSW will win quite comfortably.
nrlfan
Roar Rookie
I didn’t understand why people were suprised josh Morris was dropped after game 1. If you’re best player returns from injury you don’t keep him out of the team because his replacement played well while he was out, no you put the best player straight back in the team. I thought Freddie selected really well for game 2.
Kurt S
Roar Pro
Pearce is on a hiding to nothing. NSW now have two dominant halves who will both be demanding the ball. Be sure if NSW lose, Pearce will no doubt be held accountable. Although the clean skin who he is replacing can do no wrong even when he goes missing in attack. Strange times indeed. Here's for a great game.
farkurnell
Guest
WB I'm really over this negativity on MP.As if he's the be all of our prospects on Wednesday. Theres 16 other players who could potentially stuff up,no ones talking them down(and rightly so if your a true blue).
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
OK Nat. Just for you Nat. Just for you I looked at those painful highlights again and this time I was wearing maroon tinted glasses. And it WAS a TRY Nat! And what's more the 16th minute disallowed try to Corey Oates after he stepped on the touch line, it looked GOOD too! And all the illegalities by QLD in the ruck and play the ball they looked GOOD as well. And Josh Morris grounded the ball BEFORE the line. He didn't get over the line Nat! But that seemed strange because I remembered Morris's whole torso was over the line. So I took off the maroon tinted glasses Nat and used normal vision and watched it all again, and guess what? Josh Morris DID score that try Nat. Corey Oates clearly put his foot into touch and Dylan Napa clearly KNOCKS THE BALL ON! He DIDN'T ground it cleanly with his hands. It never touched his hands Nat. It rolled down his wrists and forearms, lost contact briefly with Napa, hit the ground and then was lightly grazed by Napa's forearms again. Nat THAT is a KNOCK ON! And do you know what's REALLY funny Nat? QLD won the bloody game anyway so what's the point? I suggest you save yourself the anxiety and confusion for game 3 Nat and leave the maroon tinted glasses next to your Wally Lewis and Cam Smith shrine and watch the game like the rest of us do. With our own eyes and not with distorted lenses. ;-) # Blue Dawn!!
The Barry
Roar Guru
Sssshhhh...apparently we’re supposed to forget all about that...
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Souths have won 21 premierships, were "runners-up" 13 times (ignoring the fact that they didn't always play GFs as deciders) played in 34 GF's and won 17 minor premierships! Considering the fact that, back in the day, one token QLDer was picked from the Brisbane competition to play for Autralia (i.e. John Lang, Greg Veivers and Colin Scott) that gives a pretty good metric for gauging the difference between the relative strength of both competitions. So 1 QLDer in a 20 man squad gives us a ratio of 1 in 20. Q.E.D. 1 x NSWRL premiership equals 20 Brisbane Cup premierships. But I'll be exceedingly generous and reduce that ratio to 1 in 4. So 24 x Brisbane Cup premierships equates to 6 x NSWRL premierships compared to the Rabbitohs 20 NSWRL premierships. So no comparison really Nat. Not when you look at the achievements of both clubs to scale via the prism of comparative logic. ;-)
Nat
Roar Guru
I give you 7 and you pick the one that actually was the closest? What knock on? The first time he touched ball was on the ground, all you have to do is have downward pressure.
Nat
Roar Guru
You should probably look up the mighty Valleys Diehards. Est 1908. 24 Premierships! A further 15 GFs and still counting. Only 2 spoons. Home of the greatest of all time - the King - Wally Lewis. That's more premierships, more GF appearances and less spoons - winning! Now I know you fellas are ignorant of anything north of Newcastle but there is a good reason Brisbane is the RL capital of Aust. NSW had to buy our best just to get some talent into Sydney. Well, most went to Canberra - even the ol' coach, but they went alright didn't they? And when they let us come home to don the Mighty Maroon - dominance baby.
Rob
Guest
"I’d suggest there isn’t an origin half that has had as limited an impact on results over so many games." Give it a few years and Cleary might just take that from him.
Big Daddy
Guest
I think bizarre is pretty close to the mark. Old winning match 1 was unexpected. NSW winning match 2 was also unexpected. Qld don't normally put in 2 bad performances in a row so to me anything could happen. NSW have rolled the dice with Pearce but a victory from either side would not surprise.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Wow! That's profound. So deep in fact that the light of reason cannot penetrate the murky depths. Don't get lost looking for the secrets of the universe at that depth though mate. You will be crushed by the pressure just as surely as Mitchell Pearce in a NSW Origin jersey!