Brad Fittler has defended his raft of changes ahead of the third game of State of Origin, telling media that he didn’t think that he had done too much to rejig his squad despite seven alterations from Game 2.
The Blues axed Jarome Luai, Junior Paulo, Tyson Frizell, Hudson Young and Stefano Utoikamanu, while losing Tom Trbojevic and Payne Haas to injury.
In their stead come debutants Keaon Koloamatangi and Bradman Best, along with returning names Jake Trbojevic, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Clint Gutherson, Cody Walker and Jacob Saifiti. Both reserves, Spencer Leniu and Scott Drinkwater, would also be debutants if elevated.
Despite the wholesale surgery, Fittler denied that he had made sweeping changes.
“Apart from injuries, there’s four changes,’ he said.
“Junior and Tyson have had long careers in Origin, so we chose some other players over them, and then the five eighth was a big call and Keaon moving in as well. That had a lot to do with Liam Martin’s form. I don’t think there were too many changes at all.”
The coach failed to mention Luai’s name once, but highlighted what he thought had been the problem in his defence of Walker’s selection.
“We haven’t scored tries,” said the coach. “The execution hasn’t been fantastic and if you look at the way Cody’s been playing, he’s been thought about the whole time. We just need to score more tries.
“He was a strong consideration for Game 1. He’s been in great form and has been in great form for years. It’s a great opportunity for him, it’ll be a big crowd and we need to get points.”
The selection of Best was seen as coming from leftfield, but Fittler insisted that he had been expecting the Newcastle centre to play at this level since he impressing the under-16s contest.
“He’s been thought about,” he said. “I’ve been coaching him since he was 16 and he’s been a star coming through. Whether it’s injury or a bit of form, and I don’t think the Knights have had the greatest success over the last half dozen years or so, I’ve always wanted to see how he goes at the next level.
“He’s someone I always thought would end up as an Origin player. As it happens, we’ve had a few centres go down and he gets his opportunity.”
Jake Trbojevic. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
The Blues had delayed their team announcement on Monday to give Haas maximum opportunity to play, but scans revealed that the prop would miss the next few weeks to rehab both ankle and foot problems.
“I spoke to Kevin Walters and we went through the process,” said Fittler. “I spoke to Payne, he’s had an ankle injury that he’s been carrying for a while and his foot he had an injury at the weekend. He won’t be playing for a couple of weeks for the Broncos.
“It allows Reagan an opportunity, Spencer comes onto the extended bench and Jacob comes back into the team. It’s a big loss, he was our player’s player in the second game so that tells you the impact he had with our team.”
Fittler refused to give reasonings for his interchange selections, and only the slightest backgrounding on why he has swapped Isaah Yeo and Cameron Murray around -“we’re just changing it up” was as far as it went – but did back new bench utility Gutherson to enliven the camp.
“Having him here makes me feel good,” said Freddie. “He’s been the best player in the comp in the last month and when he hasn’t been the best player, he’s always been trying to be the best player. Right at the moment, we need people in the team who are just wholehearted.
“Anything that’s put in front of Gutho, he just does his best. He covers a lot of positions also – we’ve had injuries in the backline the whole way through and he’ll become valuable on the night I’m sure.”
As for himself, the coach admitted that this was untested waters for him going into the third game as a dead rubber, but that there was still plenty of want in the gorup to win and stop a first Origin sweep since 2010.
“It’s new,” said Fittler. “It’s the first time I’ve been in this position. We’re preparing to win a game. There’s some blokes playing their first game for NSW so that’s exciting, and there’s blokes coming back who could still have long Origin careers ahead of them. There’s plenty of motivation.
“Our actions will tell you how the week was. We pick players that would encourage us that we’re going to win the game. Experienced players and young players. There’s no thought of anything else other than winning the game.”
The Barry
Roar Guru
I’m not saying you can’t comment. You continually bag other ‘punters’ for having opinions about tactics and selections TBH - I don’t think selections even matter that much. Do you think it’s much of a difference whether NSW pick Best or Staggs or Burton in the centres? I don’t There’s probably a few key positions in each team you need to get right but whether you pick Martin or Young or Koloamatangi or Olakau’atu on an edge doesn’t make much of a difference… they’re all very good. It’s still fun and interesting to have an opinion and debate So largely, I think the drop Young and pick whoever doesn’t matter as much as it’s often made out Where I disagree is the impact of coaching. You seem to put most of it down to timing. I agree with you on Fittler’s early days, but not for Slater. He doesn’t have a team that’s way better on paper than his opposition like Fittler did in his early days. The two teams are relatively even on paper, yet Slater now has a 4-1 record over Fittler The difference between the two teams is obvious. NSW has looked better in the middle 60 metres of the field. Bit it’s in the 20 metre attacking zone where the difference is marked. Every time Queensland attack they have a definite shape. When you watch the players off the ball, they’re all running to get into position NSW has barely put a set play on all series, despite going in with ‘combinations’ That comes down to coaching and preparation. That’s not me saying I can coach better than Brad Fittler. That’s me comparing a Brad Fittler coached team to a Billy Slater coached team or Bellamy or Robinson So yeah, there’s times where one team is way better than the other and coaching isn’t going to make too much of a difference. But when the two teams are evenly matched like these, the difference is stark
matth
Roar Guru
Well you can’t question selections as that’s rude to the selected player, so …
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
Qld coming in with a V8 NSW trying with a V6 Wishing the bench fullback and a hooker can provide the grunt to cover Collins & Mo
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
They can comment all they like , of course. So I shouldn't comment on the critics comments? A lot of the issues raised are valid points but The black and white conclusions are often over the top. Selecting players out of position and going with injured players is apparent lunacy if a team loses but as the Pennies showed recently in a GF win with heaps of wounded players and Cronk showed also it's not always the clear choice that the hindsight warriors make it out to be. I've had many battles with the punters regarding the rule changes as an example. I probably had a few with you. I thought the critics of PVL were way off the mark and why wouldn't I say so? I'd say his critics have been proven wrong and I said so at the time. I'm not going to hide my views because his critics had played and watched the game for 50 years. To me Fittler's success in SOO was largely about timing and luck just as Walters ''failure'' was the same. Slater has got his timing right as good new players emerge and Fittler is stuck with the injuries to his matchwinners and Teds demise. Tactics and whatever else play a role of course but that's my view on the situation. Same at the Broncos. Walters just got lucky with his timing. Tactics and everything else are secondary. Both he and Cleary were much maligned but what changed? The cattle and their level of experience.
The Barry
Roar Guru
So punters / critics who’ve watched and played footy all their lives can’t tell and shouldn’t comment on when a team looks well prepared or not…?
Jackson Rogers
Roar Rookie
It's obvious Fittler failed math if he thinks he made few changes... not only that its the way he axes players on 14 mins of footy that's one example.. he's a dud and should be stamped never to coach origin again.. that's right freddy im lookn at you...ur a sideline eye for chanel 9 at best.. don't let the door hot you on the way out...
The Barry
Roar Guru
Alexander was also asked why Best had been picked - admittedly in an aggressive “you’ve picked him based on one game” type of way Brandy had the perfect opportunity but couldn’t articulate in the slightest why Best had been picked or the role he’d play, how he’d be used, etc. just kept repetitively banging on about being rude to Best I’m not against Best’s selection, but it is a legitimate question why he’s suddenly jumped ahead of guys like Burton, Staggs, Talakai and even Suaalii who’ve recently been part of NSW squads and picked ahead of players like Tago and Penisini who’ve been consistently better than Best for a couple of years…
Rellum
Roar Guru
Maybe. NSW still don't have the whole state focus and culture. They basically rely on star players to come through on their own with that desire to win Origin
Nat
Roar Guru
I reckon the decade of dominance may have stirred a few emotions for the up coming Bradman Best generation. Nothing like ours, being beaten by our own but just being consistently beat down.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Yeah we do both, love Qld, hate NSW. NSW can’t replicate what we do as we teach the Qld spirit to our kids. The players teach younger players about the Qld spirit. It is part of life here. NSW just don’t do that and it would take at least a generation to start getting that setup
Nat
Roar Guru
We still hate NSW but no more than Vic, SA, ACT. Too hot in NT to care and WA hates us all.
Greggo
Roar Rookie
Mate agree with everything you said. I'm all about the hard carries. Which is why I'm quite high on Selwyn at a young age with his strong carries.
Greggo
Roar Rookie
Haha my apologies Emcie , I actually love Minto. Played 50 odd more NRL games then I ever did/would.
Emcie
Roar Guru
oh no, I didn’t think about that…. knew I shouldn’t have mowed the lawn barefoot yesterday….
Emcie
Roar Guru
Dont you disparage Minto!!!!
Souths Die Hard
Roar Rookie
No argument with your rationale, if we were debating the logical thought processes of an expert Coach. I'm often reminded that fiddler was sacked at the roosters for winning the Wooden Spoon. Obviously, a highlight year for us Souths supporters! Haha. AJ will never get picked for NSW, as AJ doesn't like hard yard carries out of the back field. I totally agree with it would be better to put AJ on the left NSW Wing if fiddler truly wanted to score Tries. But, we need to always remember that fiddler is a rooster through and through. So expecting fiddler to pick Souths players willingly is never going to happen. I believe fiddler was reluctant to drop Addo-Carr, as fiddler had made so many other team selection changes. Plus, Trell should return in 2024 and Addo-Carr will probably look like a standout. But, just know, I'm in agreement with you, AJ should be picked in place of Addo-Carr.
Greggo
Roar Rookie
Not really simple answers Souths fan. Firstly nothing simple with Freddy he is clueless. Well if you are going to go with connection with Cody Walker you would go Alex Johnson(not saying that's the right call) don't have the stats in front of my but I would imagine Walker and Addo carr have played less then 5 games together. Walker and Johnson probably over 150 more. Addo Carr will be a passenger again. Of course Coates delivered at the end of that backline, Scott Minto would have a blinder in that Qld team. And Cobbo is just as ingrained in that Qld team if not more so then Coates . Regardless I do think his hip has something to do with it
Souths Die Hard
Roar Rookie
What's truly concerning is your knowledge of what fiddler is thinking! I'm unable to combat your sound reasoning! Haha
Greggo
Roar Rookie
Too be fair anyone in the comp is going to get burnt by khan-Pereira
Souths Die Hard
Roar Rookie
Simple answers, Addo-Carr has been average, at best; he's retained his spot, due to Cody playing. Cody will have a good connection with Addo-Carr. Look for long passes and kicks for Addo-Carr. Coates retains his spot, because he delivered in Game 2 and team harmony is important to Qld as they look for a clean sweep of fiddler and his support clowns.