Fifita didn’t make metres because his first instinct is to drift sideways before straightening. QLD figured it out after he had some success in game 1 and adjusted.

They spoke openly about how they were going to target his legs to stop him, and Fifita just didn’t adjust his running style to accommodate their adjustment.

He is 120kg of speed, power, and aggression. NSW desperately needed him to line up his hit ups from the back fence and surge forwards. Yet he still moved sideways. He needs to take a leaf out of Klemmer’s book and drop the flashy rubbish

Cameron Munster. Cherry who?

I 100% agree with you as far as next year goes. For what it’s worth (which is 3/5 of stuff all) I would have DCE first choice if Cronk retires. I’m just saying that if he doesn’t get picked next year for whatever reason, then you could say he is done as far as rep footy goes.

He is pretty unlucky he hit grade at 22 really. Had he come into first grade a few years earlier he may have been preferred to Cooper Cronk as Lockyer’s replacement

From everything Ben Hunt, Wayne Bennett, and Ipswich Jets coach Ben Walker have said Hunt’s talent wasn’t in question it was his headspace.

Bennett unlike many other NRL head coaches is not afraid to drop star players to reserve grade if he thinks it is required.

Hunt killed it at the Jets, got promoted again regardless of circumstance and then killed it back in the NRL. End of story I would say but maybe you just don’t rate Hunt Beastie?

Personally I think he is a great player, and a great choice at utility for QLD

They didn’t ignore him at all. I believe that it was stated if Cronk was out DCE was in, halfback for halfback. It’s just that wasn’t the selection discussion.

The spot “COULD” be Hunt’s if he plays well. The coach gets asked a ridiculous amount of questions by the press that he has to answer, then people analyse them within an inch of their life. I don’t think there is any doubt that DCE is ahead of Hunt in the QLD halfback pecking order, just not the bench utility pecking order. They are very different positions.

The hard thing for DCE is though he will be 29 next year. Norman, Morgan, Munster, Milford, and Hunt are all younger than him. Does he get passed over again with an eye to the future?

Some players careers suffer from bad timing I guess. I sort of look at it like the Stuart McGill situation. In any other era of Australian cricket he would have been the greatest leg spinner we have ever had. Except he came up when a bloke called Shane Warne was around

The majority of the start to Ben Hunt’s NRL career was as a specialist bench utility/impact player. It’s about playing a role, DCE may have filled that gap for QLD for a while but Ben Hunt will be better at that particular job.

DCE is a better halfback but QLD don’t need another halfback on the bench they need a bench utility/impact player

Jeff, I don’t believe I ever said I was a part of the QLD team/setup or would ever claim to have the qualifications to do so.

It’s just a commentary piece mate. Didn’t say all of those selections were good ones or comapre his selection to them, I compared the reaction to Ben Hunt’s selection to the reaction to many of those selections. And also just eluded to the fact that players who may not seem good enough can rise to the occasion, every dog has his day.

I do think Be Hunt is a good selection though, if he only gets 10 mins I’m sure it would be a good 10 mins

People question everything. Elections are won by 55% to 45%. My point is that the QLD team and administration believe they have the right team, and really that’s all that matters

Yeah they had me patched in on the conference call Bazza.

Your right about the selection issue being more complicated than Ben Hunt vs DCE. I was just very surprised that is what most of the NSW media focused on.

The form of Morgan and Munster is no less compelling than DCE, Morgan’s especially so at Origin level. He deserves his call up to the starting side and has alot to bring to the table over 80 an minute performance.

As far as Morgan playing centre, I for one don’t know why it wasn’t looked at a few years earlier. I hope they play him on the right side and shift Chambers to the left so that it feels a little bit more natural for him. He has won a QLD Cup premiership at centre and has proven he adapts quickly to a new role/position.

The Munster call is a big one, and maybe one that Kevvie’s coaching gig will live or die by. I think they see him as a 10 year player for QLD and are choosing to blood him as early as possible.

As you said we will find out tonight

Wayne Bennett is a harsher taskmaster than most, especially when it comes to a star player splitting ranks and signing with another team.

Bennett dropping Ben Hunt to reserve grade recently doesn’t have any reflection on Ben Hunt’s ability to deliver, he has been one of the form halves in the comp for the last two years. Plus I don’t think the QLD selectors are paying to much mind to Bennett after the threat to not release Milford

Sorry Wild Eagle I wasn’t looking to cheap-shot Bozo, I wouldn’t pretend to know enough about the bloke to judge his achievements. Never saw him play and have never followed Manly all that closely.

Was just commenting on how the NSW media lambasted him for his supposed failures as a selector and would love to give the same treatment to the current QLD selection panel

His hammys wrecked though

Blacklock, Schifcoske and Carne went over way too late – Saffy is a saffa with Rugby background – Kativerata, Harris and Robinson were not League rep standard – Ryan became a Rugby defensive coach – Hunt is the only surprising one to not have been capped at the WB’s

I would say that it is more than likely selection criteria is agreed upon in one context or another with RL converts in Australia. What other choice does the ARU have with it’s standing as it is now in Aus sport? If they signed someone like Andrew Johns, Lockyer, or Thuston it wouldn’t be just to play Super Rugby, they are chasing RL players to be capped Wallabies

Great article Trelawney, I completely agree. Koroibete’s resume stands above when you consider what else is on offer in Rugby at the moment, he pretty much demands selection. There are actually a whole bunch of talented NRL backs that would leapfrog anyone playing Rugby for Wallabies selection right now, it’s just a fact and anyone arguing against Koroibete’s selection is just being obstructive.

Valentine Holmes
Justin O’Neill
Jack Wighton (Can pretty much guarantee Savea would not run over him)
Brett Morris
Jarryd Hayne
Tom Trobejvic
Dane Gagai
Josh Mansour
Greg Inglis
Josh Dugan
Billy Slater

Watching Julian Savea trounce the Wallabies outside backs was embarrassing, the Wallabies desperately need some starch in their backline and with the state of Rugby in Australia there is no harm in poaching

Have you watched the NRL in the last decade? NRL wingers have to diffuse up to ten bombs per game. His kicking game will definitely be under question but there are a bunch of international Rugby wingers that have poor kicking games. The centres requires more knowledge of the game to defend properly, leave him on the wing and watch him run amok

This is why RL needs to expand

http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/people-in-papua-new-guinea-really-love-their-rugby-league/news-story/6a2614b256c58cb950ef5f835fcc71b0

Got to admit gave me goosebumps. The passion for the game is insane. 7 million people in PNG….

I agree. I reckon drop it again next year, the big boys can’t wrestle when they are knackered

Your just repeating what I said. I said one competitor is good. Three or four is bad.

“If there were three or four or five competitors then I would hesitate because the risk is much higher.”

Who else can challenge in NZ for support besides RL and RU? AFL? Yeah right. Two supporter bases would be healthy and diverse in NZ

Haha Pearce is a dog rooting gronk, but a very skillful one. Did you see the care with which he handled the animal?

Your off your head The Barry.

“It is no coincidence that the Queensland Origin teams dominance coincided with the introduction of a third NRL team in the sunshine state.”

This statement was alluding to the QRL rebuild that had been happening 10 years before the introduction of the Titans. That the addition of the Titans was merely a reflection of the success of this rebuild and that the further strengthened QLD’s originisation moving forward.

I explained the evidence, a rebuilt regional competition, 25 extra professional contracts available in QLD, further player depth, more competition for QLD spots. Your just bloody reading with the only intention of responding and not taking anything on board now mate.

There are a bunch of those 10/11 series decided by under 6 points. One bad 50/50 call from a ref, a dropped ball, a missed tackle, a disallowed try = different result. To take advantage of those situations at at 75 mins is not talent it’s mental fortitude, that is what allowed QLD to see those situations out time and time again.

Pearce’s skills are first class and he is 6 years younger than Thurston. Thurston’s game is polished to a bright sheen right now but 6 years ago, NQ finished 15th and would have been dead last if not for the Storm being stripped of points. Pearce is just as skilled but needs to get his head right.

If you don’t like Pearce then what about Maloney? Took the Warriors to the GF which is not small feat given their inconsistency, backed it up with winning a GF at the Roosters, and now the Sharks are one away. Pretty solid credentials, is he talented enough for you?

Being told the state of affairs in QLD RL from someone who watches from a distance is a bit rich The Barry. I never understand why NSW run their players down so much. Those QLD players got their test caps because they were winning Origin series but many of those series came down to the bounce of a ball, kicked field goal, or one missed tackle. Reverse those very small events and NSW players get the caps and in typical RL hyperbole they start being called the GOAT instead of their QLD counterparts.

We are just going to have to agree to disagree mate

Sorry Mushi from my experience what you say doesn’t ring true in setting up a team in NZ. I am a business owner and if my competitor’s set up a new shop then I want to set up right next door for reciprocal business. He might not like it but that’s business, and it is a basic, clear, and successful model used by many businesses across all sectors. If there were three or four or five competitors then I would hesitate because the risk is much higher.

There is only one competitor in Christchurch and it might be a strong one, but there is also a currently successful national team to help build a new brand that also helps strengthen the national team in a double swing. The Warriors already outperform the Auckland Blues in crowd numbers and viewership, there is no reason a second NZ team could not do the same. The NZ derby would do huge numbers across the ditch

Suva would be great, less of a political risk than PNG with corruption I would hope. I know how bad the corruption is in PNG RL from first hand accounts but I have no experience with Fiji.

Fresh international expansion like that would create some big headaches though

Sorry for the halves I would say Mitchell Pearce. He is much maligned for obvious reasons but as far as talent and skills go he is the best in the comp. Just doesn’t have the belief, desire, and confidence that Thurston does. The thing is it is not about talent

Yeah mate I think we are coming from completely different places. You are trying to wring a definitive meaning out of a broad statement. Yes the Titans were formed in 2007 as QLD started winning again and didn’t have a direct player effect for w little while.

The psychological effect of further player depth, increased competition for QLD rep spots, and further big game experience for our player pool though started then and has built and built.

Having a third NRL has helped QLD immensely, I seriously don’t see how this is hard to understand.

On another note;

Smith has stretched away but he and Farah we head to head for years

Gasnier was every bit as good as Inglis and Hodges

You guys don’t pick your best wingers in Origin, I don’t understand to this day why Amos Roberts, Hasim El Masri, and Nathan Blackloack never got any respect from NSW. Boyd actually isn’t that great a winger he has been the beneficiary of an especially potent left QLD edge, Boyd is a much better fullback. But Jarryd Hayne played his best NSW football on the wing…

Price and Civineceva were bemoaned by NSW media for being too old for years. Luke Bailey in his prime was a walk up start for the Roos, Willie Mason, James Tamou

Paul Gallen?? Craig Fitzgibbon, Greg Bird has been huge in Origin

Talent has very little to do with it at 75 mins in when the scores are locked. QLD win those games out of desire not talent, hindsight makes everyone judge the NSW players ability more harshly

The Seagulls and Chargers were abject failures so calling them ARL/NRL sides is a bit painful. Most QLDers tend to forget they ever existed.

I addressed this for you in another response below as to how the representation systems have died and been overhauled. If you don’t understand how trying to drag 17 year old kids 1000-2000km away from home to play for one team (Brisbane) with only limited spots available isn’t a great system then I don’t know how to explain it to you. NSW tend not to understand as you have saturated opportunity for your players across 9 Sydney clubs, plus Canberra, plus Newcastle.

It took a long time for the Cowboys to fully set up all of their pathways up here, it is a logistically huge area. And they were bullied by the southern clubs for decades, the Cowboys would spend money setting up competitions and carnivals then all the southern scouts would come up and steal all of their players making their investment and development almost null and void.

Having a third club in the Titans helps the whole QRL system with 25 more NRL player contracts and 20 more U20s contracts. Adding another team in Brisbane will only further the rejuvenation of QRL.

Was adding the Titans the exact reason QLD has been dominating? Of course not. It definitely helps though and it is indicative of the state on mind of QRL that expansion is on the cards and has been successful.