State of Origin Game II - NSW vs QLD

[holdzy]

In fairness, let’s deal with the negatives:

- NSW core players are young, look very comfortable at this level, and will likely be around for a long time to come

- Queensland have a huge dearth of quality Front Rowers, whilst NSW seem to be churning them out with ease. Our Front Row stocks have been immense during the last decade and a really underrated part of our success over that period. Without an ability to find some consistent performers in the engine room we’re destined for plenty more Origin pain potentially. Napa was much better tonight, but Wallace was again a passenger mostly, and the sad fact is we don’t have anyone really putting pressure on those two guys at all. It shouldn’t take a rocketing from the media to get Napa to put in like that, and frankly Wallace just appears unable to take the step up in quality.

- The best in play Kickers we have are Hunt, who now seems destined to be a ‘never in a big game’ kind of player, DCE who is no spring chicken, and Taylor who is currently going through his own bit of second year syndrome issues. Michael Morgan is injured, out of form and looks really fatigues, and Bodie Croft is currently languishing in ISP. If we can’t find our own version of Nathan Cleary to build our side around we could be in for a tough few years.
I love the idea of a Walters and Lam Halves combo in the future, but by the time those guys are ready we could have already lost several series and they’d have all the momentum.

- Inglis, despite his best series in a long time, is almost finished, and Chambers has become a total liability, and Queensland do not appear to have anyone looming in that position to replace these two guys. Sure, Gagai can shift, but he’s been immense on the Wing and we’ll be relying heavily on him continuing that form in the Centres, but outside of that our options are very thin indeed. Considering NSW left out the likes of Aitken etc they’re light years ahead of us in this key position at the moment. This and our Front Row stocks appear to be the two biggest obstacles facing Queensland from a depth position both currently and in the longer term.

It will be Milf and Taylor in the halves in a few years, I'm quite sure. At their full potential, playing to their strengths, they would carve up.

Ofa should have replaced Wallace tonight. Wallace is a pea heart.

 

[Alec]

Lol mcculough didnt lose us this game, no matter how much you wish it to be true. He played well, nice long passes amd service was always straight to the chest. Couple of good runs and led the defence. What else do you want? Cameron smith?

I mean seriously, who would you replace him with? Granville? Friend? Hahahaha

McCullough was awful after the first 20 minutes. But he's the best of a TERRIBLE bunch at the moment.

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

Just because there isn't anyone any better doesn't mean he isn't shit......he's there by forfeit, pure & simple.

Did you read the top paragraph????

Definiton of being there by forfeit: cooper, hess

Mcculough is not in that class. He played well. Just because the team lost it doesnt justify your agenda if he played well....

 

[Purple Pills]

Now this ladies and gents is what they call an overreaction..

Na I’d say it’s more being honest and actually calling it as it is than an overreaction. Hunt was diabolical. How anyone without an agenda can disagree with that I will never know.

 

[Mr Fourex]

I'm even skiddish about putting Hunt in there.

Agree......I had to think twice about writing his name down. It really is a sorry state of affairs we've left ourselves in.....

 

[Kooly87]

Game 3

1. Slater
2. Oates
3. Inglis
4. Gagai
5. Holmes
6. Munster
7. DCE
8. Napa
9. McCullough
10. McGuire
11. Cooper
12. Kaufusi
13. Arrow

14. Ponga
15. Papalii
16. Hess
17. Ofahengaue

 

[Purple Pills]

What's a Hunt mark?

Hunt was critical in both of the tries that were scored on our right hand side.

One of those errors of his was when he was lifted a metre off the ground (identical to what we were penalised for doing to Maloney) and the ball was raked out by NSW.

Hunt wasn't even the worst half out there, Cleary was.

Cleary wasn’t worse than Hunt. Quieter? Yes. Worse? No.

 

[Foordy]

none of DCE, Cooper or Hess should be there

 

[Alec]

I'd try Oates in the centres before Gagai. He can still work the ball out, and Gagai is really bad there, especially compared to how good he is on the wing.

 

[I bleed Maroon]

Agree......I had to think twice about writing his name down. It really is a sorry state of affairs we've left ourselves in.....

A big part of the blame about the state of the QLD spine falls to Smith imo. He really did **** over Walters and QLD by doing what he did. I refuse to believe that CAMERON SMITH is not smart enough to realize 3 months before Origin never mind 3 weeks that he was done at that level. Use your brain Cameron, you certainly do any other weekend when you're lawyering to the refs.

 

[Viti]

What’s everyone’s thoughts on Christian Welch? I’ve really liked what I’ve seen from him this year and if Cooper, Hess and Wallace do really need to be dropped I think he’d do the job as a replacement

 

[Alec]

The worst thing about Cam Smith retiring is him saying that he'd be letting us down if he played on. That's the biggest load of shit I've ever heard/read. Still the best player in the world by far, especially with Thurston declining.

 

[Mr Fourex]

Did you read the top paragraph????

Yes....

 

[Kooly87]

none of DCE, Cooper or Hess should be there

DCE solves Queensland’s kicking in play and also improves our Goal Kicking position, which seems to have crept under the radar as a key part of why we lost tonight. If he’s not getting picked now then it can only be personal no matter what other excuses they give us.

Hess holds his spot simply because we don’t have other options for bigger bodies in the side, so he has to be retained.

Cooper likewise holds his spot because we aren’t getting Matt Gillett back until next year and we don’t have a better option on that edge currently. I wouldn’t be picking him again next year though, he offers very little without Thurston

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

Cleary wasn’t worse than Hunt. Quieter? Yes. Worse? No.

I didnt even realize cleary played tonight. I wish i could say the same about hunt though....

 

[Mr Fourex]

A big part of the blame about the state of the QLD spine falls to Smith imo. He really did **** over Walters and QLD by doing what he did. I refuse to believe that CAMERON SMITH is not smart enough to realize 3 months before Origin never mind 3 weeks that he was done at that level. Use your brain Cameron, you certainly do any other weekend when you're lawyering to the refs.

I agree with you in theory, but I still believe Cameron Smith doesn't owe QLD anything. Somehow I think Walters lies at the heart of the matter.

 

[Purple Pills]

How many more years does DCE have in him at origin level?? I’m not saying I’d pick him but if he’s coming into his twilight years it’s wasted selection for me. We need to be looking to the future and building combinations and relationships now for next years series

I’d say we could get 4-5 years out of him. I think he is 29 this year. As much as I don’t like him personally due to his well publicised character behind the scenes and his off field antics, I would back him and support him as a QLD supporter because I believe he is our best option at 7 currently although I thought his last couple of games in clubland probably ruined any chance of forcing himself in.

There is a belief that he too is a flat track bully halfback like Hunt who thrive when everything goes right and can’t dig a team out when the going gets tough but I’ve at least seen DCE stand up in big moments and pull off big plays on the back foot. He also is great at organising and controlling a team to kick a field goal which is paramount in tight games like origin. Ben Hunt at 30 years of age still hasn’t even managed to kick one. He finally had his best chance to get off the duck egg in his first game for Saints against us and throw egg in our faces. The result? Missed a sitter form like 15 metres in front when the game was well and truly won with minimal kick pressure. Hunt isn’t a Bronco anymore so **** him So I don’t need to pretend to defend the indefensible anymore

 

[Kooly87]

I didnt even realize cleary played tonight. I wish i could say the same about hunt though....

He made a crucial tackle when they were a man down to force a Queensland turnover.

I thought he was very composed and allowed Maloney to dominate while he was full of momentum and didn’t try to force plays or overplay his hand. If our Halves had been that composed we would have built a lot more consistent pressure the last two games