They are obviously HIS selections. He won the last 2 series and the side hasnt really changed (outside of injuries and retirements) since game 2 last year, when it was stated by many people in the media walters bended to the selection panel in game 1 and got his way in game 2. Additionally, if the selection panel got their way in the first 2 games dont you think after losing the series they would have given him the freedom to make changes? Much like he did last year, instead he has made only forced changes.
oates needed to be in the team, with such a weak pack walters should have either made the tough choice (just like he did in game 2 last year AGAINST oates, who was one of our better performing players in the game-for everything holmes and gagai do (or 30 year old chambers, wasnt boyd dropped for being around that age? Or was he out of form? Not like any other players of course)) or be the bench utility. He wont win us a game but our pack needed more help then what holmes, chambers or gagai could provide. Why was milford there if he wasnt going to use him till the game was over anyway? Why can he only make a tough call against oates. Hes exactly what we needed..
I would never let wallace wear a queensland jersey again after the 2 performances he has put in this series. The fact he didnt get much game time and never got back on says even walters wasnt happy with it. Why was he selected agin? What message does that send to other players?! In his place i would have put ANY forward we had. Offa, welch, anyone! Even bloody sims would have more of a go at least.
Cooper could be replaced by sua this last game or papalii to the edge in the first 2 games. Whys he nervous about trying that when the series over? and anyway Cooper is 31, and has played 5 origins, and is among the worst second rowers in the nrl this year. He dropped thaiday, boyd and scott for being out of form and over 30, yet they have 70 origins between them and have proven themselves time and time again. Why not cooper who hasnt shown anymore at origin level then what oates has, in fact, he has shown less, and has only 1 more game “experience” in origin.
And hunt dropped i understand, but again, hes doing it half/half. Publicly backed him pre-series and said its his team, then backs him multiple times after both poor performances, then drops him... but only to the bench. Stand by your choices EITHER WAY walters.
Also, i would have selected boyd, scott and i wouldnt have dropped thaiday last year. In their place he has brought in wallace and glasby-if these 2 are our future we are in trouble, and if they arent our future (i bloody hope so) why are we dropping players WE KNOW can do the job. State of origin is not nrl, its totally different football. Unless players have extrodinary form or talent you never pick them over players who have done the job nearly 30 times before, its that simple. Meninga and bennett understood this.
Either pull the trigger on all of them like fittler has or go with the tried and true. Its half assed what he has done and we are paying the price for it. The blues not only have a better squad this series (due to dropping experienced players), but they are also in a much better position moving forward (due to not dropping all the ageing players like they did). Our team sits somewhere in the middle, either do a bennett (2001) or do a meninga. It reeks of trying to please everyone and not having the strength to back himself, which is even worse if you are saying the selection panel over-powered him after he has the 2-0 series win record prior to this series. In fact i think thats evem worse if he truly let that happen tbh, especially after losing the first 2 games, keep him away from our club if thats the case because theres alot more political lobbying and constant pressure in your job at the broncos then queensland. No way he could have dealt with the matt lodge situation or from rumblings he has lost the dressing room.
My team game 3 if he didnt dump the veterans alreay (he cant go back on his word now so the next team will be a youth team)
1. Slater
2. Boyd
3. Gagai
4. Chambers (only due to inglis injury, has some runs on the board + only for an injury replacement only)
5. Holmes
6. Munster
7. Hunt (only because he came out and backed him time and time again)
8. Napa
9. Macca
10. Mcguire
11. Guerra (much better form then cooper, and actually more experienced then cooper in origin, and younger lol)
12. Kafusi
13. Arrow
14. Papalii
15. Thaiday
16. Oates
17. Offa
Scott would get on the bench if not injured.
Much more experienced unit
Or, if he wanted to go “the future”
1. Slater (farewell)
2. Holmes
3. Munster
4. Gagai
5. Oates
6. Milford
7. Hunt (unless he didnt back him publicly-then taylor)
8. Napa
9. Macca
10. Mcguire
11. Papalii
12. Kafusi
13. Arrow
14. Offa
15. Welch
16. Sua
17. Glasby
Top team has 3 players from teams outside the 8, bottom team has 2 players from outside the top 8. Walters team has 7... 7! Nsw have 3. During our golden run weve been lucky to have 2 or 3.
The top team has 50+ more origin games experience then walters team. The bottom team has only 1 player who will retire in the next 3 years, walters team has 3...
For me, dont make rules for some selections/dropping players- but only apply them when it suits you. Stick to your convictions.
There are things here I agree with, others absolutely not, starting with your assumptions that all decisions are exclusively Walters' choice, as if the other selectors would have no say.
Sorry, there is no way Thaiday or Boyd shouldn't have been dropped, nor would I replace anyone from last year's team for Guerra. I'd have Cooper ahead of him 10 times out of 10, and again, Cooper isn't someone who deserves any type of blame for this series, what with being the forward who actually made the least mistakes and most meters for Qld in game 2.
Incidentally, the issues I've had so far with selection, were:
Scott was probably hard done by, but last year's pack held his own without him, he was coming back from a serious knee injury, and IIRC he was suspended for game 1 anyway.
Oates was probably hard done by, and I probably would've had him on the bench.
Milford was definitely hard done by in the way he was misused in game one.
The fact I don't believe Walters deserves the criticism put onto him this series, doesn't mean I agree with everything.
FTR, this is the team I would pick for game 3:
1- Slater (deserves a farewell)
2- Oates
3- Munster
4- Gagai
5- Holmes
6- Milford
7- Taylor (give the kid exposure in a dead rubber, even though he isn't Origin ready)
8- McGuire
9- McCullough
10- Napa
11- Cooper (has done nothing wrong to be dropped for game three)
12- Kaufusi
13- Arrow
14- Hunt
15- Papalii
16- Wallace
17- Ofahengaue
Next year and onwards:
1- Ponga
2- Holmes
3- Inglis (Munster to move there once GI calls it quits)
4- Morgan
5- Gagai
6- Munster (Milford to move there once Munster moves to left centre)
7- Taylor (if he is killing it, otherwise Milford until Ash matures a bit)
8- McGuire
9- McCullough/Segeyaro
10- Napa
11- Kaufusi
12- Gillett
13- Arrow
14- Hunt/Segeyaro
15- Ofahengaue
16- Wallace
17- Su'a/Oates/Hess/Welch/Glasby is pretty much where our depth stops at the moment.
Of course, should Matt Scott return to his barnstorming best, he would immediately enter calculations, but his age and injury history for the past 2 years, make that doubtful.
As much as I love him on the wing at the Broncos, I can't select Oates ahead of Gagai or Holmes, unless either of the former is shitting the bed. I also worry about selecting him on the bench, as he could be a defensive liability playing close to the ruck.
P.S. I deliberately omitted DCE from this whole talk, because I fully expect him to be quartered in game 3, and disappear from maroon contention forever and ever.
