2017 Line-Ups

[Sproj]

I'm going to go against the grain and say that Slater should play. He should get one last swansong series and given all the injuries, we are going to need some young players in there anyway which is about time.

Given all the injuries, I'd go this for game 1:

1. Slater
2. Boyd
3. Chambers
4. Gagai
5. Holmes
6. Thurston
7. Cronk
8. Wallace
9. Smith (c)
10. Lillyman
11. Papalii
12. Gillett
13. McGuire

14. Oates
15. Napa
16. Thaiday
17. Hess

 

[mrslong]

That is our worst front row pairing in 17 years....wait, no, in ever. I can't recall a worse front row than that.

 

[ZTop]

I don't think Lillyman deserves a starting spot

 

[mitch222]

McGuire isn't going to play lock. I think he will line up in the front row. I also think Hess wont make origin just yet. Maybe in game 2-3 if injuries strike. He is still way too raw to be throwing him out there with the big dogs.

My team at the moment

1. Boyd
2. Slater
3. Chambers
4. O'Neill
5. Gagai
6. Thurston
7. Cronk
8. McGuire
9. Smith
10. Wallace
11. Gillett
12. Thaiday
13. Papalli

14. Morgan
15. Napa
16. Lillyman
17. Guerra

18. Hess
19. Oates

If Holmes makes it, its over O'Niell and Gagai reverts to centre

 

[Number6]

• Can't we put a call into Webke or Civo? Or if another injury at least put Thaiday on the juice and tell him Klemmer's going to take his backside virtue if he tackles him. Got to be less desperate than starting Wallace in game 1. More likely than not he is a penalty a minute and going to get half the meters at origin speed. Holmes is a Mal approved Australian winger unless has a clanger hard for a junior coach like Walters to leave him out. Oates is essential in getting the ball back on tackle zero or one because with our forward shortages we will need the momentum.

 

[holdzy]

NSW have it over us in the forwards, going to be a very interesting series...

(2-1 QLD tho)

 

[Alec]

I hope Oates doesn't get picked. Holmes and Gagai are gun players, and we'll need Oates during the to Origin period here at the Broncs.

 

[ZeBigLebowski]

1. Boyd
2. Holmes
3. Chambers
4. O'Neill
5. Gagai
6. Thurston
7. Cronk
8. McGuire
9. Smith (c)
10. Wallace
11. Gillett
12. Papalli
13. Napa

14.Thaiday
15. Guerra
16. Lillyman
17. Oates

18. Slater, Hunt or DCE
19. Kaufusi

I feel with such an underwhelming forward pack Morgan's role is redundant, need as much fire power as possible. Still reckon Oates has value to run it up the middle early get good meters.

 

[Canga]

Kev has all but assure that Billy will be in the team tonight on NRL 360 unless injury or dramatic form slump.
1. Slater.
2. Boyd.
3. Chambers
4. Gagai
5. Holmes
6. Thurston
7. Cronk

 

[Super Freak]

The emerging squad breaks curfew and has a few drinks and get banned from Origin for a year.

Papalii drives under the influence of alcohol and endangers the lives of others and QRL are standing behind him.

Where's the fairness?

These values the QRL keep banging on about.. Well they just pissed them down the drain by not banning Papalii.

 

[bb_gun]

The emerging squad breaks curfew and has a few drinks and get banned from Origin for a year.

Papalii drives under the influence of alcohol and endangers the lives of others and QRL are standing behind him.

Where's the fairness?

These values the QRL keep banging on about.. Well they just pissed them down the drain by not banning Papalii.

Separate incident to the emerging Origin camp but I get your point. The Papalii incident is linked to Canberra (and their shit culture) only. I'm happy for that to be handled in-house, and it was handled poorly at best. Well done Sticky.

Nothing to do with QRL IMHO so Kevvie can do with it as he pleases.

Where's the link to say QRL are standing behind him?

 

[Super Freak]

Separate incident to the emerging Origin camp but I get your point. The Papalii incident is linked to Canberra (and their shit culture) only. I'm happy for that to be handled in-house, and it was handled poorly at best. Well done Sticky.

Nothing to do with QRL IMHO so Kevvie can do with it as he pleases.

Where's the link to say QRL are standing behind him?

It shouldn't matter. The offence was far more serious than what those emerging players did.

When they banned those players, they kept saying the players need to be responsible. They need to make smart choices and that they are protecting the QRL brand. The values they keep going on about every single year, by letting Papalii play this year they are just throwing all of that out the window.

His punishment from both the Raiders and the court was a joke. Nearly three times the legal limit, driving erratically endangering the lives of others and he cops $1000 and an 8 month suspension. I've copped worse for less.

Kevvie's comments also doesn't sit too well with me. It seems as though they are just trying to downplay the seriousness of his offence.

Anyway, here is the article.

QUEENSLAND will throw disgraced Raider Josh Papalii a representative lifeline for Origin I despite his axing from the Australian side for a drink-driving offence.

Maroons coach Kevin Walters said Queensland would rally around Papalii, shunning the hard line stance taken by Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga.

Papalii was due to face the Kiwis in Friday night’s Anzac Test at Canberra’s GIO Stadium before Meninga dumped him following revelations of his alcohol-related breach.

Queensland incumbency is no safety net for Papalii because the hulking back-rower missed the final game of last year’s Origin series with a hip injury.

But The Courier-Mail can reveal Papalii will be selected for Origin I, with Walters saying a stint in Test purgatory is sufficient punishment for the 114kg wrecking ball.

“Josh will be there for Queensland, full stop,” Walters said.

“Obviously we have a selection process to go through and he has to maintain his form, but what’s happened with Australia won’t affect his Origin chances in my eyes.

“Josh has paid a price in my eyes. He will be missing the Test match this week and he’s missing a Raiders game as well, plus he’s received a punishment from the law.

“But the way I feel ... Josh is a guy who has made a silly mistake, but I’m going to stand by him.”

Papalii is in the best form of his career. The 24-year-old is averaging 150 running metres per game this season and, incredibly, has made just two errors in 722 minutes of action.

The hard-hitting Papalii has played six Origin games since his debut in 2013, but Walters believes the Raiders hulk is ready to come of age as an Origin force this season.

“This year, Josh has been playing more minutes at club level, he’s turned into an 80-minute guy, so he is showing a willingness to handle the intensity of NRL football,” he said.

“I know he is dealing with this latest incident, but I noticed a greater maturity in him in last year’s Origin series. He was on the interchange and he and Josh McGuire were our two best forwards in the series.

“You need to be strong mentally to do well in Origin and that was a big step forward for him.

“The scary thing is he is only 24 so his best years are yet to come which is exciting for Josh, the Raiders, Queensland and Australia. He is in the top echelon of players in the game.

“He is in a good system with Ricky (Stuart, Raiders coach) and Dean Pay, they are doing some good things with him and they are developing him nicely.”

After destroying the Titans 42-16 last month, Papalii told The Courier-Mail he was determined to reclaim his Maroons jumper.

“I’d love to be back in the Origin squad again,” he said. “There’s a few weeks left before the side is named so I’m not too worried about it. Hopefully I can keep playing good footy and get into the Maroons side.

“It doesn’t bother me if I start. If my form is good enough for the starting side great, if not, then it doesn’t bother me, I just love being part of the Queensland team.”

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...e/news-story/f6edf63c9fcdd4c3951c12398b9642f5

 

[Alec]

When you only have like 3 forwards to choose from, I guess you don't want to drop one of your best.

 

[bb_gun]

Fair rebuttal @Super Freak, you always have the facts I'm after [emoji3]

What have you copped worse for less though?

Edit: Love the mention of McGuire being one of Queensland's best forwards last year, he's all but assured a spot in the 17.

 

[Astro]

After the obvious lock in picks of Smith Cronk & Thurston. Gillett is the first bloke I'd pick for QLD this year. The guy is producing week in week out for club. And then after that performance on the international stage.... Just wow.

So glad we have locked him up long term.

 

[isaiah]

i

Kev has all but assure that Billy will be in the team tonight on NRL 360 unless injury or dramatic form slump.
1. Slater.
2. Boyd.
3. Chambers
4. Gagai
5. Holmes
6. Thurston
7. Cronk

i seem to remember o'neill and gagai working well together on one side last year

 

[isaiah]

surely we

1. Boyd
2. Holmes
3. Chambers
4. O'Neill
5. Gagai
6. Thurston
7. Cronk
8. McGuire
9. Smith (c)
10. Wallace
11. Gillett
12. Papalli
13. Napa

14.Thaiday
15. Guerra
16. Lillyman
17. Oates

18. Slater, Hunt or DCE
19. Kaufusi

I feel with such an underwhelming forward pack Morgan's role is redundant, need as much fire power as possible. Still reckon Oates has value to run it up the middle early get good meters.

surely we have a better middle forward rotation than wallace, maguire, napa, thaiday, lillyman, papalii, and kaufusi? maybe not time to flick lillyman and myles.

 

[Big Pete]

My theory is that Kevie didn't really want to suspend all those players.

He had no choice on the Valentine Holmes matter, when you behave like that as a representative of Queensland than you've made your bed.

Munster was unfairly punished and unfortunately was made to look like a tattle-tale because of Donaghy leaking Munster's version of events to the media. Once the media caught wind of it, they made it their mission to get all those other players suspended and if it was up to them, more players would have been robbed their opportunity. Essentially...Kevie had his hands forced.

In this situation, Papalii wasn't driving under the influence while attending a Queensland Origin event, so in Kev's eyes it isn't his problem.