2019 Origin Discussion

Foordy said:
Maybe ... but he blew his chance to play Origin in 2018. and he may never get another chance now that Macca is the incumbent
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I don't think he was the one to blow his chance. I think if Mal was still coach of QLD he would have picked Friend. Mal always had Friend ahead of Macca, as did most people.

Kev has his reasons for selecting Macca and I think he'll persist. I don't think he'd backflip and choose Friend. If anything I think he's more likely to risk Hunt there. Which is a bit more exciting but way more sad.
 
upthebroncs said:
I don't think he was the one to blow his chance. I think if Mal was still coach of QLD he would have picked Friend. Mal always had Friend ahead of Macca, as did most people.

Kev has his reasons for selecting Macca and I think he'll persist. I don't think he'd backflip and choose Friend. If anything I think he's more likely to risk Hunt there. Which is a bit more exciting but way more sad.
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he blew his chance by playing poor footy ... so poor that most Roosters fans wanted Radley to play hooker for them...

it had nothing to do with the coach and everything to do with the form he was in.

now the position is Macca's to lose ... Incumbents (at least for QLD) have always been given first shot the following year and it will take a poor game from Macca in game 1, combined with really good form for Friend before they look to change hookers ...

no matter how you try to spin it ... Friend blew his chance. he was a good chance at the vacant 9 jersey and didn't start playing good footy until after the origin series ....

no matter who the player is, if they have never played for QLD, they will never get an origin jersey when they are playing poorly
 
All you did was prove my point UTB. Friend has had the luxury of playing in a dominant side with wonderful recruitment. When he didn't have the luxury of having those players around him, like in 2016, his personal performances suffered and his selfish tendancies were exposed for all to see.

Which is actually what I was getting at with my quip about him passing the ball. McCullough cops a lot of flack for his dummy and go when there's nothing on, but Friend will kick the ball away or take the wrong option because he isn't as level-headed. Friend's inability to sync with the team was a huge talking point through out the season and has been for a number of years among the Roosters fanbase.

I actually share Unbreakable's view on Friend, but I've arrived at a different conclusion. I think Jake Friend and Andrew McCullough are clones of each other with very minor strengths and weaknesses. In recent times, McCullough has played the better footy but I wouldn't definitively call him the better dummy half. However, I think the way McCullough was used in Game III suggests he isn't apart of Kev's long term future and he was merely there to ease Hunt into the game. It will come down to who's playing the better footy, but if everything remains as is, Hunt will be the 9 for Queensland. My preference would be for Granville to play lights out football and to have Hunt coming off the bench to have them working in tandem, but it's about as likely as Segeyaro winning the Dally M Hooker of the Year.
 
Big Pete said:
All you did was prove my point UTB. Friend has had the luxury of playing in a dominant side with wonderful recruitment. When he didn't have the luxury of having those players around him, like in 2016, his personal performances suffered and his selfish tendancies were exposed for all to see.

Which is actually what I was getting at with my quip about him passing the ball. McCullough cops a lot of flack for his dummy and go when there's nothing on, but Friend will kick the ball away or take the wrong option because he isn't as level-headed. Friend's inability to sync with the team was a huge talking point through out the season and has been for a number of years among the Roosters fanbase.

I actually share Unbreakable's view on Friend, but I've arrived at a different conclusion. I think Jake Friend and Andrew McCullough are clones of each other with very minor strengths and weaknesses. In recent times, McCullough has played the better footy but I wouldn't definitively call him the better dummy half. However, I think the way McCullough was used in Game III suggests he isn't apart of Kev's long term future and he was merely there to ease Hunt into the game. It will come down to who's playing the better footy, but if everything remains as is, Hunt will be the 9 for Queensland. My preference would be for Granville to play lights out football and to have Hunt coming off the bench to have them working in tandem, but it's about as likely as Segeyaro winning the Dally M Hooker of the Year.
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Fair. I don't really care about Macca or Friend to be honest. Just think Friend is better than Macca.

In terms of the hooking position for Queensland.. We're struggling a bit.

I'd really like to see how Moses Mbye goes this year for Tigers, he's been made their captain. He has played pretty much every position in the backline and played hooker in a Grand Final. I think he could be a great utility for us on the bench.
 
Friend and Macca are basically the same player. Just close your eyes, put both pictures on a wall and throw a dart. I reckon that's what Kevvie did (or thought by giving Macca the spot, it would improve his Broncos coaching chances).

In any case, Friend had a better season a few years ago than Macca has ever produced but these days, they are basically one and the same. Neither of them ever stand out and neither of them are ever horrible.
 
Sproj said:
Friend and Macca are basically the same player. Just close your eyes, put both pictures on a wall and throw a dart. I reckon that's what Kevvie did (or thought by giving Macca the spot, it would improve his Broncos coaching chances).

In any case, Friend had a better season a few years ago than Macca has ever produced but these days, they are basically one and the same. Neither of them ever stand out and neither of them are ever horrible.
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A while ago I said that if Matt Parcell stayed in the NRL he would probably be the QLD hooker. I stand by it.
 
Parcell is doing alright over in the UK but so is Matt Frawley sooooo
 
Queensland coach Kevin Walters opens the door for Darius Boyd to make an Origin comeback
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Queensland coach Kevin Walters has opened the door for Darius Boyd to make a shock State of Origin comeback with the Broncos captain in the mix to replace retired champion Billy Slater.
As Boyd prepares to launch his 2019 season in Saturday night’s final trial against the Titans, Walters scuppered talk of a feud, confirming the Broncos ace was one of several contenders for the Queensland No.1 jumper.
Boyd has put his frustrating hamstring saga behind him with a bumper pre-season that has seen Brisbane’s most senior player record his best training data for almost a decade.
The 31-year-old dropped a Maroons bombshell last July when he announced his immediate representative retirement amid speculation Boyd had fallen out with Queensland bosses following his omission for Origin I.
But Walters says Slater’s retirement and Valentine Holmes’ decision to chase an NFL contract has put the Broncos custodian back in the frame for a Maroon jumper – if he wants one.
“The ship hasn’t sailed on Darius at all,” Walters told The Courier-Mail.
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Could Boyd make an Origin comeback? AAP Image/Dan Peled.
“We, as Queensland selectors, never made any decisions around (not picking) Darius and from what I’m reading, he’s in a good headspace again.
“I haven’t spoken to him personally, we’ll let the season get underway and see how things go.
“Darius has proven he is a quality player and an elite player at Origin level.
“I wouldn’t say Kalyn is the favourite for the fullback spot at all. We have Greg Inglis there and Darius is an option as well.
“We won the series with him at fullback in 2016 so he’s always welcome in the Maroons set up that’s for sure.”
Walters scoffed at suggestions a fallout with Boyd triggered his decision to walk away from the Maroons.
“There’s no issue at all,” he said.
“If he wants to play for Queensland again, for sure I would consider him.
“I don’t know how Darius feels so we would have to have that conversation, but we certainly haven’t closed the door on Darius.”
When he quit last year, Boyd said it was time to inject fresh blood. But the unexpected loss of Queensland tryscoring machine Holmes and Slater’s retirement has created two vacancies in the Maroons’ backline for the 2019 series.
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Boyd has scored 17 tries for Queensland. Picture by Brett Costello.
Queensland would benefit from Boyd’s experience following their 2-1 series loss last year. The Broncos ace has played 28 Origin matches, scoring 17 tries, and just two years ago had replaced an injured Slater as Queensland and Australia’s No.1 fullback.
Boyd is a revitalised figure under new Broncos coach Anthony Seibold and the winds of change at Red Hill has given him a fresh outlook on the Queensland jumper he wore with distinction.
“It’s hard to say – I haven’t played a game yet,” Boyd said when asked if he had retired prematurely from Origin.
“I’m really confident in my head and body. I just want to get back to playing my best and playing good footy. This is where my focus is.
“If I get back to my best, if I’m playing really well and am happy then I might have to reassess then.
“I’m happy with where I’m at and want to put that out on the field.
“I know I can play at a high level and I want to get back to that.”
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https://www.couriermail.com.au/spor...k/news-story/5bde781908a3b148da8588fb3a444310
 
So potentially,
Darbs
McCullough
Fifita
Oats
Milf
Bird
Jet
TPJ
Gillett
Lodge
Offa

FMD! SOO can **** off! I want a premiership.
 
upthebroncs said:
Yeah, I'm not saying I'm a fan of Kev's decisions either..

It's all been a mess since Mal left.
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????????

Didn't Walters win two out of three series since Mal retired? Only the most recent series has seen him defeated and he'd lost a lot of champions in that time. I wouldn't characterize it as a mess, rather he's been a resounding success. Only a perfect three from three could be better!!
 
upthebroncs said:
What a joke this is...

Boyd retired from rep footy..

Why is he even being discussed?

Way to show faith in the players Kev
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Going by the way Walters commented "the ship hasn't sailed on Darius at all", it's because he was asked about Boyd. Simple as that IMO. He'd have to be behind a number of players....Ponga, Inglis and Munster to name just a few. There would need to be some serious injuries for him to come into contention AFAIC.
 
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Harry Sack said:
Going by the way Walters commented "the ship hasn't sailed on Darius at all", it's because he was asked about Boyd. Simple as that IMO. He'd have to be behind a number of players....Ponga, Inglis and Munster to name just a few. There would need to be some serious injuries for him to come into contention AFAIC.
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But we have already been through this and Darius has said he's retired..
 
Pretty weak of Walters tbh. Last year when he asked Darius to be in camp and help mentor the young guys Darius wouldn't do it and went on holiday instead iirc. Obviously having a sook. Move on, select someone else.
 
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