2020 Origin Discussion

[Wolfie]

Not quite sure what old Kevvy is on. Apparently he appears not to want JT13 to play for QLD. Why he wouldnt want the second best lock going around to play for the mighty Maroons is beyond me.

 

[Porthoz]

Why he wouldnt want the second best lock going around

I see what you did there...

 

[Sproj]

Not quite sure what old Kevvy is on. Apparently he appears not to want JT13 to play for QLD. Why he wouldnt want the second best lock going around to play for the mighty Maroons is beyond me.

Because he already has the best. Hehe

 

[Porthoz]

Haas is a blue?

Oh boy... come on mate, surely you know who Wolfie thinks the best lock is.

 

[Renegade]

Why he wouldnt want the second best lock going around

Second comes right after first

 

[Unbreakable]

I know it's obviously months away until Origin, but I just spent an hour watching Origin highlights, so I feel it necessary to write some teams down.

I'm basing these teams on some arbitrary combination of current form combined with who I think Walters & Fittler will select.

Queensland:

1. Kalyn Ponga
2. Valentine Holmes
3. Moses Mbye
4. Dane Gagai
5. Kyle Feldt
6. Cameron Munster
7. Daly Cherry-Evans (c)
8. Josh Papalii
9. Harry Grant
10. Jai Arrow
11. Coen Hess
12. David Fifita
13. Patrick Carrigan

14. Michael Morgan
15. Josh McGuire
16. Thomas Flegler
17. Corey Horsburgh

Reasoning:

Outside backs: We have no good centres, pretty much forced to go with Mbye & Gagai in the centres unless we want to roll the dice with Morgan or some rookie.

Hooker: Grant is the future, it's a two horse race between him and Friend at this stage for mine, Walters will go with Friend if he wants to play it safe, but I have a feeling Grant is going to be so good that he's forced to pick him.

Edge forwards: Hess & Fifita are comfortably our most damaging edge players in 2020, with Hess slimming down and looking like his old self, must be selected. Unlucky for Lowe to miss out after his heroics in 2019, but 18 months is a long time.

Bench: No brainers, I moved McGuire to the bench to add a bit of experience and grit, Flegler & Horse are going to be mainstays of the Queensland Origin side moving forward, both highly skillful and highly versatile players, which is what the rule changes are dictating teams need.

The omissions: Big slow props are dead in Origin, the only one I've selected is Papalii and that's because he's a monster, hits harder than anyone in defence and has the skill to hit a hole or put someone over. I doubt we'll ever see the likes of Ofahengaue, Wallace, Glasby, Napa or Welch again. Kaufusi unlucky to miss out, but he's been regressing for several years, would rather go with the attacking upside of Hess & Fifita.

New South Wales:

1. James Tedesco
2. Josh Addo-Carr
3. Tom Trbojevic
4. Kotoni Staggs
5. Nick Cotric
6. Luke Keary
7. Nathan Cleary
8. David Klemmer
9. Damien Cook
10. Payne Haas
11. Boyd Cordner (c)
12. Tyson Frizell
13. Jake Trbojevic

14. Jack Wighton
15. Cameron Murray
16. Paul Vaughan
17. Daniel Saifiti

Don't think any of this is controversial, side pretty much picks itself.

NSW 3-0.

 

[Porthoz]

Reed Mahoney will probably be Qld's hooker, unless Grant becomes Smith over a couple of months.

The backs is very much a question. I can't see Gagai moving away from the wing, so I would go with Morgan or Munster at centre with the other as 5/8, unless Milford returns to his best within the couple of months before Origin starts.

LOL at the NSW 3-0... in your dreams (or nightmares in my case). Outside of the centre pairing, we might actually have a pretty competitive team this year, with much improved forward and hooker stocks, barring injuries of course.

 

[Unbreakable]

Reed Mahoney will probably be Qld's hooker, unless Grant becomes Smith over a couple of months.

The backs is very much a question. I can't see Gagai moving away from the wing, so I would go with Morgan or Munster at centre with the other as 5/8, unless Milford returns to his best within the couple of months before Origin starts.

LOL at the NSW 3-0... in your dreams (or nightmares in my case). Outside of the centre pairing, we might actually have a pretty competitive team this year, with much improved forward and hooker stocks, barring injuries of course.

Can't see Mahoney being any chance. I've watched him pretty closely, he's great defensively but doesn't have the attacking prowess that Grant offers. If we want to play it safe, Friend for a year or two whilst Grant develops would be a better option than Mahoney imo.

We tried Morgan in the centres last year and it was a disaster, we also don't have the Five-Eighth depth to move Munster. Milford & Norman are the leading options and they're both horribly out of form. Feldt is playing good footy, think he deserves a shot on the wing.

 

[Alec]

I was hoping with Holmes coming back, we could afford to try him in the centres...but with Oates playing the way he is now, we might not have that option anymore.

 

[Unbreakable]

Ikin just named his 17 on NRL 360 and he had Molo on the bench. I don't mind that shout to be honest, Molo has improved heaps since he left the Broncos. Perhaps him over Horsburgh on my bench for a bit more strike.

 

[Big Pete]

I begrudgingly liked your post UB. I was OK with it until the last line.

It's one of those series where I'd be looking at a squad, especially since you know there's going to be injuries and coaches are going to be inclined to make changes if they drop the first game.

The way it's shaping up, I reckon Wighton would be one of the first players selected at 6. Both he and Graham are two players Freddy absolutely loves and Keary is really going to have to go up another level if he wants to force his way into the team.

It's a long time between drinks and I reckon you'll see a lot more players miss the series compared to other years.

 

[Wolfie]

Ikin just named his 17 on NRL 360 and he had Molo on the bench. I don't mind that shout to be honest, Molo has improved heaps since he left the Broncos. Perhaps him over Horsburgh on my bench for a bit more strike.

Molo imo has become one of the top bench forwards in the comp right now.

 

[Sproj]

I’d go a little left field:

1. Ponga
2. Holmes
3. Munster
4. Best
5. Gagai
6. Morgan
7. Croft
8. Papalii
9. Mahoney
10. Arrow
11. Fifita
12. Hess
13. Carrigan

14. Oates
15. McGuire
16. Horsburgh
17. Flegler

Go for the future. Milf probably will be hot and cold and not make it.

 

[Big Pete]

4. Best

He's a Blue.

 

[Fernando]

We’ll have an Inglis and Folau centre pairing by the time it rolls around, don’t sweat it

 

[Sproj]

He's a Blue.

Didn’t stop us with Inglis.

 

[Big Pete]

Didn’t stop us with Inglis.

Sorry Sproj, they got us this time.

 

[Bongo]

Molo imo has become one of the top bench forwards in the comp right now.

I want players on the bench that can play big minutes if need be. Molo doesn't fit that in my view