@Sproj have you done a Game II combined team yet?
I'm thinking:
1. Walsh v Teddy: Toss of a coin potentially. Walsh is in far better form and had a great origin debut, but it's only one origin game and I don't think he was tested all that much under the high ball. Teddy has been struggling in attack, but is very solid under the high ball (unless Collins is coming after it). Are NSW taking Walsh over Teddy? probably not. Are Qld taking Teddy over Walsh? possibly. So I'd say Teddy gets it on that. However, if Walsh has another good game and Qld win the series, then Teddy's time might quickly be running out.
2. Right wing (Coates vs To'o): To'o all day
3. Right centre (Val vs Turbo): Val looked pretty shaky against Crichton in Game 1 and that's where their points came from. Turbo didn't look the best, but they didn't really give him much ball. I'd say Turbo makes both sides if available.
4. Left centre (Hammer vs Crichton)... I'd say Hammer. He had a great defensive game against Turbo and came up with 2 tries. Crichton played well against Val and had him covered for most of the night, but he was effectively third choice for NSW.
5. Left Wing (JAC vs Taulagi): I'd say JAC pretty easily
6. Munster over Luai easily
7. Cherry vs Moses: Possibly a toss of the coin, but Cherry has runs on the board at this level. If Moses was a Qld'er he has probably already taken Cherry's jersey and playing near 10 origins... but he's pretty well untested at origin level and hasn't always stepped up to big games over the course of his career, but that is changing a bit over the last year or so with an ability to constantly compete against penrith and storm and making it to the GF
8 / 10. Haas easily gets one of the spots, even though he hasn't really stepped up to the origin level as yet. He still gets through a mountain of work, and even for the broncos you can see him step it up a gear when his role in the team is known. For the other starting spot I'm going Tino over Paulo... Tino is becoming a big time player for Qld and I don't think that can be overlooked
9. Bhunt all day over Cook
11. Left edge forward (Fifita vs Hudson Young): Fifita pretty easily... it is being suggested that Martin or Murray might start, but I'm thinking Fifita gets it over Murray (playing out of position) and then toss of a coin against Martin, only because he's coming back from injury and hasn't really been playing second row for much of the year. Martin is probably NSW best 'origin' forward though
12. Right edge forward (Nanai vs Frizzel): Bit of a toss of the coin, given Nanai has delivered at origin level, but doesn't have a lot of experience. Frizzel isn't really an automatic pick for NSW and was a bit left field. I think probably Nanai when it's out of those two.
13. Patty vs Yeo: I think this one is a bit of a toss of the coin. To me Yeo is the best lock at club land, but is he the best lock at origin level. I'd say Murray would probably out perform him at origin level, and Patty won player of the series at that position last year. Would Qld take Yeo over Patty? possibly not, given how much of a leader Patty is already becoming. Would NSW take Patty over Yeo or Murray? probably not. I think this one has to go to Yeo, because I could see both Qld and NSW pushing Patty back to the bench if they were both available for selection.
14. Utility (Harry vs Robson): Harry easily
15/16/17. I'm probably only taking Cotter over Uto, but I'm easily taking Murray and Martin for the other two bench spots.
So my team is:
1. Teddy
2. To'o
3. Turbo
4. Hammer
5. JAC
6. Munster
7. Cherry
8. Haas
9. Bhunt
10. Tino
11. Fifita
12. Nanai
13. Yeo
14. Harry
15. Murray
16. Martin
17. Cotter
8 NSW to 9 Qld... Qld have the key spine positions pretty well locked down, but pure forwards are split 50/50 when the bench is taken into account and NSW have by far the better outside backs.
If Qld don't turn up or any form of complacency sets in, then NSW definitely have a team that can trouble us.
