Are the Maroons Too Old?

[Big Pete]

Turvey certainly thinks so.

http://rugbyleagueweek.com.au/mortimer-maroons-old/

Does he have a point? Will the lack of youth be the death of Queensland or will they prevail?

How much longer does the squad have?

 

[Foordy]

People were saying our 2006 squad wad too old ... But the continued winning.

I dont necessarily think they are too old ... But i think that after our streak ended last year, we should have gradually started ushering in our next generation.

 

[broncos4life]

People were saying our 2006 squad wad too old ... But the continued winning.

I dont necessarily think they are too old ... But i think that after our streak ended last year, we should have gradually started ushering in our next generation.

Yeah I'm very much with Foordy. I don't think they are too old for game 3 but definitely need to start ushering in new blood after this series and should have already started TBH

 

[Renegade]

At the end of the day the wheel always turns, win or lose this next game, we're going to have to start blooding the new brigade sooner rather than later, and yeah we might be a bit behind when it comes to that as NSW have been forced into generation next.

But you know what? Who cares. Dominance although good for the winning party makes a contest boring. I know this sounds very unpatriotic but I'd have no qualms if we fall in a hole the next few years trying to bring through the young guys and NSW gain the ascendancy. It makes for an interesting spectacle, and it makes the hatred burn brighter than it does when you constantly whip them.

 

[Nashy]

Yes they are. I fear the future, because I just can't see the prep for replacing a lot of out stars as they all drop off within a few years of each other.

 

[Morkel]

To an extent. We just have to hope they hold on another year or two.

Unfortunately there are a few gaps in the team - players like Hannant, Yow Yeh, Folau, etc, should be holding the fort right now but for very different reasons they're not, and it highlights the disparity in depth between the states.

 

[Porthoz]

Smith is going to be hard to replace, and we're in a bit of a hole when it comes to good props, but there is some young talent coming through, albeit not quite ready for the Origin arena.

I think the Broncos are going to suffer big time with Origin in future seasons though... :rolleyes:

 

[Behold]

I think you can add to that Te'o and McQueen. Our main concern has to be that DCE didn't do enough last year or this year to make Mal second guess whether or not Cronk had to be brought straight back into the starting team. We really need a next generation player in our spine. I don't think Inglis at fullback is it. I am also a little surprised we haven't seen Friend used off the bench in the last two years but I don't remember his injury status around the representative window.

I expect Lillyman, Thaiday and Parker to be tapped on the shoulder after this series and told they are unlikely to play again unless there are a lot of injuries. Although I am not sure who would replace Parker of those three he is the most difficult to replace, possibly Guerra to lock.

 

[broncsgoat]

I think you can add to that Te'o and McQueen. Our main concern has to be that DCE didn't do enough last year or this year to make Mal second guess whether or not Cronk had to be brought straight back into the starting team. We really need a next generation player in our spine. I don't think Inglis at fullback is it. I am also a little surprised we haven't seen Friend used off the bench in the last two years but I don't remember his injury status around the representative window.

I expect Lillyman, Thaiday and Parker to be tapped on the shoulder after this series and told they are unlikely to play again unless there are a lot of injuries. Although I am not sure who would replace Parker of those three he is the most difficult to replace, possibly Guerra to lock.

Parker has been close to our best player the last few series, I think he'll go around again. Lillyman and Thaiday for sure though.

 

[Kimlo]

I think you can add to that Te'o and McQueen. Our main concern has to be that DCE didn't do enough last year or this year to make Mal second guess whether or not Cronk had to be brought straight back into the starting team. We really need a next generation player in our spine. I don't think Inglis at fullback is it. I am also a little surprised we haven't seen Friend used off the bench in the last two years but I don't remember his injury status around the representative window.

I expect Lillyman, Thaiday and Parker to be tapped on the shoulder after this series and told they are unlikely to play again unless there are a lot of injuries. Although I am not sure who would replace Parker of those three he is the most difficult to replace, possibly Guerra to lock.

You don't replace players because they're old, you replace them because there are better options available. Guerra over Parker? No way.
Napa over Lillyman? Yes. Thaiday? He can easily do another year, he just turned 30.

 

[Harry Sack]

Hodges will definitely be gone obviously. I expect we'll lose Lillyman. Who knows, maybe Thaiday and Myles too. I think Friend is the intended replacement for Smith so I wouldn't be surprised to see him on the bench over the next season or 2 to get him accustomed.

 

[Behold]

I agree about Parker but there has to be some regeneration. I would love to see origin be an actual representation of the best players on form instead of the pseudo club competition it currently is.

Thaiday doesn't have 'it' anymore and hasn't for a few years. He will have to turn himself into a handy front rower for him to be selected next year which I don't think he is capable of. Will the reduced interchange be in the origin series as well next year?

 

[Cult3]

Jake Friend is so overrated. As is Segeyaro.

 

[Big Pete]

Smith can go till his 40s can't he?

By the by, co-signing Segs for this year. His Round 7 performance against the Titans was god awful and the worst of any established hooker in 2015.

 

[CaptainHook]

I said this last year. Looking at the senior players individually their form is pretty good so it makes sense to keep selecting them. I just don't think an Orign side can keep on so many players at the back end of their career.

It's not just the fact we lost the series in 2014 but we've also struggled to put the Blues away - this also coincides with them closing the gap too and I hate to say it but they seem to want it more now. Their ability to defend narrow leads over the last 2 years is no fluke and it's downright Queenslander-esque.

Note: I don't take into account performances in dead rubbers. I'm going by their form when the series is still alive.

 

[Sproj]

1. Inglis, Holmes
2. Lee, Kahu, Maranta
3. Chambers, Copley,
4. Gagai, Kahu, Moga
5. Oates, Vidot, Holmes
6. Milford, Morgan, Elgey
7. Hunt, DCE, Sandow
8. McGuire, Napa, Perrett, Wallace, Offa
9. Friend, McCullough, Segeyaro, Granville
10. Sims, Molo, Napa
11. Papalii, Grievsmuhl
12. Guerra, Gillett, Oates
13. McQueen, Arrow

off the top of my head, that's our future there. Who would you have already bought in? What a shame JYY, Folau and Taylor haven't kicked on for varying reasons.

 

[Kaz]

Turvey has been saying since about 2006 that the QLD players are too old.

 

[vertigo]

The bulk of this current team has maybe one or two years left together, after that it will be like the Australian cricket team post 2007.

We'll lose a few series during this time but like most success in sports it's cyclical so we should be there or thereabouts 2-3 years after that.

 

[Big Pete]

You know what they say about broken clocks, they're at least right twice a day.

The end of an era is certainly dawning. Originally I thought the squad would have until 2017 before they had to really worry about a new era but I think next year will see a lot of new blood in camp. It won't be like 2001 which was a reaction the 56-16 drubbing but I can see a few players being overlooked based on future potential.

I still think Origin III is in the Maroons bag. It isn't as one-sided as the bookies would have you believe, I think this NSW squad is really onto something but I think the likes of GI, Hodges, JT, Cronk, Scott, Smith, Myles, Thaiday & Parker have one last big win in them before they begin to really show their age.

It's going to be interesting to see what changes occur next year. Of course Hodges is gone which should mean that Chambers/Gagai will play in the backs and I can't see Lillyman being retained after this series with the likes of Napa & Korbin coming through.

However, there's got to be more than a few changes.

And is the DCE experiment truly over?

As chaotic as it looks, I'm actually looking forward to these changes and I think the next few series will bring back that unpredicibility factor that makes Origin so exciting. While I'd much rather see Queensland win than see them lose in an entertaining fashion, I do think a few more series success will add to the emotion of the situation.

 

[Dexter]

DCE has a lot to offer IMO, he didn't play well in game 2 but the more you watch that game you can see that the timing issues are because he likes his support deeper giving him time to do his thing. His runners were clearly not used to his style hence the stop start clunky moves.