PRE-GAME Game I 2019

[Big Pete]

NSW Game I 2019
1. James Tedesco (Sydney Roosters)
2. Nick Cotric (Canberra Raiders)
3. Latrell Mitchell (Sydney Roosters)
4. Josh Morris (Cronulla Sharks)
5. Josh Addo-Carr (Melbourne Storm)
6. Cody Walker (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
7. Nathan Cleary (Penrith Panthers)
8. David Klemmer (Newcastle Knights)
9. Damien Cook (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
10. Paul Vaughan (St George Illawarra Dragons)
11. Boyd Cordner (Sydney Roosters)
12. Tyson Frizell (St George Illawarra Dragons)
13. Jake Trbojevic (Manly Sea Eagles)

14. Jack Wighton (Canberra Raiders)
15. Payne Haas (Brisbane Broncos)
16. Cameron Murray (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
17. Angus Crichton (Sydney Roosters)

 

[roo-ted]

No Lodge!? He deserves the call up more than Haas

 

[WASSHHH]

They must be expecting huge minutes out of Haas, otherwise it is a very small bench.

Would start Lodge ahead of Vaughan, push him to the bench in place of Crichton who's done bugger all this year and in Origin in general.

Wighton is also an interesting choice.

 

[Dexter]

Frizell must be in doubt the way he was testing his jaw and feeling his face when he came off.

 

[winslow_wong]

Congratulations to haas. I hope he gets minimal game time to lower the risk of injury

 

[Super Freak]

Surely NSW have better utility options than Jack Wighton?

 

[tommy]

No Lodge!? He deserves the call up more than Haas

Yeah I'm shocked too. But selfishly relieved.

 

[Big Pete]

Cotric, Walker, Wighton, Haas and Murray on debut.

Josh Morris will play his first Origin since Game I 2016.

Not exactly a team that blows me away but with Tedesco, Mitchell, Cook they should go in as favourites.

Haas is a remarkable selection, has a prop forward made a team with less performances? I know nobody will beat Ben Ikin's mark, but I'm struggling to think of anyone off the top of my head. He 100% deserves the selection as well, he's been fantastic for the Broncos and turned their season around.

 

[Super Freak]

Haas is a remarkable selection, has a prop forward made a team with less performances?

No. Closest is Lindsay Johnston with 18 games.

First forward to debut with under 10 appearances of first grade footy and overall is second on the list of least amount of appearances with the next line being Brad Fittler.

 

[Battler]

Walker has been playing extremely well at club level, but I can see him being a flop in Origin. He won't have defenders clocking off or massive defensive lapses to take advantage of, plus Origin is a lot slower due to crap officiating (fewer penalties isn't a good thing). Cleary was quite rubbish last year with Maloney doing most of the playmaking, he had something like zero assists from memory.

 

[Dexter]

Walker has been playing extremely well at club level, but I can see him being a flop in Origin. He won't have defenders clocking off or massive defensive lapses to take advantage of, plus Origin is a lot slower due to crap officiating (fewer penalties isn't a good thing). Cleary was quite rubbish last year with Maloney doing most of the playmaking, he had something like zero assists from memory.

How do you figure origin is slower when every player to ever pull on a jersey says its faster??

 

[Morkel]

Club form means little in Origin, but most of NSW's players are playing for teams that have had recent drops in form, or have just been shit. Roosters, Raiders, Dragons, Sea Eagles. They're also on to their, what, 3rd or 4th-string halves choice? Someone said it above, Walker has been great for Souths when they're dominating field position but there are way fewer opportunities in Origin.

Qld's player pool at the moment isn't pretty, but I, like others, think NSW look very beatable.

 

[BruiserMk1]

Jack Wighton and Angus Crichton are head scratchers for mine.
Lodge you'd think would have made it.
As I mentioned in the round thread Crichton hasn't really performed well this year but maybe they see him as cover for Frizzell.

 

[Alec]

Jack Wighton and Angus Crichton are head scratchers for mine.
Lodge you'd think would have made it.
As I mentioned in the round thread Crichton hasn't really performed well this year but maybe they see him as cover for Frizzell.

Yeah, I thought he has been a bit of a dud signing so far. Just doesn't look like he fits in at the Roosters, and is taking up too much of their cap (Their highest paid forward on $200K?).

I think we got a bit lucky, they aren't going to test our left side defence much, Morgan might have an easier time.

 

[Big Pete]

In hindsight, how big a loss was Payne Haas last year for the Broncos?

Played 20 minutes on debut and helped swing momentum against the Bunnies. Came off after 7 against the Bulldogs and only played 9 before finishing up for the year against Manly.

At the time, it was difficult to weigh up, but he's already in the conversation as the best prop in the game after only 10 games of first grade.

He's the Baba Yaga of Rugby League.

 

[Unbreakable]

QLD team is locked in according to Badel -

1. Ponga
2. Oates
3. Chambers
4. Morgan
5. Gagai
6. Munster
7. Cherry-Evans (c)
8. McGuire
9. Hunt
10. Papalii
11. Kaufusi
12. Gillett
13. Arrow

14. Mbye
15. Fifita
16. Napa
17. Ofahengaue

 

[Alec]

QLD team is locked in according to Badel -

1. Ponga
2. Oates
3. Chambers
4. Morgan
5. Gagai
6. Munster
7. Cherry-Evans (c)
8. McGuire
9. Hunt
10. Papalii
11. Kaufusi
12. Gillett
13. Arrow

14. Mbye
15. Fifita
16. Napa
17. Ofahengaue

Definitely prefer Fifita to Wallace.

 

[broncsgoat]

Milf losing out to mbye is ridiculous