Game I Queensland Origin Team

[Danoz Direct]

Backing UB here, Wallace was a class A plodder, good for a dropped ball, a penalty, then back to the pine. It was only midway through last year that he improved, and it took more than just a few of us by surprise. I'd like to think the appropriation of head gear had him channelling a concussed Dallas Johnson.

I said he would play Origin.

 

[ZTop]

Backing UB here, Wallace was a class A plodder, good for a dropped ball, a penalty, then back to the pine. It was only midway through last year that he improved, and it took more than just a few of us by surprise. I'd like to think the appropriation of head gear had him channelling a concussed Dallas Johnson.

What time of the year was the actual comment again

 

[Unbreakable]

Going to a game and watching him from 40+ metres away and making the call that he is obese doesn't make it fact.

You misunderstood, I mean it was literally a factual comment based on the weight & height listed on the Broncos official website, so unless those statistics were faked, he was obese at the start of the season, by every sense of the word.

Of course there's plenty of arguments to be made that many professional footballers are classed as overweight & obese, but from memory Milf was the only half in the NRL that was in the "obese" category, which is why I raised the subject. It wasn't purely an observation, it was backed up with stats.

Regardless, to the naked eye (My opinion, and my own) he looks to have lost a little bit of weight since the start of the season and I think he's playing much better, so it's become a pretty irrelevant topic as well.

 

[ZTop]

Origin matches are decided by moments and Queensland halfback Cooper Cronk has vowed to work doubly hard this week to ensure his new halves partner Anthony Milford is in position to seize his when he makes his Origin debut on Wednesday night.
The dominant storyline of the opening three days of Queensland's 2017 Holden State of Origin campaign was put to bed on Thursday morning when 18th man Johnathan Thurston was officially withdrawn from the squad, paving the way for Milford to start in the No.6 jersey in which he was named on Monday.
It will be the first time in Cronk's 20-game Origin career that he will take to the field without Thurston in the team and the Melbourne No.7 says he must take on additional responsibility to ensure he and Milford get off to a winning start.
The Maroons' new-look halves pairing had their first field session on Thursday afternoon and will have three further runs prior to Wednesday night, Cronk encouraging his 22-year-old five-eighth to bring his electrifying brand of football to the Origin arena.
In the absence of Ben Hunt the past five weeks at the Broncos Milford has been required to take on greater responsibility for the running of the team, something Cronk says he won't have to worry about against the Blues.
"What he needs to do is focus on two things that make him a really good player and concentrate on that," said Cronk.
"There are a few other blokes who know how to get a football team around a paddock so I'll have a chat to 'Milf' and tell him he doesn't need to worry about the other stuff that goes on, there are a few guys that can manage that. You just bring what you do best to the football field in terms of the skill and we'll be right.
"The advice is 'see ball, get ball' and take it from there but don't stress about the running of the game or management of the team because what Milford brings to a football team is that one-on-one ability to explode and beat somebody.
"I'll try, and other people will try, to get him in that position as often as possible.
"We haven't played together and I'm going to work my backside off this week to make sure that we can fast-track our relationship and get the performance that Queensland needs on Wednesday night."
Few players have the ability to turn a game on its head in the blink of an eye the way Milford can, his 106 NRL games to date a proliferation of breathtaking moments of brilliance that Cronk believes can transfer perfectly into the Origin arena.
"In terms of over-calling, it comes quite naturally so if you see a 4-on-3, a 3-on-2, as a rugby league player you're trained to take advantage of those situations," said Cronk, who will earn the Dick 'Tosser' Turner Medal for playing 20 Origin matches for Queensland.
"He won't be sitting back saying, I won't do that. You see an opportunity you don't hesitate, you grab that ball. Because that's what Origin's about, it's about moments and it's about not hesitating.
"When that moment happens you've got to be ready and prepared to do it."
Also helping to usher in the next generation of Queensland halves is the man Milford is replacing, Johnathan Thurston.
Thurston will stay in camp to help fast-track Milford's Origin education and believes making the decision so early in the week will help him adjust to the daunting assignment that lies ahead of him.
"I spoke to 'Milf' [on Wednesday] night, he can get that clarity now and start preparing," said Thurston shortly after the decision was made that he wouldn't play.
"He knows that he is playing. I'm not too sure what Kevvie [Walters, Queensland coach] is going to do with the team but he will be there so he will prepare the best that he can.
"He just needs to worry about getting his preparation right and the best thing about this team is you only have to worry about yourself. Prepare the best you can and do the job for the team.
"We're not asking you to go over and beyond just do your job and no doubt he will do that.
"He is a super talent and I love watching him play."
http://www.nrl.com/milford-the-man-for-the-moment/tabid/10874/newsid/107205/default.aspx
Just to give you a bit of relief @Super Freak

 

[Morkel]

But it still wasn't the prevailing thought. That's why there was the outlandish comment and the whole putting it into a sig thing.

Yeah it was. Most thought he'd improve, some hoped he'd get good enough for rep football one day, but the majority agreed that he was a plodder.

The only reason the comment has stood over time wasn't because it was a stupid comment, but because it was a stupid thing to put on the line, particularly by someone as vocal as UB.

 

[tommy]

Yeah it was. Most thought he'd improve, some hoped he'd get good enough for rep football one day, but the majority agreed that he was a plodder.

The only reason the comment has stood over time wasn't because it was a stupid comment, but because it was a stupid thing to put on the line, particularly by someone as vocal as UB.

Agree to disagree. Don't wish to derail the thread any further but a good number of people always gave him a chance of being a rep player.

 

[winslow_wong]

Well it's pretty obvious where the blues will attack all night.

 

[Unbreakable]

Well it's pretty obvious where the blues will attack all night.

Which is another reason I think Walters will inevitably decide to start with Morgan, as much as we all would love Milford to start, I don't see it happening. He chose Boyd over Slater because of defence & reliability. Neither of these two are safe by any means, but Morgan is probably the lesser of two evils because he's a bigger body.

Milford - 17 errors, 121 tackles, 39 missed.
Morgan - 15 errors, 149 tackles, 30 missed.

 

[ZTop]

Well it's pretty obvious where the blues will attack all night.

Bit of talk going round on Foxsports that Papali and Chambers will be Milford's body guard and they are fairly solid defenders. The Blues have also swapped Frizzell with Jackson, So Frizzell runs at Milford

 

[Super Freak]

Which is another reason I think Walters will inevitably decide to start with Morgan, as much as we all would love Milford to start, I don't see it happening. He chose Boyd over Slater because of defence & reliability. Neither of these two are safe by any means, but Morgan is probably the lesser of two evils because he's a bigger body.

Milford - 17 errors, 121 tackles, 39 missed.
Morgan - 15 errors, 149 tackles, 30 missed.

A bit different to the Milford situation, though.

Milford will have protection. He will have players there to protect him in case NSW decide to run at him. Walters said if he was the least bit worried about Milford's defence, he wouldn't be there.

 

[Unbreakable]

A bit different to the Milford situation, though.

Milford will have protection. He will have players there to protect him in case NSW decide to run at him. Walters said if he was the least bit worried about Milford's defence, he wouldn't be there.

I get your point, I'm always a little worried when it comes to being forced to "Protect" players, look at Gillett this season going out of his way to protect Nikorima, making a LOT of missed tackles, more than last season. It'll be the same thing in Origin, Papa & Chambers may save Milf's ass once or twice, but they won't always be able to get there in time, or alternatively they'll go out of their way to help him and leave a gap open where they would've been defending.

I hope Milf's up to it.

 

[winslow_wong]

We saw what Milford can do in defence in a game against the roosters this season. But he seems to always fall back to the arm grabbing

 

[ZTop]

I get your point, I'm always a little worried when it comes to being forced to "Protect" players, look at Gillett this season going out of his way to protect Nikorima, making a LOT of missed tackles, more than last season. It'll be the same thing in Origin, Papa & Chambers may save Milf's ass once or twice, but they won't always be able to get there in time, or alternatively they'll go out of their way to help him and leave a gap open where they would've been defending.

I hope Milf's up to it.

I have been wondering why Gillett has been missing a lot of tackles. So you reckon it's because Nikorima and having to protect him?

 

[Alec]

Papalii's defence is pretty underrated. Only missed 11 tackles this year. They are BFF too, won't let each other down hopefully.

 

[Unbreakable]

I have been wondering why Gillett has been missing a lot of tackles. So you reckon it's because Nikorima and having to protect him?

He was missing a lot of tackles before the Hunt injury as well I think, can't blame it purely on Nikorima. Would be an interesting thing to look at though, his missed tackle % with Hunt in the 7 this season vs with Nikorima in the 7.

 

[KnToad]

Seriously you idiots have taken this Milf is fat thing wayyy over the top

It's funny but [emoji13]

 

[KnToad]

I have been wondering why Gillett has been missing a lot of tackles. So you reckon it's because Nikorima and having to protect him?

In the Manly game the turbo brothers used this to make a line break. Gillo moved over to help Niko and left a hole on the inside that broken turbo ran thru after an inside pass from stumpy turbo

 

[ZTop]

He was missing a lot of tackles before the Hunt injury as well I think, can't blame it purely on Nikorima. Would be an interesting thing to look at though, his missed tackle % with Hunt in the 7 this season vs with Nikorima in the 7.

His tackle and missed tackle count with Hunt at 7 was 237 tackles and 23 missed tackles.With Niko in his tackle count was 171 tackles and 21 missed.
9.7% missed with Hunt in 7
12.2% missed with Niko in 7
Stats from Nrl.com