Game I Queensland Origin Team

I'm worried about O'Neill because of who he will likely be marking up against.

Hayne has been hot and cold at club level, but he always goes up a gear in Origin and he tends to kill it at centre.
 
If Thurston plays he better be %100. Will be pissed off if he does a DCE and ***** it for us just so he can keep some record going. Guess we will find out.
 
As much as I'm worried for Milford defensively, he's got some great defenders to help him out there on the left, Chambers & Papalii. I also can't wait for Papa running off some of those special Milford short balls, could be brilliant if we execute well.
 
Media already slamming Walters and QLD selectors.

Billy Slater’s State of Origin snubbing by Maroons doesn’t stack up

THE greatest fullback of the modern era, it seems, is not good enough for Queensland anymore.

The Maroons have prided themselves on their loyalty policy for years. No matter the club form, if you’ve done the job before you’ll be back the next year.

That’s how we find ourselves in a situation where Justin O’Neill is effectively retained ahead of Slater.

O’Neill was solid last series and played for Australia at the end of the season but calling his 2017 form solid would be extremely generous.

By comparison, Slater has been magnificent. After barely strapping a boot on for two seasons he looks like he’s never left. The supreme positional play and the telepathic combination with Storm teammates — and Maroons mainstays — Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk, it’s all come back. Even the speed, the raw, limitless pace that was once Slater’s trademark has come back.

In nine matches this season Slater has three tries, nine try assists, six line breaks, nine line break assists, 36 tackle busts and 15 offloads.

Those are phenomenal numbers.

Pick him at fullback and Boyd on the wing and you’ve got the old gang back together. You could even swap the two around in attack now and then if you wanted to offer something a little different.

If Johnathan Thurston is ruled out, the Maroons could fall back on Smith, Cronk and Slater, the most enduring and decorated playmaking combination perhaps in the history of Australian rugby league.

Instead, he will lean on a centre with one try and one line break in eight matches this season.

In being loyal to O’Neill and one series of competent play, Walters is ignoring a decade of brilliance.

Slater’s State of Origin career now looks over unless some injury befalls Boyd, a cruel end to a glittering career.

The Melbourne flyer is the best fullback Queensland have ever had, perhaps the best fullback ever to play this game.

Darius Boyd was excellent at the back last year. His playmaking class was the difference between the two sides.

But you can have that with him on the wing if you find the ways to implement him into the attack correctly.

Walters could have had his cake and eaten it too, by playing Boyd on the wing and Gagai at centre in place of O’Neill. Instead, he’s allowed the Queensland loyalty dream to twist his selections into madness.

While the Maroons coach was clearly emotional at the team announcement, his reasons for excluding Slater do not hold water.

Walters said: “It might have been a bit unfair on Billy to put him under pressure”. But Slater has played on that stage so many times, he is not a wide-eyed rookie.

Slater’s Maroons career will only be revived if injury befalls Boyd and no matter what public face they put on, the relationship between Slater and Walters will be strained to the brink.

If Queensland do lose the opening match of the series and need to travel to Sydney to stay alive the pressure will mount on Walters like it has on no Queensland coach since 2006.

Walters has created a rod for his own back and seemingly ended the Origin career of one of Queensland’s best ever.
All for an out-of-form centre, and loyalty.
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http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...p/news-story/73255053822fa6639231c83d8e02e9a0
 
Outside of some obvious hyperbole (Locky is the greatest fullback to ever grace the Qld or OZ jersey), I do agree with the sentiment and reasoning expressed in that opinion.
 
He makes an irrelevant statement in the second paragraph when talking about loyalty. +

when he says "if they've done the job before, they'll be there again next year"

well Slater has missed the last 2 series (in fact the last 2 years of NRL as well). it isn't like he played last year and is now all of a sudden being snubbed.

missing 2 years of footy doesn't make you an automatic selection for QLD (unlike NSW when they select Hayne tonight)
 
Dexter said:
I am positive they had 2 stories ready to go depending on the selection.

Journos should be there to chronicle the news not to actively participate in it as they do across so much of the media these days.
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They need some valium, with all this drama queen hyperventilating.
 
I would've picked Slater also, for the record. He's in good form for the Storm and always lifts another gear in Origin, plus I just think he flat out deserved another series before retiring, Boyd could've re-claimed the mantle in 2018, don't think he would've cared that much.
 
I think the value of loyalty has been quite a bit overrated when it comes to QLD winning. It couldn't be because we had Slater, Inglis, Thurston, Lockyer, Smith, Civo or Price during this run.
 
Blaming O'Neil's selection on Slater's omission is a massive long bow.

It was between Boyd & Slater and the truth of the matter is that Darius has been in great form for a longer period of time and was one of the main reasons behind the Maroons success last series.
 
Glad Slater didn't make the team. You can't sit out 2 years and expect to take Boyd's position, and he's not a winger. Good move. Happy with the team, little bit light, but it's not like we are going up against a good team.
 
Big Pete said:
Blaming O'Neil's selection on Slater's omission is a massive long bow.

It was between Boyd & Slater and the truth of the matter is that Darius has been in great form for a longer period of time and was one of the main reasons behind the Maroons success last series.
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Do you think a backline with some combination of Boyd and Slater at fullback and wing, and moving Gagai to the centre in place of O'niell would be a stronger combination?
 
I'd rather gagai in centres instead of O'Neil, that would allow Holmes to be on the wing. Never rated O'Neil
 
OXY-351 said:
Do you think a backline with some combination of Boyd and Slater at fullback and wing, and moving Gagai to the centre in place of O'niell would be a stronger combination?
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No.

Walters has selected the best players for their respective roles and positions. O'Neil has shown that he's a far more reliable centre than any other Maroons candidate, hence he got the nod.
 
O'Neill - 8 games, 83 tackles, 10 missed, 2 errors.
Gagai - 11 games, 158 tackles, 35 missed, 9 errors.

It's hard to argue against who's the safer player. With that in mind, Gagai has 57 tackle busts, 10 offloads, 3 line-breaks & O'Neill has 12 tackle busts, 2 offloads, 1 line-break.

There's a vast difference in their attack capabilities from the Centre position.
 
winslow_wong said:
I'd rather gagai in centres instead of O'Neil, that would allow Holmes to be on the wing. Never rated O'Neil
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O'Neil is safe. Gagai has some defensive issues and it doesn't help he isn't playing there full time at club level. Holmes was a sympathy pick for the premiers last year. If the sharks don't win the title, he doesn't even play for Australia. He would be our 4th choice winger behind Boyd, Gagai & Oates.
 
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