Game I Queensland Origin Team

[Super Freak]

Well if Boyd doesn't perform at his best then the knives are going to be out for Boyd and Walters.

 

[Foordy]

Happy enough with the Slater omission. He hasn't been able to get back to his best yet after returning from injury.

Holmes is a better player than Oates and should have been on the wing. Gagai should have been in the centres with O'Neill cut.

Our forward pack looks poorer than it should have been. Was the right time to move Myles and Lillyman on and bring in Wallace and Hess.

I disagree about Oates ... he deserves his spot.

On the pack you don't want a completely inexperienced pack at this level. And Myles and Lillyman have always done the job for QLD regardless of club form.

 

[Super Freak]

And why not. Bennett is happy for British players to fly halfway around the world to take part in a meaningless friendly in he middle of their season but refuses to let a kid from his own team get the experience of a lifetime because a future immortal might not be fit.

Bennett does a lot right but he too does things wrong sometimes. That said, knowing Bennett, he probably used his media influence to get Milf into the side.

Refuses to release Milford if he was named 18th man.

 

[Organix]

It's awesome having Milf in at 6. It works for Bennett too. He just got his no. 6 for the next 4 years learning first hand at the ultimate level instead of watching. Better still if Thurston comes in last minute and Milf stays injury free but gets paid extra for a top tier lesson

 

[broncos4life]

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.

This is too true and displays how truly pathetic 'journalism' has become.

Like you say, they had both stories prepared. If Slater was picked and Boyd shifted to the wing they would have just pressed print on a story about how Boyd has been snubbed, good enough for Australia but not Queensland. Wouldn't put it past them to use Boyd's mental health as a way to draw clicks by claiming this as a set back for him blah blah blah.

 

[holdzy]

Milf handled the GF well, he'll be excellent for QLD. He won't feel the pressure to run the whole show with Cronk and Smith there, he'll be able to pick his moments and keep NSW's big guys guessing.

 

[061ang]

If we lose game 1, there is going to be a lot of back lash against our players.

1. Boyd over Slater - I can already hear it "If Slater was there, they would've won". I was all for Boyd being the no. 1 for this game, but after watching the last 2 Storm games, I would've been happy to have Slater there not because I think he is a better FB then Boyd, but because his chemistry with Smith and Cronk is just too good to pass up. This would've been great at Origin level and Boyd could slot into the wing.

2. Milf - I won't need to say more about this.

3. Oates over Holmes - This one is pretty 50/50. Holmes is a fantastic winger and has been more consistent then Oates this year IMO. Oates had a rather quiet first half of this short season, but I give the nod to Oates since we have a rather small pack and having his big body there to maybe be used during a 3rd/4th tackle option could pay dividends for us.

 

[OXY-351]

Meh. Throw him in the deep end. He'll either sink or float.

Probably sink at the moment.

 

[Huge]

Truthfully I would have liked Slater at fullback with Boyd taking a wing. That's so we had an extra ball player, someone with 5/8 skills as well as all the normal wing skills. The down side is losing Oates extra forward strengths.

I do think Milfords defence, in particular his arm grabbing and refusal to get his body directly in front will be a liability. Mind you, NSW have exactly the same issue with Maloney who is atrocious in that department so perhaps it cancels out.
The Blues have us in the forwards and on the bench and with Myles bung leg I think it's an error to choose him but Miles, Lockyer and Walters are not stupid so I must have faith that they have fully considered that.

 

[john1420]

This is potentially a massive dick move from Kevvie. If Thurston plays and Milf is left out, I will cheer for NSW.

Cheering for NSW is the real dick move :wink:

 

[Organix]

Milf might learn some better tackling techniques in camp?

 

[Nashy]

This is potentially a massive dick move from Kevvie. If Thurston plays and Milf is left out, I will cheer for NSW.

lol wot?

 

[broncsgoat]

Does anyone know where I could find a schedule for the Maroons this week? Wouldn't mind going down and watching a training session. Absolutely frothing for Wednesday night.

 

[Nashy]

Don't they do closed sessions for Origin training?

 

[broncsgoat]

I thought they had at least one open session. Could very well be wrong though.

 

[Rhys van Beurden]

NSW rugby league commentators have celebrated Queensland’s huge decision to snub Billy Slater — and the decision isn’t sitting right north of the Tweed River either.

Maroons coach Kevin Walters on Monday announced Broncos No. 1 Darius Boyd will retain the Queensland fullback position from last year, forcing some to declare Slater’s Origin career is likely finished.

Walters struggled with emotion when discussing the Queensland’s selection panel’s decision to play Boyd in the Maroon No. 1 — and a conspiracy theory emerged on Tuesday explaining the real reason behind the tears Walters had to fight back.

Former Wallaby Greg Martin on Tuesday said the only explanation for the surprise decision was that there is friction within the Queensland Selection Panel over the Slater decision.

Martin told Triple M Brisbane’s Marto Ed and Robin he believes Walters must have been overruled by the other panel members — chairman Gene Miles and Queensland legend Darren Lockyer.

It is a sensational theory, considering Lockyer played alongside Slater as teammates throughout the Broncos great’s Origin career.
It also suggests Walters did not necessarily get the team he desired, breaking with the recent trend of selection panels giving the coaches the exact 17 they want.

With Boyd beginning his Origin career on the wing, commentators have simplified the Slater snub to a simple choice between Slater at fullback and Justin O’Neill in the centres — because of Boyd’s ability to switch to the wing and Dane Gagai’s ability to move to the centres.

“Last year he didn’t play because he had that terrible shoulder injury so Kevvy got him to coach and he was magnificent apparently,” Martin said.

“Kevvy had him at Melbourne for years, he knows what he can do. Kevvy wanted him in the team I reckon.
“Kevin Walters has been rolled. For what? Gee, I’m really looking forward to Justin O’Neill playing ahead of Billy Slater.”
He said it simply doesn’t add up that Walters wouldn’t believe his team is strengthened by having both Boyd and Slater on the field at the same time.

“Darren Lockyer is in this,” he said.

“Kevvy has been rolled. There’s no way in the world. Kevvy spent years down in Melbourne.

“What’s the most dangerous thing in rugby league? Don’t worry about that big Nelson (Asofa-Solomona) guy down there in Melbourne. It is Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater in a play together. That is the most wicked thing in rugby league and you’re going to chop the head off one of them.”

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...a/news-story/d84e479a038708479a41d7637a72fc6e

God, why is this hack given a platform to run his mouth on? Absolute clueless dribbler.

 

[Alec]

The whole Slater thing has been lame as shit. Why the **** was Walters crying? Pull it together, holy shit. How can Miles be a selector when he's sitting next to the real best fullback and claiming Slater is one instead?

 

[FGfrom50]

I'd like to think that naming Milf at 6 instead of Morgan indicates that if JT is fit to play, it'll be Milf who gets that bench spot.