OFFICIAL Game III Queensland Side

OXY-351 said:
I reckon that interview is a bit fake, but no more fake than all Walters' ones about why he wasn't picked. In both cases, what does anyone really expect them to say? I think he gave the media enough of an answer to satisfy them, and then move on. If he came out and bagged his non-selection, everyone would be whinging at him about being a sook. I think he handled it well.
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I'm obviously biased because I don't like him and I do like Hunt, but isn't this what he's done? Bagged his non-selection? To the coach no less. He didn't say he respected Kev's decision, he said that he didn't agree but "understood how hard it would have been to make the decision". Basically, a really eloquent and carefully worded version of "everyone knows I've been dudded and it's obviously really hard for Kev to justify it".

Same goes with "personal preference of the selectors". He's pushing the point that the selection has been based on personality, not ability or form. So if/when things go bad for Qld, he has the box seat, because he's set himself up to personify the selectors-are-compromised-by-bias failings, regardless of whether it's genuine or simply perceived.

And for mine, the ability/form argument is moot, he wasn't competing with Hunt, he was competing with Munster and Morgan for the #6 jumper. Hunt is the better choice off the bench.
 
MAROONS debutant Ben Hunt has paid tribute to the Ipswich connection after achieving his lifelong goal of being selected to play State of Origin football.
And when we say Ipswich connection we mean the trifecta of the Ipswich Jets, Kevin Walters and Allan Langer.
One thing Hunt has proven is that a week or three is a long time in rugby league.
Three weeks ago Hunt was dropped to Intrust Super Cup and starred for the Jets in their big win over Norths.
The next week he was back in the Broncos side and played a key role in the win over Canberra.
On Tuesday he fronted reporters to speak about what has been a month he will never forget.
"It has been a pretty crazy month," he said.
"The highs and lows of rugby league can really kick in over a short period of time.
"But it has been an exciting time. I really enjoyed my time out at Ipswich and the way they operate.
"The way the Walker boys do things is really open and relaxed. They were happy to have me out there and I enjoyed it.
"I was lucky enough to play a good game and get back in the NRL side, and here I am.
"They are a great bunch of blokes out there.
"They were very welcoming."
The QT asked Hunt about how he had been told by the Walkers to play like he was a 14-year-old back at Blackwater when he lined up for Ipswich.
It worked a treat as instincts kicked in and he set up four tries.
"The instructions were 'whatever the Broncos have taught you over the last 10 years just forget about and go back to playing school footy and enjoying what you do'," Hunt grinned.
"That is the way I approached the game.
"When Wayne told me I was going back I was a little bit filthy at the time. But I thought 'what do you do'? You've just got to go back with a good attitude and play as best you can and do what you can to get back in the team."
He said Broncos coach Wayne Bennett had given him a call to congratulate him on his selection, while adding a bit of traditional dry Bennett humour to the conversation.
"He said he should have dropped me back to Queensland Cup earlier," Hunt grinned.
Ipswich legend and Maroons coach Kevin Walters wants Hunt to utilise his running game when he gets his opportunity on Wednesday night against the Blues.
Hunt said that Walters had not only helped his game immensely in the past, but also had expressed faith in him and boosted his confidence.
"Kevvie has been excellent for my game, going back to when he was at the Broncos (as assistant coach)," he said.
"Ever since he's left I always talk to him about footy and things I need to work on in my game
"He has been a big part of getting me to where I am now and I am really appreciative that he has done that for me.
"When I went back to Q Cup I'd talk to Kevvie and he still had a lot of belief in me and in the way I played my footy.
"He said that if I did make the team one day that he believed I can do the job."
Growing up watching Origin as a child, Hunt said that Langer was one of his heroes.
"He was just a little competitor," Hunt said.
"Alfie wasn't the biggest guy on the field but with everything he did he fought hard until the end."
Hunt was told that Walters had consulted Langer about his selection and that Alfie gave him the thumbs up.
"I didn't know that but that is a big wrap coming from Alfie," he said.
Hunt, who grew up in Central Queensland, said his goal in rugby league was always to play for the Maroons.
"To get the opportunity now, I am very grateful and excited," he said.
Hunt will come off the bench on Wednesday night against NSW, a role he has fulfilled in the past with distinction for the Broncos and Australia.

https://www.qt.com.au/news/hunt-thanks-ipswich-connection-on-maroons-selectio/3196755/
 
Morkel said:
I'm obviously biased because I don't like him and I do like Hunt, but isn't this what he's done? Bagged his non-selection?
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Depends on your definition of "bagged" I guess. He said he didn't agree with it, but I wouldn't go so far as to say he bagged it. I mean what do people expect him to say "Yeah, I agree with the selectors and didn't deserved to get picked in the team". He could have bagged it a lot more by saying he was in better form than Hunt and/or Munster/Morgan, that Lockyer was full of shit when he said he needed a MOTM performance etc. I feel he expressed in dissapointment in a pretty reserved manner all things considered.
 
QUEENSLAND skipper Cameron Smith has slammed speculation Daly Cherry-Evans is on the Origin outer, labelling claims the playmaker is on the nose with Maroons players as “fabricated nonsense”.
Maroons coach Kevin Walters has been forced to publicly explain Cherry-Evans’ latest Queensland snub after controversially handing Broncos rival Ben Hunt his Origin debut for the Suncorp decider.
Maroons selector Darren Lockyer said Cherry-Evans would be impossible to ignore if he produced a man-of-the-match display against the Warriors last Saturday night.
The Manly skipper duly delivered, but just 48 hours later, Maroons hierarchy overlooked him in favour of Hunt, who just a month ago was dumped to reserve grade with the Ipswich Jets.
Hunt’s head-spinning resurrection has fuelled speculation Cherry-Evans is unpopular with Queensland players and doesn’t fit their structures after losing his only two Origin games as a starting playmaker.

Cherry-Evans’ Queensland exile now spans two years and at age 28, there are fears he will never wear Maroon again with Walters backing younger trio Hunt, Anthony Milford and Michael Morgan.
But Smith came out swinging in support of Cherry-Evans, insisting it was time to set the record straight after first hearing the toxic whispers in the build-up to Origin I.
“I want to clear this up — there is no issue with Daly from any member of this team,” said Smith, who was captain when Cherry-Evans made his Origin debut in 2013.
“I first heard about this during the first camp and I really don’t know how people make that stuff up.

“It really is fabricated nonsense.
“It’s out there (rumours of Cherry-Evans being on the outer), but a falling out with players in this team? That is simply rubbish.
“I don’t know of anyone in this team who has an issue with Daly. I’ve played alongside him in Origin and the Australian team and he’s a good fella.
“Everyone gets along with him off the field and on the field he is a quality footballer.
“I’m sure if Daly continues to play the way he’s playing at the moment, he will have another Maroons jersey in his kit bag.”
Queensland centre Will Chambers made his Origin debut in 2014, when Cherry-Evans was the No. 14 utility, and claims the Manly playmaker was well received in Camp Maroon.
“I can tell you for a fact that there a lot of boys in this group who are friends with ‘Chez’,” he said.
“I made my Origin debut with Chez, we’ve come through rookie camps together, it’s rubbish. He deserves a fair go, I don’t understand why it has got out of control like this.
“I caught up with the Queensland boys in camp and we were all saying where does this crap come from? It’s not from our group here. How does he defend himself? The only way he does that is if he gets picked again but he can’t control that.
“He has been here, he has done it and we’ve just gone in a different direction, not in the sense that he will never play again, but the selectors felt Ben Hunt was the best fit for our bench.
“It’s quite sad that he’s being painted out to be a bad person when it has nothing to do with that.
“Kevvie forgot to mention his name in one interview and all of a sudden people jumped on that thinking he wasn’t in favour.”
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Genuine or BS?
 
You might see Hunt's face on the wrapping of a violet crumble if he has a repeat of the 2015 Grand Final.
 
I bleed Maroon said:
If it were any other player, I'd be hoping all this negative press would be firing him right up, but seeing it's Hunt, I'm more concerned it'll go the opposite direction
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Hunt seems to be oblivious to it all to be honest. Just seems to be soaking it all in
 
We all agree Hunt has a stronger at-the-line running game than DCE?

I think QLD are going to attack the shit out of NSW, it'll be a die trying type of effort and Hunt on the bench for me means he'll be on to do exactly that, get points - and not with his boot.
 
Browny said:
Methinks they doth protest too much
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Interesting how several articles about this from several sources have been posted in almost unison... almost looks like a concerted effort.

Nek minnit, a Sea Eagles cap scandal erupts.
 
Porthoz said:
Interesting how several articles about this from several sources have been posted in almost unison... almost looks like a concerted effort.

Nek minnit, a Sea Eagles cap scandal erupts.
Click to expand...
Cherry would have to be on $7m to send that squad over the cap
 
holdzy89 said:
We all agree Hunt has a stronger at-the-line running game than DCE?

I think QLD are going to attack the shit out of NSW, it'll be a die trying type of effort and Hunt on the bench for me means he'll be on to do exactly that, get points - and not with his boot.
Click to expand...

I think this is the reason why he is there over DCE. Because of his running game.

DCE likes to roam side-to-side trying to find weaknesses in the defensive line, whereas QLD are more direct and so is Hunt. I think Hunt suits their style of play better.
 
My concern is Morgan at left centre, it doesn't make a lot of sense, he's far superior on the right side of the field in attack, all of his big plays have been on the right.

If Chambers doesn't mind, I'd throw him back on the left.
 
Which is why I genuinely thought Morgan would play 6. Munster has played a fair bit of left centre for the Storm IIRC.
 
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