Select the NSW 17

[Sproj]

There's the old adage, do what your opposition least wants. If Pearce gets last chance number 85, then nsw is throwing that adage out the window because I cannot think of a single Qlder who wouldn't be ecstatic about it.

 

[rnabokov]

Any side with Tedesco, Roberts, Jennings, Ferguson and Dugan/Moylan in the backs is a serious side and a real worry.

All they need is a decent halves pairing to get them the ball. Their forward choices are all good enough to hold the middle. It's the edges and wider where the real danger lies with that sort of skill and speed

 

[Smartseal]

Any side with Tedesco, Roberts, Jennings, Ferguson and Dugan/Moylan in the backs is a serious side and a real worry.

On paper...
Individually they're all top players but as has been nsw problem for a few years they pick players instead of picking a team

 

[rnabokov]

On paper...
Individually they're all top players but as has been nsw problem for a few years they pick players instead of picking a team

So true. At the same time, if their selectors are smart (lol) a team with those players is a good starting point to build for a future.

 

[Super Freak]

Any side with Tedesco, Roberts, Jennings, Ferguson and Dugan/Moylan in the backs is a serious side and a real worry.

All they need is a decent halves pairing to get them the ball. Their forward choices are all good enough to hold the middle. It's the edges and wider where the real danger lies with that sort of skill and speed

And that right there is the problem.

They have some good halves.. But it's like NSW have chimps for selectors.

And if their halves don't deliver from the get go, they usually just drop them and pick others.

If NSW did what QLD did all those years ago.. State of Origin might actually be a much closer contest instead of us dominating for 10 years.

But hey, I'm not complaining. QLD dominating Origin has helped me deal with our premiership drought.

 

[tommy]

[h=1]NSW coach Laurie Daley says Aidan Sezer and Blake Austin not ready for Origin[/h]April 7, 2016 5:19amAAP

Canberra halves Aidan Sezer (L) and Blake Austin are too green for Origin pressure.NSW coach Laurie Daley has all but ruled out picking Canberra halves Aidan Sezer and Blake Austin because of their lack of big-game experience.
The Raiders playmakers have been touted as a possible Blues pairing for this year’s State of Origin series with Immortal Andrew Johns calling for them to be ushered into the line up.
Daley has a headache on his hands with big question marks over his incumbents Mitchell Pearce and Trent Hodkinson ahead of the June 1 series opener at ANZ Stadium.
EXCLUSIVE: Daley reveals his Origin selection thoughts
Sydney Roosters’ Pearce is serving a suspension for his Australia Day disgrace and will have just three games to make his case upon his return in round nine.
While Hodkinson’s Newcastle Knights are winless after five rounds and he has failed to fire at his new club since his off-season switch from Canterbury.
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Canberra halves Aidan Sezer (L) and Blake Austin are too green for Origin pressure.Top contender South Sydney No. 7 Adam Reynolds is out with a broken jaw but is expected to return in time for a head-to-head duel with North Queensland’s Johnathan Thurston next week.
Canterbury’s Josh Reynolds is also in the mix despite having been dropped for last year’s unsuccessful Origin shield defence.
Daley said on Fox Sports’ NRL 360 on Wednesday night that the fact that neither Austin nor Sezer had played finals football was also counting against them.

“You have to realise these two guys have never played in a big game,” Daley said.
“They’re 25 years of age and they haven’t taken their teams to semi-finals, so we can’t judge them on the big stage, all we can do is judge them on what they’re doing at the moment and that’s a critical component of the make up of your Origin team.
“You can’t pick someone in a critical position and be hoping they’re going to get it right on the night.”
Daley said Austin’s relative inexperience in the No. 6 jumper was counting against him and wanted to see him display sustained form before he would consider him for the Origin pressure cooker. “I’ve always consistently said that when I pick players for Origin, they’ll knock down the door and need to be consistent over a period of time before you’re confident enough to pick them,” Daley said.
“Blake had a good year last year and he needs to continue that.”
Daley revealed to the Daily Telegraph on Wednesday that with a scarcity of Origin-quality halves to choose from, he is, at this stage, favouring Reynolds and Hodkinson after the pair were heavily instrumental in NSW’s historic 2-1 series win two years ago.

 

[Big Pete]

6. Josh Reynolds
7. Trent Hodkinson

Thanks Laurie.

If he's that concerned about big game experience, why not pair up the best two halves from 2013 and 14?

6. James Maloney
7. Adam Reynolds

Speaking of, when has Josh Dugan produced on the big stage? Or is the one support and freak bounce (in a loss) his go-to?

 

[Unbreakable]

Speaking of, when has Josh Dugan produced on the big stage? Or is the one support and freak bounce (in a loss) his go-to?

I feel like Dugan was one of the only players we had to worry about last year, he played pretty well.

 

[Big Pete]

He was a handbrake.

The front row and Jennings were the real difference makers.

 

[Alec]

How amazing would it be if Pearce was there once again?

 

[tommy]

How amazing would it be if Pearce was there once again?

I honestly think he will be.. Why has no Origin ban been handed down so Daley can show how tough he is on bad behaviour?

 

[Broncoman]

As much as I adore and admire Laurie Daley that is just rubbish. There have been some great players picked in the past who hadn't played in a big game but turned out to be great players at rep level. Off the top of my head I can think off Alfie Langer, Andrew Johns, Peter Sterling, Cameron Smith, Gorden Tallis, Trent Barrett and there are many more.

Might seem a bit green comparing Sezer/Austin to those guys but it shows gambles can pay off. Josh Reynolds though isn't going that bad so I don't think it will be the worst selection.

 

[Broncoman]

6. Josh Reynolds
7. Trent Hodkinson

Thanks Laurie.

If he's that concerned about big game experience, why not pair up the best two halves from 2013 and 14?

6. James Maloney
7. Adam Reynolds

Speaking of, when has Josh Dugan produced on the big stage? Or is the one support and freak bounce (in a loss) his go-to?

Dugan has never shown away from the big moments in Origin. I remember back in his debut match he withstood an aerial attack from the Maroons when they were camped in the NSW half and he played a hand in the Jennings try that almost snatched the game from Queensland. He also made some good meters with the ball.

NSW lost games 2 and 3 in 2013 but he racked up the most meters for a NSW player (maybe for a back) in both games. He made more runs and meters for a NSW player in game 2 with 109 meters from 16 runs and in Game 3 he made a team high 167 meters for 19 runs.

I can't recall that much from 2014 but he played on that wonderful night and came up with a crucial try that kept the Blues in the game in the 3rd game at Lang Park.

Last year who put his hand up when the Blues were getting nowhere in Game 1 and attempted to level the game with a field goal and who popped up at and scored the sealer in Melbourne to keep the series alive? Dugan did. He also tried his heart out in the Brisbane massacre but that was just one of those nights. He won the NSW player of the series last year.

 

[Big Pete]

Israel Folau, Tim Brasher, Johnathan Thurston, Matt King, Mark Gasnier, Jarryd Hayne, Billy Slater, Nate Myles, Sam Thaiday...

The list goes on and on.

Of course you can also come up with a list of failures that would rival the list (I would actually include Joey there, his 95 series was nothing to write home about), but when you've only won once in the past ten series you can't look to big game experience when the Blues biggest problem is controlling games and scoring points.

Even though the Reynolds/Hodkinson combination is 1/1, they didn't create that many opportunities that series and you could make the argument that Jarryd Hayne & Robbie Farah had a much bigger influence on the result.

Despite the 52-6 drubbing, the Blues are a good chance this year. The Maroons are a year older, there are cracks forming and with two home games the Blues have a great opportunity to regain the shield. If they present the Maroons with get-out-of jail opportunities like this, it's going to cost them like it did in 2008 and 2009.

 

[Big Pete]

[MENTION=7803]Broncoman[/MENTION]

I'll concede the match-sealing try in Game II. Personally, I don't rate it that highly since it came off a fortuitous call and seemed more like a weight of possession try than anything else but that's just me.

Outside of that, I'm just seeing a bunch of Josh Hoffman esque performances where he ran for a ton of metres but didn't do a whole lot else. In fact he blew more chances than he otherwise created.

Personally, I don't have a problem with the Blues picking Dugan. It's Origin, I'll take the victories anyway I can. However, as a Rugby League fan it's perplexing how the Blues continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. 5 years ago, they did the exact same thing with Kurt Gidley, almost as a way to justify their bad selection. By giving him the honour, they could argue that he was the best player the Blues had all series, even though everybody knew that it was a terrible selection and it should have been Jarryd Hayne much sooner.

The Blues seemed married to the idea that Dugan is one of the best players in the game, when in reality he's just a 'good' player in a position that requires brilliance. They need to divorce themselves from placing him on this pedestal or this idea of proven players.

What did Dugan ever prove on a big stage in 2009 or 2010?

What has he even proven since at club level? That his coach can't wait to move him out of fullback any chance he can get? That at one point McGregor thought Kurt Mann was a better fullback?

I'm rambling at this point. Truth be told, I don't have an issue with Dugan playing right centre. However, if I was a Blues fan I'd be worried about the idea of a Reynolds/Hodkinson pairing, especially if Dugan is at fullback.

 

[broncoboy]

Cronulla five-eighth James Maloney has rocketed into hot favouritism for the No. 7 Blues Origin jersey.

While all eyes are on Mitchell Pearce’s comeback this weekend, NSW coach Laurie Daley has exclusively revealed to The Daily Telegraph that Maloney has put himself front and centre of Blues selectors’ sights with strong performances for the Cronulla Sharks this season.
“His form is dramatically improving all the time and his defence, which was suspect last time he donned a Blues jersey, has come ahead in leaps and bounds.
“I’m particularly impressed with the way he leads the Sharks around the paddock. I prefer him in the number seven which will require a bit of reorganisation but it’s something I’m willing to do to get the right man in the job.”

Read more at Maloney new favourite for Blues halfback spot | Zero Tackle

 

[Morkel]

Stats don't tell the whole story but:

And on his defence, NRL.com has him at 134 tackles with a massive 36 missed. That's 79% effectiveness, or 4.5 misses per game.

 

[Fernando]

Look at those numbers for Milford.

Good test for him this weekend though, the Sharks will try to bash him.