SOO 2013 General discussion thread

[Broncoman]

Your joking every single year I hear a Queensland fan comment about all the NSW players who weren't born in the Blue state. You should've heard the outcry when I was in highschool when Uate and Tamou were picked.

 

[Cult]

Your joking every single year I hear a Queensland fan comment about all the NSW players who weren't born in the Blue state. You should've heard the outcry when I was in highschool when Uate and Tamou were picked.

Why would anyone care about that pillow James tamou? He's slow and couldn't run through paper.

 

[GCBRONCO]

Tamou: [both are the Jerry Springer show] How could you do this to me? On national television!
Meninga: Well throw me a freakin' bone here, Tamou.
Tamou: Why did you not let me play for Queensland?
Meninga: Because you're not quite talented enough.
[audience boos]
Meninga: Well it's true! It's true! You're only good enough to play for NSW. You're quasi-talented. You're the margarine of talent. You're the Diet Coke of talent. Just one calorie, not talented enough.

 

[Sproj]

Jennings is a born and bred Australian with Tongan heritage. Mason and Elias moved to Australia when they were barely a year old. Tahu and Sterlo play/played all of their Rugby League in NSW. Credible claims though with McManus, Uate and Tamou but if that makes them eligible then so be it.

Both sides are hypocrites here both NSW and QLD have fielded a number of players born outside their states.

You are gonna be excited when NSW win again in about twenty years time, I can feel it! Just for the record, Hoffman is a Normans bred Canberrian which is also apparently NSW and Wallace is a Victorian.

 

[Big Pete]

:laugh:

Not to knock the hilarious Austin Powers reference which seriously drew a nice smile on my face, I don't understand these knocks on Tamou.

The guy is talented, it's just a matter of him staying focused.

 

[Charmamba]

The guy is talented, it's just a matter of him staying focused.

Talent means nothing if you lack the drive, passion and heart to succeed. I question if he has any of those three things and it's because of those three things that guys like Tate have succeeded.

 

[Big Pete]

Certainly has enough of it to make the Australian team aaaand actually make an impact.

 

[Alec]

Yeah, Tamou is undoubtedly in the top 5 front rowers in the world. Maybe even top 3 if we don't count Gallen.

 

[Morkel]

Yeah, Tamou is undoubtedly in the top 5 front rowers in the world. Maybe even top 3 if we don't count Gallen.

He was crap for the first half of the year but it turns out he had a back injury. He was 200% better from rounds 20+ and the catalyst behind the Cowboys revival. If not top 5, definitely top 10.

 

[Alec]

1. Scott
2. Graham
3. Tamou

Would probably be the top 3? Gallen probably goes at the top if he counts, and Sam Burgess would be right behind him...if he counts too.

 

[Morkel]

1. Scott
2. Graham
3. Tamou

Would probably be the top 3? Gallen probably goes at the top if he counts, and Sam Burgess would be right behind him...if he counts too.

As much as I hate JWH, he'd have to be ahead of Tamou IMO. Fifita definitely ahead.

 

[CaptainHook]

Tamou was impressive in his Origin debut. He ran hard and the QLD pack had trouble handling him. Since then, he hasn't been as dangerous. As Morkel said, he has had a serious back injury which undoubtedly has affected his performance. It was a disastrous campaign for him this year. He has yet to reach the same level as Scott, Petero and Myles but he's probably worth persevering with.

To be any chance at all, NSW need to get their bench right. Here's a hint, Laurie: if you end up leaving a player sitting on there the entire game - you're not doing it right. Qld are hard enough to beat as it is without being a man down.

 

[Broncoman]

NSW won that game where J-Reynolds sat on the bench unused. Just for a bit of summertime trivia, in the 2nd game of the 1997 series Tommy Raudonikis picked Aaron Raper on the bench and didn't use him.

 

[CaptainHook]

Tommy has form in that regard. He did it again in 1998 from memory. It was one of the McGuinness brothers that didn't see any game time.

 

[Broncoman]

Yep that was Ken McGuiness and yes it was 1998. Tommy got a lot of criticism for his use of the bench in Game 1 of that series and rotated the bench often in the 2nd game.

I watched that 2nd game today apart from the first 15 minutes NSW were just awesome in front of a packed Lang Park crowd which was a ground record.

 

[CaptainHook]

Yeah the Blues were far too good that night. Qld managed to jump out to a 6-0 lead but never really got into the contest.

I have fond memories of that series. NSW had a strong side with Johns, Fittler and Daley. To win a series against a team with players of that calibre was pretty special.

 

[Big Pete]

There's a pretty big elephant in the room regarding Origin 2 1998...

 

[CaptainHook]

Are you talking about Harrigan, Big Pete?

There was talk in the press regarding the 10 metres, speed of the play the ball etc but it was mainly poor defence that was the main factor in the Blues tries that night, I thought.

Ps: just ticked over midnight - Merry Christmas Pete!