2017 State of Origin

[Dr Zaius]

That's a very beatable Queensland side. Loz needs to win this year or step aside.

[yeh raiders]

I'm wondering if Vaughan's falling out with the Raiders/Ricky, had anything to do with his origin snub. You have to call it a snub, he's clearly the best prop forward in NSW

[RedRaider]

I can't wait for Matt's Match Ups on the Origin sides. NSW may have 6 or 7 spots, but Qld have the Australian 1,7 and 9 and a better 2nd row pair imo. Jack Bird is an interesting bench selection for NSW. Cover for our centers with Dugan injury prone and Hayne a gamble. Not surprising that there are no Raiders for NSW. I thought Morgan would have started in front of Milford for Qld but they are so strong in the spine it matters little. As always I can't wait for kick off.

[Raiders_Pat]

I posted this in the other thread, but the NSW selectors have shat the bed once again. You can safely bet on QLD to win this series barring major injuries midway through (saying all of this as a NSW supporter too). First off, Dugan and Hayne shouldn't be in the starting lineup. Those two have got to be amongst the most overrated in the game. Bird should be starting at right centre rather than on the interchange, with Croker at left centre. I agree with Andrew Johns' assessment of Fifita and Paulo being the best starting options at prop. I would also put Wade Graham in there rather than Josh Jackson. My interchange would then consist of Jake Turbo, and any two of Vaughan, McLean or Boyd (with Vaughan probably being my pick of the bunch). Woods, Klemmer and Jackson drop out entirely for me. You could probably make a case for a few players in that final utility spot on the interchange... possibly Hayne or Dugan after dropping out of my starting lineup, but in saying that, there are probably better options too.

[gerg]

Woods is a baffling selection for me. Paulo and Vaughan have it all over him in every single department.

Isn't Dugan injured at the moment? Merrin made the Aussie squad a few weeks ago didn't he? Nobody has mentioned Pearce's selection. Are things that bad that his repeated failures are overlooked? Surely Sezer is in better form than him?

[-PJ-]

Congrats to Josh Papalii on Origin selection. Very well deserved.

Yr bro Kim Jong un was over the moon when told the news.

Even fired off a couple of missles in celebration.

[dubby]

Four fullbacks in our backline. Beats me why Dugan is selected at center

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[-PJ-]

I think the Blues are missing some size.

Drop Jackson, and get either Vaughan, Paulo or Boyd on that bench.

Plenty of backrowers selected and most are in form but outside Woods, Fafita and Klemmer I think we are one big man short....

But hey Laurie knows what he's doin..right ?

[julian87]

I think plenty of things about NSWRL are stupid but Wade Graham and Jake Trbojevic on the bench just seems really, really dumb to me. We'll have a second rower at lock and Trbo twiddling his thumbs on the bnech while that player gets worn out. Also Josh Jackson in the team is so dumb. He's bog average. There are a few starting teams in the NRL he would struggle to crack. He wouldn't start here or Cronulla at the least. Fitting in Josh Jackson means we, as **** usual, are short a prop. Qld without Parker and Scott and we should be ramming home that advantage but instead we pick 4 second rowers and only 1 prop on the bench. I know Daley is a Raiders playing legend but he has seriously shown nothing at all as a coach.

[KingDynamite]

QLD could probably go through the games not make an interchange and still dominate.

I would have dropped Jackson put Frizell to the back row where he can actually do some damage. And start trbvbhxhchcb at lock. Then bring in a quality big man, Boyd or Vaughan are ready. Really don't know if Woods demanded selection either.

All of this 18 month form line rubbish from Daley is a joke. You know a quality player when you see them! When we lose this series he's got to go.

[dubby]

The only saving grace for nsw is that qld are without Scott, Thurston, Inglis. NSW will probably get a win, enforcing their nasally endowed duo they're on the right track.

I find it remarkable that Kev can leave out Slater, and select players per position, yet Daley said himself he would have selected Slater.
I guess four fullbacks isn't enough

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[CJR]

I honestly don't think that team is as bad as everyone is saying. I wouldn't have had Jackson at all personally, but at the very least he didn't pick guys like Jennings and Tamou.

Seriously this team could have been way worse and has the potential to cruise past that geriatric QLD side

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[julian87]

The only saving grace for nsw is that qld are without Scott, Thurston, Inglis. NSW will probably get a win, enforcing their nasally endowed duo they're on the right track.

I find it remarkable that Kev can leave out Slater, and select players per position, yet Daley said himself he would have selected Slater.
I guess four fullbacks isn't enough

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I've said from the start I'd retain Boyd but picking O'Neill over Slater (and Holmes/Munster) is hilarious.

[julian87]

I honestly don't think that team is as bad as everyone is saying. I wouldn't have had Jackson at all personally, but at the very least he didn't pick guys like Jennings and Tamou.

Seriously this team could have been way worse and has the potential to cruise past that geriatric QLD side

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Of course the team could be worse but you can still pick what's obviously wrong from the outset.

[Aero]

How did Vaughn not get a gig?


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Same reason Austin didn't get picked last year. NSW selectors want you to be great for at least a season and a half to debut, but if you're an incumbent from a losing side, you can be playing bog average and still be called up.



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[dubby]

The only saving grace for nsw is that qld are without Scott, Thurston, Inglis. NSW will probably get a win, enforcing their nasally endowed duo they're on the right track.

I find it remarkable that Kev can leave out Slater, and select players per position, yet Daley said himself he would have selected Slater.
I guess four fullbacks isn't enough

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I've said from the start I'd retain Boyd but picking O'Neill over Slater (and Holmes/Munster) is hilarious.

O'Neill is one of the cowboys most consistent. He'll be ok.

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[julian87]

How did Vaughn not get a gig?


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Same reason Austin didn't get picked last year. NSW selectors want you to be great for at least a season and a half to debut, but if you're an incumbent from a losing side, you can be playing bog average and still be called up.



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Haha Ricky Stuart has really **** Vaughan here hasn't he.

The misconception that Vaughan was genuinely dropped last year has just been gobbled up by everyone. Ignore how immense Vaughan was as a middle third forward in 2014-2015, he was 'playing NSW Cup only 9 months ago'.

[Manbush]

I'm wondering if Vaughan's falling out with the Raiders/Ricky, had anything to do with his origin snub. You have to call it a snub, he's clearly the best prop forward in NSW

You're kidding right, with the way NSW sectors pick their team bad blood with the Raiders actually gives you an advantage

[dubby]

If Vaughan played fullback he would be selected

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[Aero]

How did Vaughn not get a gig?


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Same reason Austin didn't get picked last year. NSW selectors want you to be great for at least a season and a half to debut, but if you're an incumbent from a losing side, you can be playing bog average and still be called up.



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Haha Ricky Stuart has really **** Vaughan here hasn't he.

The misconception that Vaughan was genuinely dropped last year has just been gobbled up by everyone. Ignore how immense Vaughan was as a middle third forward in 2014-2015, he was 'playing NSW Cup only 9 months ago'.

Lol don't get me wrong, Ive always thought Vaughan was playing well enough to be in our 17..

Im talking about Sydney media and NSW selectors who probably had no idea who Vaughan was before he started playing for the Dragons

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[Rickmando]

Queensland threw us a bone with their team selection...

And then we threw it right back to them with ours.

NSW will struggle for go-forward unless Fatfita has a blinder.

QLD are actually more dangerous without Thurston in my humble. Thurston has been terrible this year - I think he's done. Has certainly lost the aura anyway. Milford could be the biggest X-factor in the match.

[papabear]

Thurston was good against us in round 1.

IMO Hayne should be selected, the one I dont like is dugan and Fergo, nsw has much better centres and wingers floating around.

[Woodgers]

The NSW side isn't that terrible and i'm really pleased that Wallace is injured so Peats can play, the alternative was bordering on criminal.

As Julian and others have suggested, the forward rotation doesn't quite work which makes the Vaughan omission even more glaring and ridiculous. I sort of can't work out what happens after 20 frantic minutes when Woods and Fatfita take a seat. Is it that Klemmer (whose been playing prop with 13 on his back in clubland) replaces one in the middle and Jake T or Graham replace the other? Jake T is probably most likely but he strikes me as more of a Fensom style middle than a bloke dragging tired opposition players down the train tracks. I think if you're going to play Jake T or De Belin (who I would have in 13 this year) you have to start them and let them find the rhythm of the game and shore up the middle with strong, high work rate defence. In essence what the modern day coach is telling us in 2017 is that you can forget about your traditional Bradley Clyde/Scott Sattler/Luke Ricketson etc style lock anymore, due to Sam Burgess and now Taumalolo playing as the extra prop and being successful, every team will follow that exact plan.

Additional to that, the problem is Josh Jackson. Him being selected is mindboggling to begin with but what it does is either shift Frizell like it has from what he does best, and/or eliminate Wade Graham to the bench. The flow on effect is that because all 3 of Cordner, Frizell and Graham are considered SoO quality players, NSW are now desperate to shoehorn all 3 into the side just because they are in the best 17 players the state can pick. I would've been OK if Graham was in place of Jackson and you had another actual prop on the bench as that would have more balance but this is again another example of picking a team based on the players considered good enough, rather than players who do the role on a weekly basis to get close to a rep side like this.

I'm definitely an advocate for Hayne. He has to be there. Some have pointed out that he hasn't been that crash hot but he's still the most skilful player NSW has available. Hayne was going better at fullback where he can create the extra man and use his passing game to unlock sides than he has been at centre. I think he only moved to centre for the Titans because he thought Tedesco was a lock for fullback and wanted to give himself the best chance to make this side. Tedesco is a quality player but he hasn't been playing great either, overall I think Hayne is a better fullback than him but I can live with this call much easier than other ones.

Lastly i'm happy with Pearce. I know he polarises NSW 'fans' all over the state but quite simply a lot of people who watch Origin watch few other football games a year and have taken the gospel that he's singlehandedly lost series for the state. It isn't the case. He hasn't been great at that level but besides Hayne not many NSW players could lay claim to even being good at this level over the past decade. The difference in quality between the sides has been telling and the games that Pearce has 'lost' for NSW, I firmly believe if Thurston or Cronk were in the same shoes the results would have been the same anyway. From where I sit he's the best halfback available to NSW and has been for a while. Plus he has improved a lot over the past year and a half since coming back from his spell, that's another aspect that most of the blow in Origin fans don't quite get, that player's abilities change over time so the 2014 Mitchell Pearce isn't the same player as now, and nor is Maloney for that matter.

Sorry for the long post. Overall I'm not very invested in this year's series and I certainly wouldn't trade a NSW victory for a Raiders one this week. Just giving some thoughts on the team selected as i've been able to watch much more footy this season than the previous few.

[Hazza]

Not entirely happy with the NSW side but at least they're giving Peats a crack. Vaughan should've been 1st prop picked on form but club form just doesn't seem to matter to these blokes. It's the weakest QLD side I've seen on paper for a long long time. Slater omission is staggering and I really hope it costs them. They bang on about loyalty. Where's the loyalty to Slater? It's an absolute wank.

[dubby]

I'll be out camping for this game. Well planned, meathead.

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[Raidersfan]

Thurston officially out of game 1

[zim]

Peats’ tweet gives Blues 1-0 lead in passion

The last decade as a New South Welshman has left me feeling nothing for Origin except violent dysentery.
Until this week, when Nathan Peats profoundly moved me.

Candidly speaking, this simple Tweet from four years ago is the greatest thing to happen to New South Wales Origin since the prohibition of horse-based bonding.

For the first time since Tommy Raudonikis drank piranhas and demanded unsolicited violence, these humble and heartfelt words send the Blues in to the series with the upper hand in the only category that matters: passion.

Read more: http://www.theroar.com.au/2017/05/25/pe ... d-passion/

[zim]

The NSW side isn't that terrible and i'm really pleased that Wallace is injured so Peats can play, the alternative was bordering on criminal.

As Julian and others have suggested, the forward rotation doesn't quite work which makes the Vaughan omission even more glaring and ridiculous. I sort of can't work out what happens after 20 frantic minutes when Woods and Fatfita take a seat. Is it that Klemmer (whose been playing prop with 13 on his back in clubland) replaces one in the middle and Jake T or Graham replace the other? Jake T is probably most likely but he strikes me as more of a Fensom style middle than a bloke dragging tired opposition players down the train tracks. I think if you're going to play Jake T or De Belin (who I would have in 13 this year) you have to start them and let them find the rhythm of the game and shore up the middle with strong, high work rate defence. In essence what the modern day coach is telling us in 2017 is that you can forget about your traditional Bradley Clyde/Scott Sattler/Luke Ricketson etc style lock anymore, due to Sam Burgess and now Taumalolo playing as the extra prop and being successful, every team will follow that exact plan.

Additional to that, the problem is Josh Jackson. Him being selected is mindboggling to begin with but what it does is either shift Frizell like it has from what he does best, and/or eliminate Wade Graham to the bench. The flow on effect is that because all 3 of Cordner, Frizell and Graham are considered SoO quality players, NSW are now desperate to shoehorn all 3 into the side just because they are in the best 17 players the state can pick. I would've been OK if Graham was in place of Jackson and you had another actual prop on the bench as that would have more balance but this is again another example of picking a team based on the players considered good enough, rather than players who do the role on a weekly basis to get close to a rep side like this.

I'm definitely an advocate for Hayne. He has to be there. Some have pointed out that he hasn't been that crash hot but he's still the most skilful player NSW has available. Hayne was going better at fullback where he can create the extra man and use his passing game to unlock sides than he has been at centre. I think he only moved to centre for the Titans because he thought Tedesco was a lock for fullback and wanted to give himself the best chance to make this side. Tedesco is a quality player but he hasn't been playing great either, overall I think Hayne is a better fullback than him but I can live with this call much easier than other ones.

Lastly i'm happy with Pearce. I know he polarises NSW 'fans' all over the state but quite simply a lot of people who watch Origin watch few other football games a year and have taken the gospel that he's singlehandedly lost series for the state. It isn't the case. He hasn't been great at that level but besides Hayne not many NSW players could lay claim to even being good at this level over the past decade. The difference in quality between the sides has been telling and the games that Pearce has 'lost' for NSW, I firmly believe if Thurston or Cronk were in the same shoes the results would have been the same anyway. From where I sit he's the best halfback available to NSW and has been for a while. Plus he has improved a lot over the past year and a half since coming back from his spell, that's another aspect that most of the blow in Origin fans don't quite get, that player's abilities change over time so the 2014 Mitchell Pearce isn't the same player as now, and nor is Maloney for that matter.

Sorry for the long post. Overall I'm not very invested in this year's series and I certainly wouldn't trade a NSW victory for a Raiders one this week. Just giving some thoughts on the team selected as i've been able to watch much more footy this season than the previous few.

Jake Trbojevic will play the second prop role. He won't have any issues coming on and adding some impact. Some players are always a slow burn but Jake can change the way he plays. He and Sammy T were the props for Australia off the bench.
Graham would be coming on to play lock.

Like you mentioned I wouldn't have had Josh Jackson in the side, so someone like Vaughan could come in.

[-PJ-]

NSW 3-0

I agree PJ.