NSW Blues

Ice wrote:Cartwright is a certainty now. He looks a gut above the rest in this game.

Really like the look of this young Ryan Matterson. Way to let him go Eels!!

Sure did.

Really disappointing that the roosters picked Matterson up. He looks like an absolute gem.

Also, Fuck me dead gould should not be able to commentate those game!!!! HOW FUCKING OFTEN did he carry on about penrith players. ITS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST HE SHOULDNT BE ALLOWED TO DO IT

You blokes are kidding yourselves if u think Peach is going to get picked. Personally I dont mind him, hes a good player, but he just wont get picked in the origin team. I wouldnt mind it if he did though.

Ya know, they may pick Maloney and J Bird in the halves.... interesting combo.

This is how i expect you mob to line up in game 1.

1. Coote
2. Mansour/Jennings
3. J Morris
4. Dugan
5. Ferguson
6. Maloney
7. Hodkinson
8. Tamou
9. Ennis
10. Woods
11. Scott
12. Bird
13. Gallen

14. Cartwright
15. Merrin
16. Cordner
17. Klemmer

Pieman wrote:You blokes are kidding yourselves if u think Peach is going to get picked. Personally I dont mind him, hes a good player, but he just wont get picked in the origin team. I wouldnt mind it if he did though.

Ya know, they may pick Maloney and J Bird in the halves.... interesting combo.

I agree he won't be picked, Daley won't have the smarts to pick a utility let alone a left field pick like him.

B/L wrote:This is how i expect you mob to line up in game 1.

1. Coote
2. Mansour/Jennings
3. J Morris
4. Dugan
5. Ferguson
6. Maloney
7. Hodkinson
8. Tamou
9. Ennis
10. Woods
11. Scott
12. Bird
13. Gallen

14. Cartwright
15. Merrin
16. Cordner
17. Klemmer

Surely they can't pick Ennis again, he has been wors than Pearce at Origin level. I don't think the backrow will be those three old stagers either, perhaps 2 but we need to rejuvenate so at least one will miss out for mine.

I have a feeling Frizell will get selected, but again, I just don't think he is Origin standard and yesterday's game showed that.

Apparently Daley has come out and said the 6 is Maloney's to lose.

Or so they said when interviewing Maloney on BSB

If thats the case then it will be Maloney and Hodkinson in the halves for sure

Your Name wrote:Apparently Daley has come out and said the 6 is Maloney's to lose.

Or so they said when interviewing Maloney on BSB

I'll be honest, I think they might put him in the 7, but regardless, he is a massive defensive liability at Origin level, he is comfortably the worst defender in the comp bar none for mine. If Im Queensland, Im delighted at the prospect of Maloney in the halves, I'd be sending the likes of Gillett, Papalli et al at him all game, as he WILL miss multiple tackles.

Ice wrote:

I'll be honest, I think they might put him in the 7, but regardless, he is a massive defensive liability at Origin level, he is comfortably the worst defender in the comp bar none for mine. If Im Queensland, Im delighted at the prospect of Maloney in the halves, I'd be sending the likes of Gillett, Papalli et al at him all game, as he WILL miss multiple tackles.

As a Tiger's fan I need to interject about here.

Your Name wrote:

As a Tiger's fan I need to interject about here.

Nah, he has Brooks covered I reckon for missed tackles, but it would be close.

couple of back flips coming from me

1) cartwright - still rocks and diamonds but i think he is pretty much locked in for now so why leave him out of my teeam
2) scott was the only one of the old brigade i was willing to leave out but his form is good enough to keep his spot

my team but also picking those i feel are gonna get picked


1. Dugan (teddy if fit)
2. Fergy - not a huge fan but after a solid aussie performance, he is gonna be there
3. Jennings
4. Jmoz - GI at left centre means i'm still happy with Jmoz on the right, he'll do the job again
5. Mansour (dugan if teddy is fit)
6. Bird
7. Maloney
8. Woods - could be back this week, defs back next, he'll be fine
9. Farah - last game was his best so far, most recent games for NSW always strong
10. Tamou
11. Hoff - club form poor but been to consistent at state level to be dropped for game 1 imo. will admit to getting less and less keen on him as time foes on
12. Scott
13. Gallen

14. Graham (i really rate graham, the truth is this will be Cordner who admittedly has come back from injury very strong)
15. Cartwright
16. Klemmer
17. Fifita



Halves - Bird @ 6 is an admission we can't beat QLD playing attractive footy because its the truth, we do not have any state of origin quality halves, who ever daley picks here will get bagged but i could live with about 20 different combinations because they're all about the same level, none of which comes close to the QLD pair or even their 2nd or 3rd string pairs (3rd strong if including the suspended players)


i still like our chances personally, i think alot of our middle forward are hitting some great form and we play strong in the middle and defend well then who knows

I cant have Hoffman in m side, sorry, to many better options. Though he might have gone ok for NSW (even getting a Fittler medal that lets be honest, he didn't deserve cause if he wasn't there any number of backrowers could have done the same job), we know he isn't a game breaker. I just can't have him anywhere near a side for this year or the future.

Ice wrote:I cant have Hoffman in m side, sorry, to many better options.  Though he might have gone ok for NSW (even getting a Fittler medal that lets be honest, he didn't deserve cause if he wasn't there any number of backrowers could have done the same job), we know he isn't a game breaker. I just can't have him anywhere near a side for this year or the future.

i can't agree with that mate

we often throw up a number of options but people then generally want to change them the next year due to not performing, the hoff has performed consistently for 2 straight series. i admit, his club form is below that of several other options but i still can't drop him

Not me, I think we have got our backrow selections wrong for years, particularly the balance and so it has proved as we keep losing series and we keep allowing the blokes who have had the most say over that to have main control of selections. It kills me. At 32, when we are looking for some fresh blood and generational change, assuming we aren't going to completely change the backrow, given his form he must be the first backrower to make way. He isn't a better footballer right now, than say Cartwright or Graham and those two have massive upsides for the Blues going forward compared to what Hoffman can bring to the table this year.

We need to regenerate and the first thing to that is sitting down and working out what style we need to win over the next three years. We know the forward heavy grinding hasn't worked for 10 years but the team has been selected that way because the best players Nsw have have been in that style. I think speed and skill is the way forward, get your big minute big boppers for the middle forwards but they must have some 2nd phase skill or short pass ability. Once we settle on a style we need to pick players based on that.

Guys like Dugan and Morris are good players but not ball players or creative players, in stead look at guys like Tedesco Roberts Trbjovic.

The Hoff played out of his skin as an "elder statesman" selection. Whilst I think his club form is in the toilet atm, he's a deadset professional, and would lift.

So... excuse me whilst I pull the splinters out of my a$$, but I don't see him as a major selection headache for you guys. Either way has merit

Im almost certain the starting back row will be

Hoffman
Scott
Bird

Pieman wrote:Im almost certain the starting back row will be

Hoffman
Scott
Bird

Nup, won't be that.

The fact of the matter is we're in a great deal of trouble this year. We don't have any halves that are screaming out to be picked. Our best debutant prospect is out for the first game and we're going to struggle.

I will repeat something that myself and the friend I go with every year say, repeat sets and we win Origin. Every year we don't have halves that can build pressure, the year we started getting repeat sets we won the series. Origin is about applying pressure and forcing mistakes, without that we won't win again. Pick the two halves who are going to do that and our forwards will match whatever QLD have. The backs don't need to create much as long and their defence is tight and they can finish.

With this in mind my number one pick would be Lachlan Coote, he's safe and can limit the second chance opportunities that QLD will have.

Coote has to be there if Tedesco isn't, but the issue for Daley is, assuming he was gonna pick Tedesco, if he bocks Coote and NSW win and Teddy is ready for game two, it's hard to drop him. If he picks Dugan in the 1, and we win, it's easier to drop a winger or centre, shift Dugan back into the three quarters and bring Teddy in.

Coote is my first guy picked to be honest, we didn't chose him when there was a bit of talk about him when he first burst onto the scene with the Panthers, which has been an absolute blessing for him and I now think he is battle hardened, performs week in week out on the big stage and deserves a shot.