State of Origin 2017 Series

DCE is unlucky for sure (and Hunt lucky). But personally I have no trouble with Morgan getting the starting spot and I think he'll do better there than DCE will.

If as expected Morgan, Cronk & Smith play 80, then the bench utility will play an impact running game and a tackling game. While Hunt isn't in as good form as a half as DCE, he would do that role at least as good as, and probably better than DCE. Hunt's running game has been fantastic the last couple of weeks since returning. His ability to pass the ball to the fullback or centre hasn't been so good, but I doubt he'll have to do that once in origin.

If one of the outside backs go down, then I'd expect Hunt to go to 5/8 and Morgan to the outside backs.

Dip wrote:DCE is unlucky for sure (and Hunt lucky). But personally I have no trouble with Morgan getting the starting spot and I think he'll do better there than DCE will.

If as expected Morgan, Cronk & Smith play 80, then the bench utility will play an impact running game and a tackling game. While Hunt isn't in as good form as a half as DCE, he would do that role at least as good as, and probably better than DCE. Hunt's running game has been fantastic the last couple of weeks since returning. His ability to pass the ball to the fullback or centre hasn't been so good, but I doubt he'll have to do that once in origin.

If one of the outside backs go down, then I'd expect Hunt to go to 5/8 and Morgan to the outside backs.

Agreed.

I actually like the balance of this team and I really rate BHunt as a defender.

BHunt can cover the hooker and backrow, as well as the halves and if an outside back were to go down then the re-shuffle could be as you have suggested or even BHunt to backrow and Cooper or Gillett to the outside backs.

Ben hunt can cover back row???? Cant tell if serious.

All the talk now is Munster will play 6 with Morgan at centre.
So that would mean DCE has been overlooked for two debutants, Hunt and Munster.

I'm hoping this is the start of horrible selections from QLD. Morgan in the centres should be an absolute target. DCE not getting the nod is fair enough to me, they clearly don't want to build the team around him which is what he'd need.

Hunt is a back rower. That will do me. And not just any back rower but State of Origin grade back rower.
He could partner Tim Glasby in the back row.

Oh wait .............

Ben Hunt to back row if there was an injury to an outside back.. solid lolz

Keep off em Ozzy, been hanging around ryno too much

No Worries wrote:Hunt is a back rower. That will do me. And not just any back rower but State of Origin grade back rower.
He could partner Tim Glasby in the back row.  

Oh wait .............

To be fair, Cooper filled into the second row on occaison when he played #14 for QLD. If they try to shoehorn Hunt into being Cronk 2.0 (which seems to be what the long game is, if DCE isnt in their plans), Kevvie could quite easily drop him there for a 5-10min stint, on the basis that it worked for Cooper and the sinews in his body.

Its a terrible idea, but there is a precedent.

I can see why Walters has selected Ben. Its not the first time Ben Hunt has been a bench utility for a rep game and it probably won't be the last. He made an immediate impact when he came off the bench in a rep game previously and did so again when he came off the bench for the Broncos a couple of weeks ago.

Where does McCullough play when Niko comes on? Or Farah when Cook comes on? Or Peats at the Eels when De Gois came on?

Dip wrote:Where does McCullough play when Niko comes on? Or Farah when Cook comes on? Or Peats at the Eels when De Gois came on?

Well in all those cases - they are hookers. So it would be more - smith moves to back row and hunt plays hooker if you want to use those examples. Even in cases like that, generally the starting hooker comes off for the replacement, or shortly after.

Going off what Ryno said and in the past, cronk and morgan have both come on and played more of a running role in the middle of the field, which is what it appears Hunt will be doing.

Moving hunt into the back row if an outside back goes down provided me with a solid Lol.

If for example, Gagai goes down, sure - Cooper or Gillet would prob go to centre but that just means the other forwards would play a bit more game time, I dont think it would effect Hunts game time or role one iota. Unless, eg Morgan/Munster (whoever plays 6) moves out there and then hunt would go into the halves.

Point was that if there is no injury I think like Moose says, he'll do what he did when picked for Australia of the bench, or what Cronk/DCE did (and really what Morgan does as well). They're not fullback, they're not centres or wings. They certainly haven't replaced the halves or hooker. They're not taking hit ups like props, so they must be a backrower. Sure they're not the same sort of backrower as Lolo or Gallen, but they are ball playing backrowers.

Dip wrote:Point was that if there is no injury I think like Moose says, he'll do what he did when picked for Australia of the bench, or what Cronk/DCE did (and really what Morgan does as well). They're not fullback, they're not centres or wings. They certainly haven't replaced the halves or hooker. They're not taking hit ups like props, so they must be a backrower. Sure they're not the same sort of backrower as Lolo or Gallen, but they are ball playing backrowers.

Precisely.

In fairness, I can appreciate why Pieman may not understand the concept i.e. due to his lack of Rugby League knowledge in combination with being an utter fucking simpleton.

It not really a standard position when those guys have done it in the past. Its a hybrid role between defending in the middle and attacking either side of the ruck, more like an extra half or fullback IMO.

They might be defending in the middle/edge sure, but They def arent doing hitups like a back rower or running lines at a half etc when they come on. Its like they have 3 halves on sometimes. Sometimes the player is used as a runner, roaming either side of the ruck. etc. I dont think that the position really has a label to be honest.

The scenario of putting ben hunt in back row and pushing one of the back rowers out to centre, if there is an injury to an outside back, was the thing I had the problem with. Totally unrealistic, comical even.

Oz Sport Mad wrote:

Precisely.

In fairness, I can appreciate why Pieman may not understand the concept i.e. due to his lack of Rugby League knowledge in combination with being an utter fucking simpleton.

Hey kevvie - got a fuckin mad idea mate.

If a centre gets hurt, instead of moving a bloke like munster or morgan who would be more than capable of playing centre and moving a half from the bench to play half - lets incredibly weaken the back row by playing ben hunt at back row and move one of our awesome back rowers out to centre.

Fucking tops mate!

As I said, if there is an injury to an outside back, the only way it would impact hunts role would be if they move him to half. He isnt playing longer in the forwards than what they would have planned.

Pieman wrote:It not really a standard position when those guys have done it in the past. Its a hybrid role between defending in the middle and attacking either side of the ruck, more like an extra half or fullback IMO.

They might be defending in the middle/edge sure, but They def arent doing hitups like a back rower or running lines at a half etc when they come on. Its like they have 3 halves on sometimes. Sometimes the player is used as a runner, roaming either side of the ruck. etc. I dont think that the position really has a label to be honest.

The scenario of putting ben hunt in back row and pushing one of the back rowers out to centre, if there is an injury to an outside back, was the thing I had the problem with. Totally unrealistic, comical even.

Yeah that's a pretty good description. Back in the day there were plenty of ball playing backrowers which is why I describe it as such, but that seems to have dropped off a fair bit the last decade or so. The role you speak of is probably pretty similar to what Bryce Cartwright does at Penrith, though a lot of what he does is after contact is initiated, whereas what Hunt will do will be at or before the line, or with footwork. There aren't really any other locks or second rowers that I can think of who are predominantly ball players in the NRL anymore. Moreso the hookers who go back to that role when the running hooker comes on like I mentioned before.

The other difference between what Hunt and Cartwright will do is defence. Cartwright doesn't do defence and believes defence is what is around deground. Hard to believe that this time last year he was considered by many to be unlucky to miss out on origin, particularly in the dead rubber. He'd be maybe 15th in line right now. Sure he's been injury affected, but it just goes to show that with a bit of time to analyse video, plenty of attacking players get worked out by defensive coaches at NRL level. Makes you appreciate just how good the little guys who play 200+ games in the NRL really are.

Pieman wrote:It not really a standard position when those guys have done it in the past. Its a hybrid role between defending in the middle and attacking either side of the ruck, more like an extra half or fullback IMO.

They might be defending in the middle/edge sure, but They def arent doing hitups like a back rower or running lines at a half etc when they come on. Its like they have 3 halves on sometimes. Sometimes the player is used as a runner, roaming either side of the ruck. etc. I dont think that the position really has a label to be honest.

The scenario of putting ben hunt in back row and pushing one of the back rowers out to centre, if there is an injury to an outside back, was the thing I had the problem with. Totally unrealistic, comical even.

So as I suspected, effectively because it isn't a standard backrow position, you can't wrap your simple little mind around the concept.

Fair enough.

Regardless of your ability to understand, I personally still think it is the best option if there was an injury to an outside back, as opposed to tinkering with the uninjured spine that has already got a read on the game by playing from the outset.

The only reason I would put BHunt into the spine is if one of those blokes were injured.

Dip wrote:

Yeah that's a pretty good description. Back in the day there were plenty of ball playing backrowers which is why I describe it as such, but that seems to have dropped off a fair bit the last decade or so. The role you speak of is probably pretty similar to what Bryce Cartwright does at Penrith, though a lot of what he does is after contact is initiated, whereas what Hunt will do will be at or before the line, or with footwork. There aren't really any other locks or second rowers that I can think of who are predominantly ball players in the NRL anymore. Moreso the hookers who go back to that role when the running hooker comes on like I mentioned before.

The other difference between what Hunt and Cartwright will do is defence. Cartwright doesn't do defence and believes defence is what is around deground. Hard to believe that this time last year he was considered by many to be unlucky to miss out on origin, particularly in the dead rubber. He'd be maybe 15th in line right now. Sure he's been injury affected, but it just goes to show that with a bit of time to analyse video, plenty of attacking players get worked out by defensive coaches at NRL level. Makes you appreciate just how good the little guys who play 200+ games in the NRL really are.

I agree with most of this mate but geez you are being a bit harsh on Carty - considering he has played fuck all games this year. The guy is a fairly shit defender, but he does get through a fair bit of work. He isnt in the feliti mateo mould where he makes 8 tackles a match. Carty regularly would make 30 plus. Its more his reads than his work rate.

Oz Sport Mad wrote:

So as I suspected, effectively because it isn't a standard backrow position, you can't wrap your simple little mind around the concept.

Fair enough.

Regardless of your ability to understand, I personally still think it is the best option if there was an injury to an outside back, as opposed to tinkering with the uninjured spine that has already got a read on the game by playing from the outset.

The only reason I would put BHunt into the spine is if one of those blokes were injured.

Im not really sure what you are arguing. You have admitted its not a standard back row role - thats what I said too. Its not a standard back row role. Its a roaming, extra ball player, extra runner sort of role. Def not your typical "put him in the back row" sort of thing. Just because they replace a back rower, doesnt mean that they are playing "back row".

Would be fucking hilarious watching ben hunt play a typical back row role, which is what would happen under your injury scenario. Too funny, I dont think anyone here would agree with you, that if an outside back went down - the best option would be to move a back rower to centre and hunt to replace them in the back row.

Clearly the best options would be to:
1. Move Cooper or Gillett to back row and just play the forwards a bit more. Hunt to keep the usual 10-15 min roaming role.
2. move munster or morgan out wider and put hunt in the halves

It actually wouldnt surprise me if the plan is to move morgan or munster into the roaming "Back Row" role when hunt comes on and to have hunt play half, considering both Morgan and Munster are both clearly better runners than Hunt. It also wouldnt shock me if hunt started the game at 6 with Morgan or Munster on the bench.

ryno_ wrote:Never before in the history of the game has an origin team been missing so much talent due to injury - and they will still win. What a bunch of champions. Absolute legends. Tim Glasby is also playing.  

With Slater, Cronk and Smith in the side they should win by plenty, no doubt about it. Will be the biggest upset in sport since 2014 if NSW win.

Ice wrote: Will be the biggest upset in sport since 2014 if NSW win.

No it won't