NSW Game II team announced

[natheel]

Your kidding if you think cooper should be there...Bring in Monaghan in the centres and Grothe on the wing..Why do we need defensive centres for? WHat we need is attack and players that can finish plays not hogs like cooper...He is so overrated along with Barrett and Watmough..

Hayne should be Fullback and Gidley on the bench. I would also have Josh morris ahead of cooper.

ok i agree cooper can hog the ball from time to time but is it just a coincidence that Brett Morris is leading try scorer? and that he is on coopers side? how can a winger score if he isnt getting quality ball from his centre?

Brett Morris and Cooper shouldve been in on one side for the blues, they would probably go great in origin


P.S 300th Post....im kinda proud lol :lol:

 

[Non Terminator]

Wait until you get to 3,000 mate.
The count goes quick.

 

[Knightmare]

Won by 2 in Game 3 2006.

When we had the likes of Adam Mogg, Josh Hannay and Rhys Wesser running around for us. Not to mention there were three very controversial decisions that went your way.

Won by 6 in Game 3 2008 with thanks from Tony Archer.
I love it how the Blues seem to forget we lost our halfback in the opening quater of the game which would normally cripple most sides yet we went toe to toe with yours and you couldn't produce the goods. Archer costing NSWs is a myth.

I'd probably give you 2007 but you're forgetting it was Queenslands first ever victory at ANZ Stadium which would've had some preverse effect on them. The first Suncorp Stadium game blew out thanks to some very contentous decisions by Paul Simpkins and Game 3 saw NSWs defeat a crippled Queensland in the dying stages, hardly a 'stunning' victory.

I don't believe this is the best Origin team but it certainly ranks up there as one of Queenslands best.

Uhh yes, that's what I meant. The deciding game of the 2006 series was won by 2 points. I irrespective of whether or not the XXXX Dream Team wins this series or not, I would still put the 1987-89 side ahead of them. That team won 8 games straight, won more convincingly and had the likes of Lewis, Langer, Meninga, Miles, Backo, Belcher etc. running round for them.

 

[Jason Maher]

Knightmare's signature says all that needs to be said.

 

[Serc]

Gidley - hatred? No I have enjoyed his moments and have no ill feeling to him. If I were to enjoy watching someone get pummelled it would be Anasta.

To have the surname Gidley appears that you will be overrated for some few sheer moments of brilliance on attack and everyone turning a blind eye to your weak defence.

Ok so it took me a few wrong guesses, but I realise now that its Matt Gidley you have an agenda against! You wouldn’t happen to be referring to an origin game in 2001 where 3 tries or something were scored against him?

Admittedly its hard to find a captain in that team selected - but I'm not a selector. Does Gidley have the respect of the team that Danny B had? Does he provide from full back the direction that Joey did? Its hard to captain a team from fullback or wing - I have no doubt. So why do it?

Maybe they could have taken the Maroon approach - name your captain first and fill in the team around them. Qld's captain is a bad defender too.

Yes that’s the issue – that it’s hard to pick a captain in that team, I just don’t see any other options outside of Gallen or Bailey (if fit). Yes that’s right, he doesn’t have the same things that Danny or Joey had…but he has no issues captaining us from fullback week to week...

Do you have any other nominations for captain instead?

And yes Lockyer is not the worlds best defender either – Ben Roberts (of all people) gave him a royal schooling last Friday night!

Gidley's positional play appears poor to me because the ammount of times opposing kickers find grass and how he can't appease the damage from line breaks. Yes Inglis is fast - but a good fullback would allow for that and be closer to his side on the angle.

At least this year, almost his best asset for the Knights is the amount of tries he’s saved at the back. In particular line breaks has been his speciality, and to really stick my neck out I think he’s let through less line breaks than any other fullback this season so far. As a result I was completely amazed when Inglis got by in game 1…no other excuse for it really! I’m not sure about the kicks finding grass thing to be honest, that hasn’t really seemed a problem to me but again I think you have watched very little Knights games since Kurt moved to fullback!

Unless QLD have suddenly found a secret weakness in the way he defends, most regular watchers of Kurt won’t be put off by the 2nd half of game 1.

What I can tell you - Queenslanders used to be worried about how they would get around let alone what attack was brought from the likes of ET, Brasher, and Minnecello. Gidley on attack doesn't strike the same fear does it?

You’re right, but this part is even harder to explain…hopefully you’ll understand as it took Knights supporters 5 years to realise how valuable he is, and how he needs to play his footy. This was partly due to Michael Hagan taking 5 years (and his 2nd last game with the club) to realise that his position is fullback.

It’s the same problem that some of the blind Stewart supporters have too, they are comparing him to a ‘traditional’ fullback that is like ET/Brasher/Mini/Stewart and in particular the style of play they have in attack. Kurt is completely different and the way the Knights play incorporates his strengths into it.

Its hard to explain (but in as short a sentence as possible) he is overall as valuable as all those other players because of the sheer amount of carries he makes – if you want to see his style of attack at its best, go watch him rip apart the Roosters a month or so ago, and the Panthers game last year I mentioned.

BTW Serc - I would have been happier with Mullen being selected than Wallace if this allieviates your anti-newcastle paranoia. In fact I think my Hornby Soward idea is radical - I bemused that Wallace is considered better than Mullen. Mullen could be the next A Johns - and I hope for the game he is, because the nrl just isnt as strong as the NSWRL was.

I don’t think Mullen will be another A Johns…have QLD found their next W Lewis yet? Mullen should be picked at 5/8 which takes the Wallace comparison out of the picture but that’s another story entirely For the record I might have considered picking Mullen ahead of Campese for game 1, but would’ve stuck with Campo for game 2.

Gidley will never reach that level from what I've seen of him. He's no Belcher, Jack, Slater, Brasher, Minnecello or ET at fullback. How many of these players captained an origin team?

I don’t think Gidley will ever be another Clive Churchill, but neither will Billy Slater or Karmichael Hunt…he just brings a very different style to fullback which I hope doesn’t take league followers another 5 years to realise. Speaking of Clive Churchill…just because they are fullbacks doesn’t mean they can’t captain!

I think the talent pool is getting shorter. I don't know why we need to "expand" the game with more teams. Many club sides can't find a solid halfback. And we watch the media talk up average halves at best as something special.

You might be onto something, but I think that’s partly due to the defence oriented game we’ve been playing since ~2000. How many 75-80kg 170-175cm halfbacks do you see play 1st grade these days?

 

[hellteam]

The problem is Gidley's "style" just isn't what the Blues need at fullback. Sure he works hard and makes metres around the ruck, but that's not enough. He has no X-factor at all. Hayne would offer more at fullback.

It boggles the mind when I hear journalists putting Gidley in the top 3 players in the game. Although it is entertaining to try to see Sydney journo's talk him up, just because NSW has no superstar players at the moment (except for possibly Hayne). Gidley wouldn't be in the top 10 best. And yet he's captaining NSW

Best players in the game

1. Jonathon Thurston
2. Billy Slater
3. Greg Inglis
4. Scott Prince
5. Petero Civoneceva
6. Brett Stewart
7. Cameron Smith
8. Jarryd Hayne
9. Karmichael Hunt
10. Michael Jennings

There's at least 10 better.

 

[Lungfish]

Its good to see so many New South Welshmen supporting the team no matter what...

 

[LebRL]

A NSW side without any of the original 17 picked for game 2. It might not be the best but i couldn't think of any others, especially for the front row.

1. Patten
2. Monaghan
3. J. Morris
4. Cooper
5. B.Morris
6. Campese
7. Kimmorley
8. Stuart
9. Ennis
10. White
11. Hindmarsh
12. Ryan
13. TLL

14. Waterhouse
15. Douglas
16. Laffranchi
17. Hornby

 

[natheel]

Campese was in game 1 or do u mean the original game 2 side

 

[Serc]

The problem is Gidley's "style" just isn't what the Blues need at fullback.

Thats what you think...

Anyway its not like he's been there long enough to prove to us that he is a club player only or an origin player, I personally think in many ways he is made for origin, but we'll just have to wait and see for a few more games.

Theres also no way that Jennings (not far enough into his career), Hayne (since when does a month of good footy make a top 10 player?) and Hunt (on your criteria) are 'better'. Hell I'd even consider arguing Stewart and Slater as well...but that would need a thread of its own for everyone to have their say

 

[mongoose]

The problem is Gidley's "style" just isn't what the Blues need at fullback. Sure he works hard and makes metres around the ruck, but that's not enough. He has no X-factor at all. Hayne would offer more at fullback.

It boggles the mind when I hear journalists putting Gidley in the top 3 players in the game. Although it is entertaining to try to see Sydney journo's talk him up, just because NSW has no superstar players at the moment (except for possibly Hayne). Gidley wouldn't be in the top 10 best. And yet he's captaining NSW

Best players in the game

1. Jonathon Thurston
2. Billy Slater
3. Greg Inglis
4. Scott Prince
5. Petero Civoneceva
6. Brett Stewart
7. Cameron Smith
8. Jarryd Hayne
9. Karmichael Hunt
10. Michael Jennings

There's at least 10 better.

Kurt Gidley has to be the most overrated player in the last 5 years. I can't beleive this guy is NSW captain after only a few games. I don't think I've seen any player get such undeserving praise and then be rewarded for it than Kurt Gidley. For a state captain to make 2 blunders like that at such important stages of the game is embarrasing, not only for Gidley himself but for the morons who made him captain.

Bellamy thinking barret will be his saviour is even more embarassing. Barret is no Langer or Johns or Fittler. I predict NSW to be humiliated this series.

 

[hellteam]

Thats what you think...

Anyway its not like he's been there long enough to prove to us that he is a club player only or an origin player, I personally think in many ways he is made for origin, but we'll just have to wait and see for a few more games.

Theres also no way that Jennings (not far enough into his career), Hayne (since when does a month of good footy make a top 10 player?) and Hunt (on your criteria) are 'better'. Hell I'd even consider arguing Stewart and Slater as well...but that would need a thread of its own for everyone to have their say

Hayne has been in the NRL for a while now and im not just basing it on one month. I only put Jennings in there so people wouldn't call me bias. Folau would be a better choice. Hunt is twice the fullback gidley will ever be. Better than Slater and Stewart? That's just delusional.

It's embarrassing for NSW to have a captain who wouldn't even make the QLD team...

 

[Serc]

Ok then well we can all have our opinions, and certainly the way the NSW selectors are indicating so far is that we'll be able to see him in action for a few more games, so I'm gonna sit back and see what happens in game 2 and 3

 

[NS_Sherlock]

Kurt Gidley has to be the most overrated player in the last 5 years.

I think Gidley is far from being overrated. Gidley is more of a "rover" than a traditional fullback. He covers the fullback position but roves into 6,7 and 9. Traditionally you'd expect a fullback to cover the backs and slot in when needed.
The problem that Gidley has had is that when you put him into position with a specific role he has tended to mess up a bit. It seems to bring indecision and when he is indecisive he can make mistakes. Smith has basically said to him to just do what he wants and that has improved his play considerably.
He does a damn good job with Newcastle in this rover/fullback role but I admit at times I wonder "where is the fullback?". The secret is to cover the fullback position when Gidley is up front. Hayne dropping in behind the back line for NSW allowing him to drop back or go fwd or even chime in up the middle would suit. You push a faster running fwd out a little wide as an "inside" centre as is often done anyway.

 

[ParraFan09]

Your kidding if you think cooper should be there...Bring in Monaghan in the centres and Grothe on the wing..Why do we need defensive centres for?

one name answers that question = GREG INGLIS.
thats why we need a defensive centre and cooper
is the best defensive centre in the game IMO.

you can put monaghan and morris in all you want but
inglis will just embarres them. like he did to steve turner
and mark gasnier last year in game 2.

 

[Joker's Wild]

Kurt Gidley has to be the most overrated player in the last 5 years. I can't beleive this guy is NSW captain after only a few games. I don't think I've seen any player get such undeserving praise and then be rewarded for it than Kurt Gidley. For a state captain to make 2 blunders like that at such important stages of the game is embarrasing, not only for Gidley himself but for the morons who made him captain.

Bellamy thinking barret will be his saviour is even more embarassing. Barret is no Langer or Johns or Fittler. I predict NSW to be humiliated this series.

This has got to be one of the stupidest and overtly biased posts I have read in a long time.

If you had watched Kurt week in week out you would know that he is thoroughly deserved of his Blues jumper and the capaincy and also how out of character those mistakes were. The whole NSW side were thrown together for 10 days and everyone expected them to be relaxed enough with each others games to be able to play their own natural ones, not very realistic is it? Kurt's biggest fault is trying to do too much when the chips are down and due to some other under performing team mates the chips were well and truely down.

Barret wont be the savior but he sure as sh*t will help in settling the team and directing the ruck. His style of game will take pressure off NSW 1-7-9 and allow them to relax into their game. This is exactly what Campese or Wallace failed to bring to the team in game 1 so one of those 2 had to go.

 

[saint-colesy]

The lack of any other decent options virtually handed Gidley the captaincy.

The fact that Bailey was the only other player in the team to be captain of his side ( and co-captain at that) meant that there was no other real option, especially after Gallens outburst.

Where as you look at the QLD team and they have 5 blokes who captain their club side and would all do fine jobs at captaining the state side as well.

Did Gidley deserve to be captain? No.

Was he the best option? Yes.

 

[Dazraider]

Disagree with that Gidley was the best option. what about Kite or Jamie Lyon given the captaincy as they both been there before

 

[ANTiLAG]

Ok so it took me a few wrong guesses, but I realise now that its Matt Gidley you have an agenda against! You wouldn’t happen to be referring to an origin game in 2001 where 3 tries or something were scored against him?

No it was Kurt Gidley letting in at at least 2 tries in origin 1 2009. But point taken, the family resemblence is uncanny.

 

[saint-colesy]

Disagree with that Gidley was the best option. what about Kite or Jamie Lyon given the captaincy as they both been there before

Jamie Lyon?

Please tell me thats a pisstake.