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Player power dooms Anasta
By Paul Kent | May 12, 2008 12:00am
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The reaction shocked Country officials, which further undermined Anasta when NSW selectors got wind of the discussion.
The result is Bird will be selected in the NSW No. 6 tomorrow. The decision goes back to the popular belief that NRL football is different to Origin football, with form not necessarily transferring from one to the other.
"It wasn't a heavy go but the impression you got was that people still have their doubts about him," a Country player revealed last night.
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The airing came when the Country coach Laurie Daley asked his team what they thought of City's players as the countdown to the match got under way.
It is a common practice among representative teams.
Several years ago NSW players were shocked when Willie Mason and Mark O'Meley were particularly damning of their then-Bulldog teammate Steve Price during a similar think-tank before Origin.
The Country player said the opinions given on each of the City players were not unusual, and that they expected City had a similar think-tank on the Country team. Players are often brutally honest in their assessments of rival players, even if they are teammates in club football.
He said the support for Bird was strong even though he is not a natural five-eighth.
"When you're in these teams you're expected to be honest and open and give your own impressions on strengths and weaknesses of the players," the player said.
"The coach can give his input but so can the players.
"You get feedback and a guide on what players think about other players.
"The general feeling on Braith was that he has got errors in his game, that you can force him and he can be put under pressure.
"He isn't reliable."
The news will be a disappointment to Anasta, who since booming on the scene in 2000 when he represented Australia has worked hard to overcome criticisms, many unnecessarily personal.
Roosters teammate Willie Mason, along with coach Brad Fittler and club advisor Phil Gould, all came out in support of Anasta yesterday after he again played strongly for the Roosters on Saturday night.
It is unlikely to be enough, though.
While Bird more often plays lock for his club team Cronulla, he was five-eighth for Australia in last Friday's Test win over New Zealand and was man of the match in his previous two representative games, last year's Test win over the Kiwis and the final State of Origin game.
Both times he was playing five-eighth.
He said yesterday he wanted to be considered at five-eighth for the Blues.
"I am still adamant I really want to play five-eighth for NSW if that is the way selectors want to go," he said.
"I wouldn't say that I really put my claims forward after the Centenary Test because I didn't have quite as dominant game as I would have liked.
"If we (Kurt Gidley and Bird) both get selected then I believe that both him and I can work towards a strong combination."
Anasta's problem stems from the fact Origin football is viewed differently to NRL football.
The team will be announced at 10am tomorrow.
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/sport/nrl/story/0,26799,23680840-5006066,00.html
By Paul Kent | May 12, 2008 12:00am
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The reaction shocked Country officials, which further undermined Anasta when NSW selectors got wind of the discussion.
The result is Bird will be selected in the NSW No. 6 tomorrow. The decision goes back to the popular belief that NRL football is different to Origin football, with form not necessarily transferring from one to the other.
"It wasn't a heavy go but the impression you got was that people still have their doubts about him," a Country player revealed last night.
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The airing came when the Country coach Laurie Daley asked his team what they thought of City's players as the countdown to the match got under way.
It is a common practice among representative teams.
Several years ago NSW players were shocked when Willie Mason and Mark O'Meley were particularly damning of their then-Bulldog teammate Steve Price during a similar think-tank before Origin.
The Country player said the opinions given on each of the City players were not unusual, and that they expected City had a similar think-tank on the Country team. Players are often brutally honest in their assessments of rival players, even if they are teammates in club football.
He said the support for Bird was strong even though he is not a natural five-eighth.
"When you're in these teams you're expected to be honest and open and give your own impressions on strengths and weaknesses of the players," the player said.
"The coach can give his input but so can the players.
"You get feedback and a guide on what players think about other players.
"The general feeling on Braith was that he has got errors in his game, that you can force him and he can be put under pressure.
"He isn't reliable."
The news will be a disappointment to Anasta, who since booming on the scene in 2000 when he represented Australia has worked hard to overcome criticisms, many unnecessarily personal.
Roosters teammate Willie Mason, along with coach Brad Fittler and club advisor Phil Gould, all came out in support of Anasta yesterday after he again played strongly for the Roosters on Saturday night.
It is unlikely to be enough, though.
While Bird more often plays lock for his club team Cronulla, he was five-eighth for Australia in last Friday's Test win over New Zealand and was man of the match in his previous two representative games, last year's Test win over the Kiwis and the final State of Origin game.
Both times he was playing five-eighth.
He said yesterday he wanted to be considered at five-eighth for the Blues.
"I am still adamant I really want to play five-eighth for NSW if that is the way selectors want to go," he said.
"I wouldn't say that I really put my claims forward after the Centenary Test because I didn't have quite as dominant game as I would have liked.
"If we (Kurt Gidley and Bird) both get selected then I believe that both him and I can work towards a strong combination."
Anasta's problem stems from the fact Origin football is viewed differently to NRL football.
The team will be announced at 10am tomorrow.
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/sport/nrl/story/0,26799,23680840-5006066,00.html
