Positives & Negatives from 2012 SOO - Blues

[DOGS AND EELS!!!]

personally I think there are a bunch of positives to take into next year from this series loss.

Positives

1) We have finally found a long term hooker - Farrah
2) We now have 2 props who genuinely strike fear into the Qld pack - Tamou & Grant
3) Two centres who have been great all series - Jennings & Morris
4) Established once again that Bird & Hayne are made for origin
5) I thought we had a real good combo on the left side with Lewis, Jennings, Hayne that was unfortunately split up after game 1.
6) Discovered that Williams can step up to origin and be just as destructive.


Negatives

1) Pearce and Carney were hopeless 90% of the series.
2) Uate losing his SOO mojo.
3) Brett Stewart not being used to full effect, mostly because of the halves lack of creativity.
4) Glenn Stewart being a ball hog.
5) Beau Scott playing a disappointing game.
6) Merrin just not being as effective as the other props.
7) Watmough not being half the player he once was.
8) Ben Creagh.... well he just needs to go.

For me I think based on this series the players who should have the places ensured in these positions are:

1.
2. Hayne
3. Jennings
4. Morris
5. Morris
6.
7.
8. Gallen
9. Farrah
10. Tamou
11. Lewis
12.
13. Bird

14. Williams
15. Grant
16.
17.

 

[MSIH]

personally I think there are a bunch of positives to take into next year from this series loss.

Positives

1) We have finally found a long term hooker - Farrah
2) We now have 2 props who genuinely strike fear into the Qld pack - Tamou & Grant
3) Two centres who have been great all series - Jennings & Morris
4) Established once again that Bird & Hayne are made for origin
5) I thought we had a real good combo on the left side with Lewis, Jennings, Hayne that was unfortunately split up after game 1.
6) Discovered that Williams can step up to origin and be just as destructive.


Negatives

1) Pearce and Carney were hopeless 90% of the series.
2) Uate losing his SOO mojo.
3) Brett Stewart not being used to full effect, mostly because of the halves lack of creativity.
4) Glenn Stewart being a ball hog.
5) Beau Scott playing a disappointing game.
6) Merrin just not being as effective as the other props.
7) Watmough not being half the player he once was.
8) Ben Creagh.... well he just needs to go.

For me I think based on this series the players who should have the places ensured in these positions are:

1.
2. Hayne
3. Jennings
4. Morris
5. Morris
6.
7.
8. Gallen
9. Farrah
10. Tamou
11. Lewis
12.
13. Bird

14. Williams
15. Grant
16.
17.

Yeah, ok.

 

[DOGS AND EELS!!!]

Yeah, ok.

Does the truth hurt your feelings?

 

[perverse]

Uate has lost all his mojo, period. Massive form slump for him at the moment. His previosu 2 years were stellar, hopefully he can recapture that form at some stage. Either way, he's got work to do now just to put his hand back up in the first place. I agree with just about all your "sure things", although not necessarily in the same positions. Not completely sold on Williams yet, but I would experiment with him a bit more. He is certainly tough to deal with, needs to steam onto the ball harder, though.

I'd have to agree on Watmough, and i'm a massive fan of his. he didn't have the impact he usually does.

 

[Pigskin]

Fit and healthy, Tariq Sims should be one of the first forwards picked. Thats just my opinion, and I hope he never gets picked. He is made for Origin.

I don't see the value in Brett Stewart. To me he doesn't score tries these days that Hayne wouldn't from fullback. A few years back perhaps, but not now. Why we didn't rough him up like the blues did to Slater I have no idea. B Stewart overrated. Hayne to fullback or if he has to play elsewhere, Dugan is better than B Stewart.

Oink !

 

[DOGS AND EELS!!!]

I'm pretty sold with Willaims. he wasn't creating havoc as he usually does for Manly, but that was because he just wasn't set up well. Just from his tackle breaks, fends and aggression you could see glimpses of just what he is capable to do with some clean ball. Am a massive fan of Uate too, but his defensive reads are horrible. He's an amazing attacking player but just didn't get much opportunities with Stewart starving him and Morris of ball in the first two games.

 

[Vic Mackey]

I actually thought watmough was great, was basically playing prop out there

 

[perverse]

Could be why I didn't think he was as explosive, he was running at larger men.

 

[DOGS AND EELS!!!]

Fit and healthy, Tariq Sims should be one of the first forwards picked. Thats just my opinion, and I hope he never gets picked. He is made for Origin.

I don't see the value in Brett Stewart. To me he doesn't score tries these days that Hayne wouldn't from fullback. A few years back perhaps, but not now. Why we didn't rough him up like the blues did to Slater I have no idea. B Stewart overrated. Hayne to fullback or if he has to play elsewhere, Dugan is better than B Stewart.

Oink !

Again Stewart has been victim too our halves simply not creating opportunities for his, Hayne would be amazing on attack at fb, but his positional play is no where near as good. Dugan is a more individual player, he has better positioning than Hayne, he is could stand at fb in place of Stewart. On Sims, welllllll who ever the coach is has to be smoking some pretty strong shxt to not pick him if he can show what he had shown up to his injury this year.

 

[DOGS AND EELS!!!]

I actually thought watmough was great, was basically playing prop out there

probably why than, I'm use to seeing him hit holes at origin. Just haven't seen that from his the last two series.

 

[Usain Bolt]

The Morris twins

 

[DOGS AND EELS!!!]

Could be why I didn't think he was as explosive, he was running at larger men.

he was just ganged up on due to the danger and lack of space.

 

[DOGS AND EELS!!!]

The Morris twins

yep i got them down, but want them on the same side of the field.

 

[Fizzee Rascal]

Negatives - Beau Scott, Mitchell Pearce
Positives - Everything else. Carney is borderline though.

 

[Vic Mackey]

Beau Scott was truely horrible

I thought he would be one of those blokes who could be playing poor for their club but then come and turn it on when picked for origin

I was sadly mistaken

 

[boonboon]

If you were picking a game 4 team you would put Glenn Stewart in for Scott, Aaron woods in for Ben Creagh ( if you want a prop on the bench play one not a useless 2nd rower as one) and perhaps next yr Dugan could play fullback and someone new needs to play halfback either Wallace or someone I don't know who

 

[StFigJam]

I think overall the team is a team that can win but it does need someone to direct it when things start getting bogged down. That takes a half who wants to make opportunities. It seemed to me that Pearce wasn't even trying or caring most of the time. Can his arse and keep the rest.

 

[Ladmate]

Brett Morris impressed me and I hated the selection. Should retain his spot for next year.

 

[MSIH]

Does the truth hurt your feelings?

If it was the truth it probably would, but those two comments are more ridiculous than supporting two sides.

 

[redvscotty]

Centres were good, wingers were good, props were good, second rowers playing in the second row were good, fullback was good with limited opportunities.

I think the 'mobile pack' way of thinking is good, but you can't go in with 2 known props and then try to bolster that position from the bench with blokes who play second row for their clubs. I like Creagh but I would have picked Merrin and dropped Creagh back to the Dragons for the weekend. There you have 3 known props playing the prop position. I think 4 is overkill so thats when you might ask a back rower to fill a role at certain stages of the game.

I thought last night the non use of Luke Lewis in the first half killed us, as he went ballistic once on the field, but perhaps if he did have a spell in the first he may not have been as tenacious in the second.. .a lot of what ifs!

Tamou, Grant have been highlights for me, rookies at Origin and killing it. Add Sims to the pack next year and we will cream QLD 3 - 0.

You may also have to pick some better halves. I reckon Soward/Carney would have won the game last night.