How great would it be for there to be a State of Origin series between Queensland and New South Wales dream teams where every player is playing at their prime best. I have been thinking about what the best QLD team would be, but there is one massive selection problem:
Wally Lewis, Johnathan Thurston, Allan Langer.
There are only two halves positions. What do you do?
It seems almost absurd that any of these players would be left out of the team - do you try to fit them all in by playing one of the players out of the halves. Could Wally Lewis be the dream team's lock? Would he be as awesome at lock as five-eighth? (I could be corrected, but I think Wally Lewis did play lock in the first Origin or two). Could Johnathan Thurston play at centre? Again, would he have as big an impact at centre as he does playing in the halves? And remember to take into account defense as well as attack - while Thurston is brilliant in attack he isn't exactly a noted defender - would him playing in the centres make the defensive line weaker than him defending in his usual halfback or five-eighth position? The only position I can think of that Allan Langer could play outside of the halves would be hooker but would Allan Langer really beat Cameron Smith or Steve Walters for the position of hooker?
I think the ultimate QLD dream team would be awesomely dangerous in attack if it had all three players - Lewis, Thurston, and Langer in the team - can you imagine the headache for NSW and the confusion in could cause in their defensive line if it had to contend with the playmaking threat of Lewis, Thurston, and Langer all at the same time?
So back to my question: Lewis, Thurston, Langer - two halves positions - what do you do?
Michael W
Wally Lewis, Johnathan Thurston, Allan Langer.
There are only two halves positions. What do you do?
It seems almost absurd that any of these players would be left out of the team - do you try to fit them all in by playing one of the players out of the halves. Could Wally Lewis be the dream team's lock? Would he be as awesome at lock as five-eighth? (I could be corrected, but I think Wally Lewis did play lock in the first Origin or two). Could Johnathan Thurston play at centre? Again, would he have as big an impact at centre as he does playing in the halves? And remember to take into account defense as well as attack - while Thurston is brilliant in attack he isn't exactly a noted defender - would him playing in the centres make the defensive line weaker than him defending in his usual halfback or five-eighth position? The only position I can think of that Allan Langer could play outside of the halves would be hooker but would Allan Langer really beat Cameron Smith or Steve Walters for the position of hooker?
I think the ultimate QLD dream team would be awesomely dangerous in attack if it had all three players - Lewis, Thurston, and Langer in the team - can you imagine the headache for NSW and the confusion in could cause in their defensive line if it had to contend with the playmaking threat of Lewis, Thurston, and Langer all at the same time?
So back to my question: Lewis, Thurston, Langer - two halves positions - what do you do?
Michael W
