RBM, I don't know why you are trying to over engineer it. The simple fact is that QLD have had the superior team for the majority of the last 6 series. NSW have put in some good performances, however they haven't been consistant, either for a series or for even a game for that matter.
Don't feed me that dribble about QLD Administration and coaches, a bunch of ex-player pissheads doesn't make a good side. The players are simply in one of the best teams we have seen for quite some time. Fact.
When NSW had Johns and Fittler running the show, you couldnt get near us, and then claimed "Origin was dead"!!!
I'm not predicting NSW will win this year, the last 6 have hurt, but if we do, the greatest feeling will be relief. And the fact I don't have to put up with "passion, blah blah, qlder, blah blah" for another 12 months.
Have a look at the QLD team for 2005:
Queensland squad
Position Game 1 Game 2 Game 3
Fullback Billy Slater(1&2) Matt Bowen(3)
Wing Ty Williams(1,2&3)
Center Shaun Berrigan(1,2&3)
Center Paul Bowman(1,2&3)
Wing Matt Sing(1,2&3)
Five Eighth Darren Lockyer(1,2&3)
Halfback Johnathan Thurston(1,2&3)
Prop Steve Price(1&2) DannyNutley(3)
Hooker Cameron Smith(1,2&3)
Prop Petero Civoniceva(1,2&3)
Second Row Michael Crocker(1,2&3)
Second Row Brad Thorn(1) Carl Webb(2) Brad Thorn(3)
Lock Chris Flannery(1,2&3)
Interchange Ben Ross(1,2&3)
Interchange Carl Webb(1) Dane Carlaw(2) Corey Parker(3)
Interchange Casey Mcguire(1&2) Ashley Harrison(3)
Interchange Matt Bowen(1&2) Tonie Carroll(3)
Coach Michael Hagan
There are a lot of familiar names that we now know as brilliant Origin players,yes?
Thurston,Smith,Lockyer,Slater,Price,Civoniceva,Harrison,Berrigan,Parker.
They were coached by the man(Hagan) that was portrayed by the 2011 NSW media liason as the true coach of QLD.While Mal was portrayed as being as a puppet who didn't do anything.
Well somehow,when we dropped the players who looked good on paper, or at club level but who never really translated that potential across to Origin level (otherwise good players like Bowen,Carlaw,Webb,Thorn,Sing,Williams,Bowman,Ross etc) and brought Mal onboard, coincidentally we achieved success the likes of which Fittler and Johns would only have dreamed about.
There is no doubt that NSW have suffered for the lack of players the quality of Fittler and Johns.No doubt whatsoever.However,you ask Fittler and Johns for their opinion of the basic team that QLD have fielded for the last six years.Substitute for the QLD players who were good at club level but not at Origin level,those QLD players such as Myles,Inglis,Scott,Cronk and don't forget to include Mal Meninga as coach. Now ask Fittler and Johns, if they think that they would have been as successful if they were facing
that QLD team.
In light of what Mal and those QLD players have achieved,I think that Fittler and Johns would rate themselves a chance, but they would acknowledge that this combination of players
and coach, would have been a much more difficult proposition than the teams and coaching they faced.
Ask them. Johns and Fittler are in awe of what the QLDers have achieved over the last six years.Johns was quoted as saying that what was said about Mal last year was "A joke.His record stands for itself." (his words).Fittler and Johns know that they were great players.However even they know that what Mal has built with the players Johns defeated in 2005(when coached by Ricky Stuart) is not a team that even they would feel 100% confident of defeating.
QLD in 2006 acquired a better coach,plus they dropped a bunch of otherwise great players who performed well at club level but couldn't translate that performance across to Origin level.
NSW are in a similar boat at the moment,They are selecting players who perform well at club level,but who aren't performing at Origin level.
Gallen has a huge heart.The guy is a workhorse.He would tackle the Sydney Harbour Bridge for 80 minutes, but he is a dud at Origin level.Pearce is decent(sometimes) at club level, but face it he is a dog at Origin. Morris great at club level, a moron in Origin.Gidley, another workhorse.Lots of heart, another passionate guy who never throws the towel in, but a liability at Origin level.Stuart
loves these guys. Stuart wouldn't pick an Origin side without these guys.
For f*ck's sake,wake-up and see that these guys are
costing NSW Origin series.
Stuart is
choosing the very guys who stand between NSW victory and defeat.Why? Because they have Origin "attitude". Well their Origin "attitude" is costing NSW repeated series. In that aspect,Stuart is more of an impediment himself than a help.
Stuart is a selection kookoo. When he announced last year prior to Game One that no-one was a certainty for NSW selection except Gallen and Gidley, I thought "Oh my GOD.He has got to be joking." I could not believe that he could possibly select those two.Then he selected Pearce and Ennis, and left-out Hayne. I knew then that we were going to win six in a row. There was no doubt in my mind.
I posted here,to that effect prior to Game One. Such was my certainty that those players(and Bird) were going to cost NSW the series. Just based upon Stuart's selections I could see that Stuart was
not going to be NSW's answer to Mal.
Well,guess what? Stuart will be selecting again next year.
I guarantee that he will select Gallen,Gidley,Pearce and Ennis and I guarantee that QLD will win seven in a row.
Those players do not have what it takes to beat this current QLD side to a series win.They haven't over multiple series(with all of them playing in their present positions it has been 5 losses from six games), nor will anything change if they play in 2012.
As someone has already pointed out to you guys,why do you think that repeating what has been disasterous, will suddenly deliver victory?
Stuart is a stubborn SOB. He will stick with his choices in a vain attempt to prove that
he is right.Oh yeah,Ricky? Let's talk about Minichiello. What a farce. He telephones Stuart. "Sticky,I'm your man.I can turn this thing around.Select me.". Any sensible coach would have said "I'll think about it." and never called him back. Stuart f*cking selects him.
On this forum,I said the same thing I said about Gallen,Pearce,Ennis,Gidley: Minichiello as your saviour? Not f*cking likely.
NSW has lots of good players.They also have a pack of anchors which are weighing them down and now to boot,they have a coach/selector who is committed to guaranteeing the anchors are the incumbents.
You do the math.
With Sticky running the show and the anchors f*cking you up,it ain't looking good for 2012.
