Your Thoughts On SOO 1

[giboz71]

Qld can play the loyalty card as their team won 8 straight series and have a team of once in a generation players. Slater, Inglis, Thurston, Cronk, Smith et al are once in a generation players so you can pick them based on reputation every year.

Hodkinson, Pearce and co are anything but. Form wise, Hodkinson has been one of the worst halfs in the comp. But they used the incumbency card to pick him, same with Hopoate.

Problem is, who would you pick? Soward and Reynolds have both been injured. Keary is too small even if he's been one the form halves.

I think they need to give Moylan a go next year at 5/8. And hopefully Reynolds will be healthy. That's a decent half pairing IMO.

 

[hazzbeen]

Boring game...... Bring back the biff.......

 

[rainman44]

Boring game...... Bring back the biff.......

Yep they market origin on its history but that is fraud it self. Fair enough with cheap shots but the shoulder charge and the biff out of origin is and will kill it off.

 

[SBD82]

I thought it was a very ordinary game. Both teams deserved to lose. QLD a little less.

I can't believe people rated Pearce's performance last night. He or Hodkinson needed to stand up. Neither did. The first kick that he kicked to slater on the full I immediately had flashbacks to the Stuart/Pearce era. An ominous feeling came over me even though I thought we were on top at the time.

How many years do we have to put up with the same selection policy? We finally have props that can dominate. Tamou and Woods were outstanding.

Put Soward in with a young half FFS. Blood the young half and let Soward run the game. He is a big match and big moment player. Let him kick and pass all day and put the team in the right areas of the field, and give the young half a running/ passing five eight game.

 

[_Johnsy]

My thoughts.
Junior Paulo tackle = 9 weeks
Hodges tackle = 0 weeks, not even a penalty.

 

[St Georgio]

I believe the series is already gooone from NSW grasp...I can't wait until it's over with a flying Dugan and a fit Merrin to see the Dragons capture another premiership.

 

[stg666]

i know i probably will get howled down , but , i would play mitch rein in his current form. farrar as captain and dummy half should have had things organised as soon as the opportunity appeared . farrar is another that is protected . offered shit all IMO . frizzel has to come into the side !

 

[Weipa Dragon]

Qld won so good thoughts yeah Dugan was awesome for you guys. Qld played with a calm mongrel and I wAs surprised it was only one point. Soward will go well for new south. Three nil this year if it's the same level of commitment. Go the toads

 

[The Cobra]

our kicking game was absolutely rubbish,for fux sake get Soward in there asap.People will howl me down but ffs we have tried Pearce to many times with the same result.ie He CAN'T MAKE THE GRADE at STATE OF ORIGIN.Give Blake Austin a bench spot.Both our wingers offer nothing:Answer Pat Richards.Before you all say I'm mad,just think,how f**kn nervous would QLD be at 10 all knowing Pat Richards is lurking behind the line, even 50 or 60 metres out?!!!!!!!!

 

[Country Dragon]

Yep they market origin on its history but that is fraud it self. Fair enough with cheap shots but the shoulder charge and the biff out of origin is and will kill it off.

The shoulder charge is back, didn't you see Slater?

 

[Russell Crowe's Band]

What is Daley doing with Merrin?
I don't get the tactics at all.
20 minutes?

Weird

Thought young Dugan was really good.

Fifita was ok.

Hodgkinson and Pearce are just spaz.

 

[Minh]

Dugan played very well, starting props very good and Jackson did a lot of good things that goes unnoticed, he's a quality player. Fafita had no impact, Merrin is improving at origin level. Josh Morris outstanding defense against Inglis again. Jennings is now a highly over rated player and Topou he's nothing flash. Hopoate is safe and I thought Pearce had a decent game but hodgkinson went missing when the early field goal was on offer and didn't even take a shot to try and level it.

 

[TheRev]

Dont think everyone realises that only Hodgkinson was supposed to be organising the troops and doing the majority of kicking, Pearce was just meant to be a running 5/8 (ala Austin) and he did that reasonably well..

We just need a talking halfback @7 with a good kicking game who can handle pressure, A.Reynolds is the man.. if hes injured its Soward would do.. he doesnt need to do a heap of running at the line, just the rest of the stuff were lacking.

 

[SBD82]

Dont think everyone realises that only Hodgkinson was supposed to be organising the troops and doing the majority of kicking, Pearce was just meant to be a running 5/8 (ala Austin) and he did that reasonably well..

We just need a talking halfback @7 with a good kicking game who can handle pressure, A.Reynolds is the man.. if hes injured its Soward would do.. he doesnt need to do a heap of running at the line, just the rest of the stuff were lacking.

I think Soward is the answer. Organiser. Clutch player. Stands up in tight games. Takes the right kick option 90% of the game.

Locked at 10 all in the last 5 he is the one I want directing traffic. The only one better in the game is Cronk.

 

[rasaint]

My thoughts are Duges went very well but he does have a mistake in him and didn't really threaten, except when Tamuo set up the offload.

Wingers are not really State of Origin. Brett Morris, Roberts from Titans, Johnson would have claims.

I stick by my perception that Qld desperately need Thurston. No Thurston and blues would win regularly. Best player in the last decade by far.

Truly need a halfback. Pearce is a quality player but Reynolds is state of origin. I know he is out. I would love to see Pearce half with silky Moylan at 5/8. Moylan is ready now!

 

[RED73V]

Hodkinson is playing with no confidence at all hence the shit kick for touch & poor on field management. He & Hopoate were my to main concerns before the game due to form , & I have it concreted get rid of both & Tupou. Duges was outstanding I'd put Moylan at the back Duges in Jennings position &BMoz & Jennings on the wings & put Maloney in the halves with Pearce . At least they know each other's game well enough . Last night was abysmal in the second half.

 

[silverex]

My thoughts on SOO 1 are the same for all past SOO's and for all future SOO's.

They should be abolished.

They detract from the premiership, which is the most important competition.

They mean nothing to me.

 

[ouwet]

All you guys calling for Hodkinson to be dropped! PLEASE, shut up, we don't want him in the Bulldogs first grade side and for some reason Hasler won't drop him for Mbye... Origin is the only time he'll miss a couple of games for us:lol:

 

[TomRedVRiver]

I think that Daley and the selectors have felt the pressure to stay loyal to Hodkinson, hence why he's there. If you're picking the halves on form and current merits then Hodko doesn't even come remotely close.
Without making too many changes, Bmoz and Johnston have to be there for game 2. I'm not sure how Johnston can make the Australian team and not play for his state.

Dugan. What a player. It's a pleasure to watch him run out there and an even bigger pleasure to watch him pull on the red V every week.

Just a final thought. Does anyone else think that origin should be played at the conclusion of the season? Or even put the competition on hold over the origin period. I feel like a lot of teams suffer so much for it.. The club competition is effectively depleted for the next 6 weeks... and sometimes it's not the top team in the competition who end up winning the premiership. I know this argument is constantly put forward and no one really has a solution. But surely something has to give.

 

[big pat]

My thoughts on SOO 1 are the same for all past SOO's and for all future SOO's.

They should be abolished.

They detract from the premiership, which is the most important competition.

They mean nothing to me.

well said silverex, sadly too much money involve.