2018 Origin I - QLD 12-22 NSW @ MCG

[MilkShark]

Cordner haters - would you rather gal or Farah back as skippers?

Or kurt gidley off the bench?

The issue isn't him being in the team, but he shouldn't be captain and he shouldn't be an automatic selection.

 

[TheFrog]

Cordner haters - would you rather gal or Farah back as skippers?

Cordner is safe for the series. However, I do think too much reliance is being placed upon him to take the ball up, hence his metres which were pretty much plod metres. I noticed the outside backs doing it a bit, especially Turbo, but none are very good at it, like a Mansour or a Dugan. I know Freddy doesn't want Fergo or Duges back but they could use someone with some ability taking the ball up, basically in place of Roberts who was a passenger for the most part.

 

[Meapro Ham]

Cordner haters - would you rather gal or Farah back as skippers?

Or kurt gidley off the bench?

I don't get the Cordner hate. Probably not quite the player he used to be due to knee injuries. But still good enough for origin. Gus is to blame. He bagged him and fired up the bandwagon.

 

[Rabbits20]

In the Nein post match,they said at least one match.

Well they're wrong actually!

Just heard he gets off with an early plea. Typical..

 

[GongPanther]

I thought Maloney was generally good, didn’t notice Cleary that much tbh

Cleary got special attention from the Qld side. Jam him up,and you're half way there. But Freddy knew that would have been the plan.Enter stage right,Maloney,and the plan worked a treat. It's not that Cleary made errors,or was the worst on field,as he did have a couple of highlights. For his 1st SOO,it's a confident pass from me. Cleary will learn from this game as will most of the Blues players. If you don't think there is room for improvement,then you've lost the series.

 

[Meapro Ham]

Cordner is safe for the series. However, I do think too much reliance is being placed upon him to take the ball up, hence his metres which were pretty much plod metres. I noticed the outside backs doing it a bit, especially Turbo, but none are very good at it, like a Mansour or a Dugan. I know Freddy doesn't want Fergo or Duges back but they could use someone with some ability taking the ball up, basically in place of Roberts who was a passenger for the most part.

Its not Cordner's normal game to do the hitups like that. He normally stands a bit wider and looks for gaps and quick play the balls later in the sets. Part of the problem I guess.

 

[JamesRustle]

He's having scans today on a sternum injury.

It's that filthy grub Chambers!!

He will probs get off with an early plea whilst Cookie misses a couple of weeks!!! Typical!!

Hopefully Cook's back in time for game 2.

 

[Broncoandy]

Well they're wrong actually!

Just heard he gets off with an early plea. Typical..

Yep that Cook’s a grub. I’m glad he’s injured, deserves it.

 

[Rabbits20]

Hopefully Cook's back in time for game 2.

I'm more concerned about him being back for Souths if not tomorrow the week after.

 

[Rabbits20]

Yep that Cook’s a grub. I’m glad he’s injured, deserves it.

Oh another troll for the ignore list!

Cheerio matey.....

 

[GongPanther]

All 4 halves on display were pretty bad, let's be real.

Maloney is and always has been a high energy, low execution player. I never liked him much when he was at the Warriors (in retrospect I was being somewhat unfair) and over the years I keep on starting to think that I had him all wrong, and then being reminded of what he's about. Overall he's pretty good, but his strengths are speed, support play and decent long kicking, his weaknesses are general decision-making and accuracy when trying to set something up on attack. He is what he is.

He is a winner,that is what he is.A two-time premiership winner,and a good chance of adding that to include a 3rd title.

When Cleary got injured for the Panthers,in stepped Maloney to keep up Penrith's charge up the ladder. Wrap up your take on Maloney with what you will, but he is the flavour of the month in these,and other neck of the woods.

 

[Bgoodorgoodatit]

Interesting stat for all you Cordner fans out there.. according to NRL.com he was the best forward on the park for post contact meters...

https://www.nrl.com/stats/?competition=116&season=2018

 

[JamesRustle]

I'm more concerned about him being back for Souths if not tomorrow the week after.

I'm not.

 

[Frank_Grimes]

I'm more concerned about him being back for Souths if not tomorrow the week after.

He has already been cleared to play tomorrow.

 

[Broncoandy]

Oh another troll for the ignore list!

Cheerio matey.....

Put it this way souffs man. My brother played footy for Helensburgh...say no more.

 

[isaiah]

Some unwanted thoughts from a disinterested/unbiased Kiwi

- The NSW forwards overall weren't great. Queensland definitely shaded the yardage/territory battle and were immense on defence. NSW hung in there.

- Raving on about how bad Cordner was is excessive but he IS an ineffective ball carrier to the point where it stands out a bit. Hard worker though. It's possible to both acknowledge that he took all the hard runs, and acknowledge that he didn't take them very well.

- Cleary defended well but had a relatively bad game in terms of performing the core role of a halfback, let's be realistic

- Cook, JAC, Tommy T, Tedesco, Mitchell were huge and really they consistently recovered NSW from situations where they were getting beaten up through the middle and turned the tide of the game. It was basically NSW getting beaten up and then one of those blokes make a break, NSW getting beaten up and then one of those blokes made a break, repeat

- I realise that the above is partly due to Queensland over committing numbers with their gang tackling and gaps then opening up elsewhere

- This game reminded me to some extent of a role reversal of previous years where NSW had the bigger, faster blokes and Queensland would just hang in there by a thread physically and then sneak over the line with their X-factor players. Queensland seemed to be winning the physical battle but NSW have the X-factor. The difference is Queensland's X-factor used to be the spine while NSW X-factor is the speed men.

- Queensland's organisation and innovation on attack off the back of a roll-on was horrible and really reminiscent of NSW teams of the recent past

- Is Gagai carrying an injury? Spent most of the game running at half pace

Qld forwards were better for most of the game

 

[Rabbits20]

He has already been cleared to play tomorrow.

That's BS.......

 

[GongPanther]

youre kidding aren't you

I think it's [his whole original post] being too analytical.

 

[GongPanther]

Just on the referees - since I see the papers are already going on about the 'look 3 penalties and the game was better, needs to be this way in the NRL'.

The referees blew those 3 penalties in the first 10 minutes. It set the standard for the game. The reason there were no more penalties? The players played by the rule set because they didn't want to give away a costly penalty. The game was good because there wasn't any hanging around in the ruck, players were getting back.

Notice Grand Finals usually have less penalties? It's because players don't want to give away the costly penalties - not because of a different refereeing standard.

Post of the week.

 

[GongPanther]

I don't think any roosters fan is trying to claim he was flash, in fact, we all agree with your last paragraph. We are arguing against the fools who are saying he was actively bad. these imbeciles see him taking tough hit ups as a negative and feel he should be making a line break from his own 20 every time.

He wasn't in our top 5 players, IMO our top 5 were Teddy, Cook, JAC, Latrell and Turbo but he certainly lead from the front when it mattered and was our best forward on the night (Cook aside)

His first 20 was indifferent. The mid 20 mins of the 2nd half were inspirational from him.