2018 Origin I - QLD 12-22 NSW @ MCG

[Tommy Smith]

Heard that Ponga won’t be considered

As a Blues fan I sigh in immense relief.

The game is simple - pick your best players.

Qld made that mistake in Game I last year when they mystifyingly left out Slater.

Are they going to make that mistake again?

 

[The Vaulting Violinist]

As a Blues fan I sigh in immense relief.

The game is simple - pick your best players.

Qld made that mistake in Game I last year when they mystifyingly left out Slater.

Are they going to make that mistake again?

Agree. Massive sigh

 

[David brown]

Ponga is the best fullback in the world atm... Qld are deadset simple merkins if they don't pick him... Oh well us blue merkins won't complain...

 

[The Vaulting Violinist]

Ponga is the best fullback in the world atm... Qld are deadset simple merkins if they don't pick him... Oh well us blue merkins won't complain...

Mmmm equal with teddy for mine

 

[OldPanther]

Mmmm equal with teddy for mine

He's making Teddy look like a child. I do think Teddy is being stifled by the Roosters structures though.

 

[The Vaulting Violinist]

Yeh I’d agree with that

 

[big hit!]

Ponga is the best fullback in the world atm... Qld are deadset simple merkins if they don't pick him... Oh well us blue merkins won't complain...

Except he played on Saturday, and he'd be debut starting in the spine of the biggest league game on the planet with nothing more than a captains run to gel with his teammates. Was he 18th man and trained with the team last week? I can't remember

Not as simple as it sounds. He's got the goods but its a big ask of the kid.

 

[ed-grimley]

I'd say they knew Slater was dodgy and were hoping he'd come good. We'll have to wait and see what Kevvy has up his sleeve.

 

[Tommy Smith]

I'd say they knew Slater was dodgy and were hoping he'd come good. We'll have to wait and see what Kevvy has up his sleeve.

Arms?

 

[ed-grimley]

Arms?

How many?

 

[JJ]

This is what I'm fearing will happen. The Blues have the better team on paper and have the right attitude but we know what the Maroons are like. Not having Slater is going to really leave them without some leadership. I was imagining Slater was going to be the guy to fire them and now they lose that and his experience.

The game is the Blues to lose

Fittler was captain in an unlosable series... and lost 3-0

Now he's coach and some (foolishly given 11 debutants) are saying the series is unlosable - he might be nervous

NSW should have won last year, so are entitled to favoritism, but Queensland so often find a way

 

[Hutty1986]

Arms?

A print out entitled "Everything i know about Rugby League, by Michael Hagan" passed on from Mal?

 

[The Vaulting Violinist]

If qld get ahead early I worry about the young pups going to water

Need to start strong

 

[beave]

As a QLDer, IMO you want to keep Inglis up against Roberts, he’s a f**king pot plant in D at times. So this is what I would do.

Morgan to 1 for the first 20-25 mins and carry Ponga on the bench. I have concerns that Maguire will be short on a run after missing the last 6 weeks and will need a breather at some stage in the first half, slide Morgan into 13 and bring Ponga off the bench to 1. Up against a tired defence Ponga could be electric and doing it this way you avoid throwing him to the wolves for the ‘softening up period’.

Morgan is a bit more robust in size and can handle the opening shit at fullback IMO, I reckon Ponga would get hosed playing fullback straight up by the blues.

 

[big hit!]

As a QLDer, IMO you want to keep Inglis up against Roberts, he’s a f**king pot plant in D at times. So this is what I would do.

Morgan to 1 for the first 20-25 mins and carry Ponga on the bench. I have concerns that Maguire will be short on a run after missing the last 6 weeks and will need a breather at some stage in the first half, slide Morgan into 13 and bring Ponga off the bench to 1. Up against a tired defence Ponga could be electric and doing it this way you avoid throwing him to the wolves for the ‘softening up period’.

Morgan is a bit more robust in size and can handle the opening shit at fullback IMO, I reckon Ponga would get hosed playing fullback straight up by the blues.

Agree re Inglis and I wrote same above yesterday.

I think they will need the least disruption to how they've been training. Anyone privy to their sessions last week when William was sitting them out? Who was actually repping at FB? Was it Inglis or Morgan or Ponga or a combo? The answer could lay there. Don't forget that Morgan was likely taking reps in the halves on the right for Hunt while the latter was nursing his own injury.

I think Morgan spending any time in the middle rotation is advantage NSW. So much repeat contact he wouldn't be used to, particularly in defence.

Ponga straight into FB if he hasn't done any training is a risk. He can handle the attack side of the game without a problem. The concern is organising defence in the QLD defensive structure. FB is basically the guy who is vocal in this.

EDIT: Milf was taking reps in the halves so Morgan could very well have been slotting in at FB

 

[OldPanther]

Ponga would be a freak in a good team full of rep players. A truly terrifying thought.

 

[toomuchsoup]

Maybe it’s just my negative blues hat, but I’m throwing money on qld.

They for sure new Billy wasn’t going to play

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Ponga would be a freak in a good team full of rep players. A truly terrifying thought.

He's a freak in a team full of numptys

 

[The Vaulting Violinist]

He's a freak in a team full of numptys

Gives me nightmares

 

[big hit!]

ABC reporting that Ponga and Milford have been brought into camp.

Heard on ABC radio on the weekend that Boyd was holidaying with his family when he was contacted to see if he would come into camp as cover. Apparently he declined.

perhaps he feels he wasn't up to it. or perhaps he wasn't asked at all. 'apparently' carries just as much of an assumption
https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/st...s/news-story/9448633673fecef0030e0d9a5b795fe4