Barrett OUT, Johns IN

[Azkatro]

no matter how bad johns goes, it cant be worse than kimmorleys efforts in game 1.
at least they are trying something new.
if they picked kimmorley again and he had another shocker the selectors would get smashed. everyone saying "i told you so".

... and if Johns has a shocker, the selectors are going to get rightly smashed. There are more experts in the game (Sterling, Mortimer etc) trashing the decision to drop Kimmorley than there are urging it. If NSW lose game two with Johns in the side, there will be "told you so's" flying thick and fast from all directions.

 

[Mr Saab]

best part of all those "told you so's" is that Stuarts cred as a coach will be under massive pressure

 

[knights 2004]

it still wont be as bad as if kimmorley screwed us over twice in a row

 

[panthersballboy]

After thinking a bit about it I feel the selectors have done the right thing. Joey just being in the camp will lift the other players. Buderis is the captain but it will be Joey calling the shots. On the footy show he seems very confident and said he feels fit and ready. I'm sure the blues would rather play with a confident Joey, than a dejected and 'overawed' Kimmorley. It has also added more intrigue and excitement to the game. Origin is for champion players like Wally, Mal, Lockyer and Daley. Joey will rise for this game and NSW to win by 12+.

 

[Pierced Soul]

JOhns will no doubt lift his team and admittedly it has made origin 2 more interesting. The fact of the matter is that if the qld forwards get a roll on like they did in game 1, then johns is going to be as useless as kimmorley and we'll see him throwing his hissy fits at the other players.

as for his defensive abilities, his timing is pretty off after so long out, i expect him to miss a few tackles or perhaps hurt himself again.

My prediction: Johns will either have a blinder or a shocker

 

[Broncodroid]

I love Newcastle fans living on a 44-0 thrashing of Brisbane in 2001..."he embarassed Lockyer", yeah ok, because it was a classic one on one duel with Johns at halfback and Lockyer at fullback. Clutching at straws and the past is not healthy, reality check.

Andrew Johns has not played over his opposite number in any game he has played this season. That is embarassing to a future Hall Of Fame player.

Charlie Saab...Lockyer was below his best in Origin 1, I agree, though the "experts" at RLW still gave him an 8/10. IMO, he was at 6.5 to 7.0. Lockyer will come up huge in this game AWAY from Suncorp Stadium with the return of the former world's best halfback and player.

 

[Eels Dude]

it still wont be as bad as if kimmorley screwed us over twice in a row

Disagree. Kimmorley at least deserved selection in the first place. No-one could argue with his selection in game 1. Playing Johns in game 2 is a huge risk for such an important clash and if it fails then there are going to be some questions to be asked.

We only lost game 1 in golden point, and scored more tries than the opposition. We already had a side strong enough to win game 2 without needing a change.

 

[circling eagle]

Johns is a champion player, and this does seem to be an unreasonable expectation. But Origin is a special game, one the true legends of the game all lift for, there was something in his eyes after origin 1 that had me thinking get him in there, to people writting him off do so at your own peril.

 

[knights 2004]

Playing Johns in game 2 is a huge risk for such an important clash and if it fails then there are going to be some questions to be asked

yes but there would be many more questions asked as to why kimmorley was still there if he played again and cost us the series.

 

[lockyno1]

No matter how bad Johns goes, even his dead worst game is better than Kimmoley's game in game 1! By saying that I swtill beleive Orford should have got the job!

 

[salivor]

Johns looked absolutely exhausted at the end of the Knights v Broncos game, yes Brisbane may have had the bulk of the possession in the last hour of the match but the match wasn't played at a particularly frantic pace like Origin II will be played at. I know he's confident in his knee now and he says he's done the work but he's barely played about 10 games in 2 years, he may have fitness but he doesn't have match fitness or anything close to it.

I doubt he'll make the full 80, especially if the QLD pack get the early go forward as they did in game 1. Then again people thought Langer would struggle to make the 60 minute mark in Origin 3, 2001 but he went the full 80 but that was on the back of a very dominant QLD performance.

 

[Mr Saab]

plus salivor, Langer is three times the player johns is at origin level.

 

[salivor]

Only 3? I think your overrating Johns a bit there.

 

[Nugby]

I reckon so long as Johns doesn't get injured that NSW can't lose. Wing will probably come on for the first 15 minutes at halfback and then come back in the second half for his dummy half plays. Johns will shine for the Blues behind a motivated home side pack (which unfortunately is still too small), and might get MoM. NSW by 10, with us losing the first half.

 

[TinghaInMotion]

Johns looked absolutely exhausted at the end of the Knights v Broncos game

Well yeah, thats cause he had to do almost everything i.e carry the whole team on his back. He will not have to with the Blues.

BTW after tonights game, anyone still want that hack Kimmorley as half back for the Blues?

 

[bluesbreaker]

plus salivor, Langer is three times the player johns is at origin level.

ROTFL! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha...
... Hahahahahahahahahahahaha
Ahaha... Hahahaha.

This is what I like about Queenslanders, they're Rodeo clowns. Always good for a laugh.

I also like how everyone is admitting Lockyer had a sh*t game in Game 1. Typical of Lockyer, who's never played more than 5 dominant games in a row in his entire career.

 

[Ghoulies]

ROTFL! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha...
... Hahahahahahahahahahahaha
Ahaha... Hahahaha.

This is what I like about Queenslanders, they're Rodeo clowns. Always good for a laugh.

No. of MotM recieved by Alfie at Origin level - 4
No. recieved by Johns - 3

Both recieved most of theirs in an era of NSW dominance. Alf >> Johns (at Origin level).

 

[RABK]

No. of MotM recieved by Alfie at Origin level - 4
No. recieved by Johns - 3

Both recieved most of theirs in an era of NSW dominance. Alf >> Johns (at Origin level).

Langer couldn't even tackle, last time a checked half the game is spent defending....

He ain't half the player Johns is.

 

[Ghoulies]

Langer couldn't even tackle, last time a checked half the game is spent defending....

He ain't half the player Johns is.

:lol:

Did I say Alfie was a better all-round player than Johns? Take a look at where I said, "at Origin level".

Now you might be too young to remember a time before Johns, but believe it or not, players have achieved more than he has (Lewis and Langer for example).

 

[RABK]

:lol:

Did I say Alfie was a better all-round player than Johns? Take a look at where I said, "at Origin level".

Now you might be too young to remember a time before Johns, but believe it or not, players have achieved more than he has (Lewis and Langer for example).

Neither has achieved more as a individual player then Johns.

Last time i checked, defense was the biggest part of Origin....

On Johns and Lewis....