Do we really have to pick Billy Slater?

[Azkatro]

Fair dinkum. Out of all the fullbacks Queensland has to choose from, why do we persist with the one who makes several potentially match-turning mistakes every game. And the bigger the stage, the bigger the screw-up. I and many others have described him at times as being too erratic for representative football. Well during last night's Test match, I heard Phil Gould bring up his "dumb" play for the first time I've heard a commentator mention it.

I know that we have been winning series' with him but I swear he's only one moronic play away from throwing away the series for us. It's not like we've been belting NSW year after year. Why do we have to carry such a potential liability? We could go with the incumbent, Karmichael Hunt, no problem at all.

 

[Hanscholo]

He is way out of form at the moment. I wouldnt forget just what a good player he has been/ will be in the near future. QLD always do this, they pick a player, then two others race ahead in form. The same happened when they picked Hunt, and Slater was killing it.

Just pick the form players.

 

[Dazzat]

I'd pick Hunt over Slater at fullback every time. Hunt brings stability, and alot more savvy when it comes to backline play. Then there's his combination with Lockyer.

Hunt's not as flashy, but more effective.

Slater IMO is a winger playing fullback. Why would you play someone prone to stupid errors in such a critical position as fullback? Put him on the wing.

 

[macavity]

please continue to pick slater.

regards,
NSW.

 

[abpanther]

When Slater is on, he is a game breaker, has the ability to turn to game on his own, Hunt doesn't have that ability. However as others stated Slater does have some errors in his game, it's the nature of the player, Jennings vs Cooper is a similar analysis, Jennings has the X factor but can make errors, Cooper is solid and you know what you will get from him.

NSW probably feels the need to take a few gambles to win back the series, QLD on the other hand probably has the luxury of going with 'solid' considering the quality of that backline.

 

[Talanexor]

I don't rate Hunt, never have. Slater DOES make plenty of stupid mistakes true, but for every try he lets in he saves another and scores two.

And about the form thing - for elite players, rep footy seems to snap them out of any form slump.

Take Thurston for example. Been playing sh*thouse all season, plays one Test and within 24 hours he's destroyed the Dragons pretty much by himself. Lockyer is the same; so is Slater. Not too concerned about club form at the moment, he's still a much better fullback than Hunt.

 

[KHunt]

I'm not sold on Slater either. Hunt's played from 2006-2008 and we've been a lot stronger with him at fullback. I think Hunt showed last year when he started both 2 and 3 that he's better than Slater and must start origin again this year. Hunt's killed it last year.

 

[Shorty]

While I agree that Slater makes some stupid, stupid decisions in play....he still has the ability to turn a game on it's head.
That is something Karmichael Hunt will never do - I realise he's solid and reliable but looking down the barrell of a hungry NSW side loss or 4th series win safe and reliable isn't enough.

 

[Azkatro]

Yes Slater can break a game open but he's just as likely to turn an opportunity into dust with his ridiculous "passes". We have gamebreakers like Inglis, Hodges, Thurston, Folau ... there is plenty in our backline to break a game open, only those guys tend to be able to do it without f**king it up in the same breath.

 

[hellteam]

Hunt's combination with Lockyer and Hodges is way too good to leave him out of the backline. Azkatro's right we dont need a gamebreaker got plenty of them.

Ahh we have this debate every year. First it was with Bowen, now Slater. 3 series wins in a row shows that clearly Hunt is the best option!

 

[Nightward]

As I said in another thread:

The problem with Billy Slater is that he makes every play as though there is 10 seconds left on the clock and his team is down by two.

When it works, it makes him look like a genius. At club level, the brain-snap plays typically don't hurt so much because the talent is diluted; in a rep match where the talent is concentrated, those brain-snap plays he has can well and truly cost a team the game.

Karmichael Hunt, on the other hand, is not anywhere near as prone to making brain-snap plays. So whilst he might not conjure something up the way Slater might, he also won't flip out and do something stupid.

In Origin, you need that surety.