Bad blood to ignite Origin decider
By Dan Koch and Margie McDonald
July 02, 2008
TWELVE months of bitterness between two key combatants in the State of Origin decider is set to boil over as Queensland's Johnathan Thurston and NSW's Kurt Gidley face off.
The Australian can reveal a heated altercation occurred between the pair at a Brisbane nightclub in the aftermath of Game III last year.
The battleground was the same venue at which injured Blues enforcer Greg Bird had his now infamous run-in with Queensland police officers after the Maroons' 30-0 triumph in Game II last month - the Uber Bar in Brisbane's West End.
Players from both teams were enjoying a drink at the bar when Gidley and Thurston clashed on July 5, 2007.
The early morning altercation began when Gidley was involved in a scuffle with Thurston's cousin.
Thurston is said to have leapt to the defence of his relative. The pair then exchanged blows in the stairwell and then in the street afterwards, according to a witness who was working at the bar.
It is understood Thurston's former Bulldogs teammate, Willie Mason, played peacemaker by separating the pair before any serious damage was done.
Thurston was reportedly furious with Gidley's actions and let the Newcastle star know it with a verbal tirade as the two parties went in separate directions.
"Big Willie jumped in and split it up before it got out of hand," the witness said.
"He got everyone into cabs and they headed off to the casino."
Wednesday night's match hardly needed an extra spark but the Thurston-Gidley clash will provide one nonetheless.
While Gidley has been named on the NSW bench, Queensland coach Mal Meninga said he expected the Newcastle star to start the match.
Meninga predicted Gidley would run on at full-back, pushing Manly custodian Brett Stewart to the bench and placing Thurston and Gidley on a mouth-watering collision course from the kick-off.
The side which gains the upper hand might depend on who is more dominant in the opening minutes. That brings the starting 13 into prominence.
Meninga swapped Karmichael Hunt and Billy Slater in Game II and he expects NSW coach Craig Bellamy to follow suit tonight along with three other changes.
"Maybe (Ben) Cross starting, maybe Willie (Mason) on the bench, maybe Gidley starting, maybe Stewart on the bench," Meninga said.
"I don't think they'll put Mitchell Pearce on the bench. You don't want to be sitting on the bench with all this nervous energy eating you up.
"So he'd be better off getting on the field and playing straight away."
While intrigue surrounds the NSW side, Bellamy gave very little away on Tuesday.
"At this stage he's (Pearce) starting," Bellamy said, before fobbing off further rumours that Matt Cooper would swap sides with Joel Monaghan so the more experienced Dragons centre can oppose Queensland attacking ace Greg Inglis.
"It's certainly possible but at this stage we'll be starting Matt Cooper on our left and Joel Monaghan on our right.
"(Stewart off the bench) is a bit like the Pearce one and the centres one at this stage. No."
Meninga was equally unfazed when told Bellamy intended to keep Monaghan on Inglis.
"Best of luck, Joel," he said.
"Greg will play as well as he's allowed to play; as well as the forwards go forward; as good as our field position. So Greg will play really well."
But Meninga was heartily sick of the amount of attention given to Inglis in the lead-up to the game.
"Greg's had that crap detector on all week," Meninga said.
"There's been an enormous amount of stuff written up about him. I've talked to Greg about it but he basically doesn't read it ... doesn't need to.
"He just relies on what he did prior to Game II and that was that he prepared well."
And Meninga wasn't interested in buying into Queensland's poor record at the Olympic stadium, where the Maroons have won only once in 13 matches.
Queensland are hoping to win their third Origin series in a row (2006-2008) to add to two previous (1982-1984, 1987-1989).
"We don't talk about that - that's outcomes," Meninga said. "It's a reward for us if we play well."
