Is Carney ready for Origin?

[legend]

Behind a good pack and with some great outside backs, is Todd Carney ready for Origin footy yet?

You'd have to say he is the form five eighth at the moment but because he is only 20, the selectors may want to give him another year to get a bit more experience under his belt before he takes the big stage for the rep matches.

Obviously Canberra fanshave had wrapson Carney for a few years now and under Henry he is starting to show what he is capapble of.

His running close to the line is very reminiscent to Brad Fittler in his prime and he is almost impossible to stop. He has a ver good long kicking game and has a fair bit of size for a five eighth, which is something NSW have traditionally relied on.

Iknow his age is working against him but guys like Daley, Clyde and Fittler played Origin either at the same age or even younger and look at the careers they ended up having?

If you are good enough, you are old enough and at the moment NSW don't have too many other options.

There is still a month to go but if Carney can keep up his cirrent form, he will be hard to keep out of the NSW side IMO.

 

[Dutchy]

no.

 

[perverse]

Behind a good pack and with some great outside backs, is Todd Carney ready for Origin footy yet?

You'd have to say he is the form five eighth at the moment but because he is only 20, the selectors may want to give him another year to get a bit more experience under his belt before he takes the big stage for the rep matches.

Obviously Canberra fanshave had wrapson Carney for a few years now and under Henry he is starting to show what he is capapble of.

His running close to the line is very reminiscent to Brad Fittler in his prime and he is almost impossible to stop. He has a ver good long kicking game and has a fair bit of size for a five eighth, which is something NSW have traditionally relied on.

Iknow his age is working against him but guys like Daley, Clyde and Fittler played Origin either at the same age or even younger and look at the careers they ended up having?

If you are good enough, you are old enough and at the moment NSW don't have too many other options.

There is still a month to go but if Carney can keep up his cirrent form, he will be hard to keep out of the NSW side IMO.

i've bolded the statements i think are most important. and i agree with you. freddy in his prime is a little of a stretch i guess.. but i can see what you're seeing, and he does have that ability to put the defence on it's heels close to the line.

however - there is still a month to go, and he has to do it away from canberra and continue his good form before i can truely say he's ready for the big game.

 

[Earl]

Like you said if he is good enough he is old enough.

The only problem I see with Todd Carney is inconsistency. Some weeks he comes out and plays the house down, and other weeks he is MIA.

If he can put in performances like last night for the next 5 weeks leading up to Origin, he'll definatly be in contention.

Absolute certainty for City/Country you would think.

 

[Twizzle]

no.

talk about consistency

he was pretty ordinary against us

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

Nope. He won't be there.

The closer we get to Origin the more likely it feels there's going to be two halfbacks playing for NSW this year. Kimmorley/Gower, Orford/Cronk, although having said all that Anasta has some fans amongst the NSW selectors. Kimmorley/Anasta - no wonder QLD are starting favourites.

 

[Ziggy the God]

He will own Locky. :sarcasm:

Seriously, put him next to Gower, and if the NSW forwards can get on top, he will do the job.

That said, the NSW selectors will pick the same droids that they always do.

 

[Jono078]

I'd say no.

BUT, we may aswell get him in there now, fast track his development and experience.

It's not like we have anyone else better going around anyway IMO.

 

[emil1989]

i dont know much about carney but i think he'd be in contention from what im hearing...i havnt seen lyon play 5/8 and people r sayin he should be the 6 in nsw...for mind i think its between monaghan,anasta, but kurt gidley is my favourite so far
who else could play 5/8..theres a lack of talent there for nsw so i think carney would b in contention

 

[legend]

no.

talk about consistency

he was pretty ordinary against us

He was but I contend any halfback and five eighth, regardless of how good they are will fail behind a beaten pack and that's what happened to Carney against the Eels.

You'd like to think NSW can put a very big and mobile pack up against Qld and I think he has the game to go all the way.

 

[legend]

Nope. He won't be there.

The closer we get to Origin the more likely it feels there's going to be two halfbacks playing for NSW this year. Kimmorley/Gower, Orford/Cronk, although having said all that Anasta has some fans amongst the NSW selectors. Kimmorley/Anasta - no wonder QLD are starting favourites.

Cronk is from Qld and if we go with Kimmorley and Anasta, we may as well not even turn up.

 

[Balmain_Boy]

By an objective standard, I don't really think he's ready.

BUT, he's clearly the best option the blues have, so should play.

 

[perverse]

i dont know much about carney but i think he'd be in contention from what im hearing...i havnt seen lyon play 5/8 and people r sayin he should be the 6 in nsw...for mind i think its between monaghan,anasta, but kurt gidley is my favourite so far
who else could play 5/8..theres a lack of talent there for nsw so i think carney would b in contention

every time i see someone say this i cringe. kurt gidley is no 5/8th. if he makes origin this year it will either be in the #14 or the #1. if they put him in the #6 it will almost certainly kill any chance he has at a representative career.

i put lyon in this same class (although his rep career is far too established for it to be nuked by 1 tragic game) - he's a centre, not a 5/8th.

 

[innsaneink]

Ive no doubt hes tough and talented enough, but yeh ..still green and inconsistent.

 

[Medievalknight]

Ask Raiduhhhhhhhh 69 :lol:

 

[legend]

By an objective standard, I don't really think he's ready.

BUT, he's clearly the best option the blues have, so should play.

I agree with this 100% but if I may, can I take you back to 1989 with NSW moving in a new direction by blooding a new crop of youngsers and whilst they were roundly flogged in the 1989 series, they won four out of the next five (1990, 1992, 1993, 1994) and went very close in 1991 with all games being decided by only two points with Qld winning the series 2-1.

I think if we rely on out of form players in such key areas, we are as good as gone anyway and will have missed the opportunity to give some of the next wave of talent a taste of Origin footy that will pay off for years to come.

 

[mxlegend99]

Is he ready? Not sure... the pressure could make him fail miserably, or exceed expectations.

He is a promising young player... and if he isn't up to it, it's just experience which will help him in the future.

Fact is we have very few good choices for 5/8. Carney is one of the better choices... we can cover our best with a proven player off the bench anyway.

 

[Red Bear]

Anasta's form has been good this year, but Carney is certainly an excellent talent. Couple of years
6. Carney
7. Mullen

Is looking pretty damn good (maybe matt head if he ever regains fitness and confidence).

 

[nickdemonknight]

For me to be considered he would have to have proved himself in a big game or a tough situation. Since to my knowledge (I haven't looked into Canberra games too much) he has not. I would have to say no as there is no proof that he would be able to deal with the pressure. If we were talking about him in 1 or 2 years I would see him as being mature enough to handle it but at the moment I don't.
Talented enough yes but able to handle the pressure no.

 

[emil1989]

did gidley not deal with all the broncos team all by himself a couple of yrs ago wen they won by 1 point...is sum1 forgetting that most of the queensland team is from the broncos...gidley is a proven footballer and i personally think he's a 5/8 and not a fullback
but knowing nsw theyll probly pick an idiot out of position like gasnier,timmins and put them at 5/8 (jamie 'overrated' lyon)...the nsw halfback should be orford/gower...actually a name has just hit my hit...did someone forget about ben hornby??

i guess i shouldnt really care eyy...go the mighty maroons!