Nathan Merritt puts his hand up for selection to the NSW Origin squad

[Newcastlerabbit]

Hazem El Masri urges New South Wales to take a punt on South Sydney flyer Nathan Merritt
By Joe Barton AAP May 24, 2013 4:41PM


South Sydney winger ... Nathan Merritt pushing his claims for NSW Origin debut. Source: Brett Costello / News Limited
One wing spot, the five-eighth and how to find the right balance on the bench are the only things NSW coach Laurie Daley is still mulling over ahead of Sunday's squad naming for State of Origin game one.

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Daley's 17-man squad appears to be all but sorted but some question marks remain around who will partner Canberra's Blake Ferguson on the wing, and whether the No.6 jersey will go to incumbent Todd Carney or in-form Sydney Rooster James Maloney.

St George Illawarra's Brett Morris is the front-runner for the remaining wing spot, where he would likely play outside of twin brother Josh Morris from Canterbury who will form a centre pairing with Michael Jennings.

But a knee injury has forced Morris to miss the past two Dragons fixtures, and he's in extreme doubt for Saturday night's clash with Penrith.

The 26-year-old trained lightly this week, completing running exercises from Wednesday away from the main group in a bid to prove his recovery was on track.



But Daley is not willing to take injured players into camp, preferring to have his full squad about to train from day one.

That re-opens the door for South Sydney's Nathan Merritt, forgotten Newcastle winger Akuila Uate and Manly youngster Jorge Taufua.

Merritt's push has been a long time coming with the 29-year-old crossing for his 147th NRL try last weekend, and he has a fan in Bulldogs champion Hazem El Masri.

El Masri became the Blues' oldest State of Origin debutant in 2007 when, at 31, he scored a try and kicked three goals in an 18-4 victory.

And the NRL's all-time leading pointscorer can see similarities in how long he had to wait for his one and only NSW jersey, and the similar predicament facing Merritt who has been overlooked often for centres being played out of position.

"It's good to get a specialist winger to play there," El Masri told AAP.

"I think he'd do a wonderful job. He can sniff a try out of nowhere. His record speaks for itself."

Merritt has often admitted he felt his time had passed and that he'd given up on any representative aspirations - an admission El Masri recognised all too well.

"I know exactly how he feels. It was the same thing with me," he said.

"All he can do is play footy. That's the only answer he's got.

"Hopefully he can keep proving them wrong until he gets an opportunity. Because you just don't want to give them any more reasons not to choose you.

"It's sad in a way that I only got one game, but it was the best game of my life."

Daley is understood to have locked in captain Paul Gallen at prop, alongside Test front-rower James Tamou and Wests Tigers' skipper Robbie Farah.

That leaves a backrow of Luke Lewis, Anthony Watmough and Greg Bird, while the bench utility role is likely to be handed to former Blues skipper Kurt Gidley.

The remaining three spots will include Cronulla's powerful young prop Andrew Fifita and Melbourne's Ryan Hoffman, as well as another mobile front-rower, with St George Illawarra's Trent Merrin and the Tigers' Aaron Woods in front.


http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/...itt/story-fn31yxah-1226650103531#.UaBoidI3CSo

 

[The Showstopper]

Ok,lets look at that fine utility Daniel Vidot.

GKD is a chronic wind up merchant. Ignore him.

 

[Appin Rabbit]

Bad luck Max dopey Daley is going for Morris Qld 3 nil

 

[muzby]

What Muzby said,

See..

Told you so..

 

[Ziggy the God]

See..

Told you so..

I am glad they are picking the dopey twins. They are the most overated hacks in the NRL.

Keep picking them, they have done a fantastic job in SOO.

Just another reason why I will collect from my bookie like the last 7 series.

 

[SaraSassypants]

Would rather Merritt not play if Pearce and Malony are halves. He'll become cannon fodder in what will be a rudderless Blues team with no attack. It won't do him any good. Would like to see him get his call-up when Reynolds or Sutton is given a crack.

 

[thomo]

Given that Jennings and Morris are the centres the wingers won't see much ball anyway unless they go sniffing around the middle.

From a purely selfish point of view I am glad he hasn't been picked - I remember how well Merritt went the last couple of times he has moved to fullback so he will provide great cover for the 2 games without GI. It could work out that we may get a player or two picked for Origin 3 when NSW go 0-2 down which will be fine because we have the bye before the last game.

 

[Big Sam]

No Souths NSW players.

Thanks Schnoz for ensuring we're (almost) at full strength during the Origin period!

 

[SaraSassypants]

So we only have to worry about covering Inglis and potentially Te'o. Feel sorry for the NSW potentials but it's a good thing for Souths. Should fire them up too as they'll have a point to prove.

 

[Different kind of Rabbit]

QLD 3 nil.

 

[Big Sam]

QLD 3 nil.

Correction: QLD 2-0 then Schnoz will pick our guys for Game 3 and it will be QLD 2-1.

 

[cleary89]

I am glad they are picking the dopey twins. They are the most overated hacks in the NRL.

Keep picking them, they have done a fantastic job in SOO.

Just another reason why I will collect from my bookie like the last 7 series.

How much you putting down? Odds?

 

[Newcastlerabbit]

I am glad they are picking the dopey twins. They are the most overated hacks in the NRL.

Keep picking them, they have done a fantastic job in SOO.

Just another reason why I will collect from my bookie like the last 7 series.

Not wrong.:x

 

[hunters]

So we only have to worry about covering Inglis and potentially Te'o. Feel sorry for the NSW potentials but it's a good thing for Souths. Should fire them up too as they'll have a point to prove.

Suggestions that Mcqueen has jagged a bench spot also. Great reward for him if correct.

 

[Skreepe]

It has been a long running conspiracy to not pick Merritt for the blues. It has nothing to do with the fact that he is an average winger who happens to fall over the line a lot. Ferguson is leaps and bounds ahead of him.

Sutton is just a laughable selection. Then again, I forget who we are dealing with here. Bias Souffs fans.

Reynolds is not ready, however if he keeps his form, he may be hard to ignore next year.


Your forward pack and Inglis is your only strength. All the numpties are just feeding off that. Can't pick them in Origin based on that.

 

[Nemesis]

It has been a long running conspiracy to not pick Merritt for the blues. It has nothing to do with the fact that he is an average winger who happens to fall over the line a lot. Ferguson is leaps and bounds ahead of him.

Sutton is just a laughable selection. Then again, I forget who we are dealing with here. Bias Souffs fans.

Reynolds is not ready, however if he keeps his form, he may be hard to ignore next year.


Your forward pack and Inglis is your only strength. All the numpties are just feeding off that. Can't pick them in Origin based on that.

All teams feed off their forward pack, genius. That's why teams like the Tigers and Eels etc are starving to death.

Sutton has been consistently good since Madge took over in 2012, that's why he's in 4th place behind GI in on Dally M ladder. Qld would fear him more and he would attract far more defenders than Maloney or Carney.

Also, Souths won all their games without GI last year and are not a 1 man team, you clueless idiot.

btw... Hi Laurie - 8 zip coming up. Oh... and f**k off you clown.

 

[Zinga]

All teams feed off their forward pack, genius. That's why teams like the Tigers and Eels etc are starving to death.

Sutton has been consistently good since Madge took over in 2012, that's why he's in 4th place behind GI in on Dally M ladder. Qld would fear him more and he would attract far more defenders than Maloney or Carney.

Also, Souths won all their games without GI last year and are not a 1 man team, you clueless idiot.

btw... Hi Laurie - 8 zip coming up. Oh... and f**k off you clown.

I second that, well said!

 

[Newcastlerabbit]

It has been a long running conspiracy to not pick Merritt for the blues. It has nothing to do with the fact that he is an average winger who happens to fall over the line a lot. Ferguson is leaps and bounds ahead of him.

Sutton is just a laughable selection. Then again, I forget who we are dealing with here. Bias Souffs fans.

Reynolds is not ready, however if he keeps his form, he may be hard to ignore next year.


Your forward pack and Inglis is your only strength. All the numpties are just feeding off that. Can't pick them in Origin based on that.

Merritt an average winger,are you takin the piss?

 

[Skreepe]

Looks like I was proven right.

Sutton and Reynolds folded when another team took it to them.

Merritt didn't have an open line the entire night thus was unsighted.

All in all one could say that Souths lost the moment Inglis decided to not turn up. To a team missing their two best forwards, and Robson guiding the team.

Looks like it's a one man team after all.

 

[Newcastlerabbit]

Merritt omission will fuel conspiracy theories
Date
May 27, 2013


Brad Walter
Chief Rugby League Writer


Glaring omission: Nathan Merritt has been in career-best form with South Sydney this season, with 11 tries from 10 matches. Photo: Getty Images
After a weekend in which Adam Goodes was racially abused during the AFL's Indigenous Round, NSW coach Laurie Daley's selection of Blake Ferguson and Andrew Fifita for Origin I suggests that race is no bar to representative honours in rugby league.

However, in justifying Ferguson's selection on the right wing, Daley has effectively put paid to any hopes South Sydney star Nathan Merritt has of ever playing State of Origin. If ever there was an opportunity to pick Merritt, it was now – although plenty of people will argue the Blues have had the chance to do so and opted for the likes of Steve Turner, Anthony Quinn and James McManus instead.

Merritt's repeated snubbing has fuelled conspiracy theories similar to those that surrounded NSW's reluctance to pick Nathan Blacklock, Anthony Mundine and David Peachey. While other Indigenous players have played for the Blues, those four are poster boys for the Aboriginal community and the selection of Merritt for the June 5 series opener would have put paid to any ill will that exists over his continual omission.

Like Blacklock, Merritt is a tryscoring machine and is on track to repeat his feat of last season and 2006 – when Souths finished last – by becoming this season's leading tryscorer after crossing for 11 tries in the first 10 rounds.

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He has already passed Bob Fulton (147 tries) as the eighth highest tryscorer in premiership history and is on the verge of surpassing Benny Wearing's record of 144 tries for the Rabbitohs to become the club's greatest tryscorer.

Ironically, the decision of Rabbitohs teammate Greg Inglis to turn his back on NSW because of what those close to him claim is a belief that indigenous players get are more likely to be chosen by the Maroons that has cost Merritt a Blues jersey.

Inglis, who is currently the best player in the NRL, weighs 105kg and is 195cm tall – prompting a fear that Merritt (90kg and 181cm) may not be physically equipped to handle the imposing Queensland left centre. In contrast, Ferguson is much closer to Inglis's build as he weighs 103kg and stands 191 cm tall.

Daley, who has coached all three players in the Indigenous All Stars team, wanted to find room for Merritt in the Blues side as he is a fan of the Rabbitohs winger and knows what it would mean to him and the Aboriginal community. However, it is uncertain whether Merritt would have been chosen even if Brett Morris had not made a successful return from injury for St George Illawarra last Saturday night as the case against his selection would not have changed.

Fairfax Media understands others involved in the NSW camp were trying to convince Daley of the merits of Manly's Jorge Taufua and Newcastle's Akuila Uate because of their size. Their argument is that big wingers are needed in Origin because most of the times they handle the ball it will be running out of dummy half near their own tryline.

Yet Merritt's supporters can cite Sportsdata statistics that show Merritt (14 runs, 114 metres) made more dummy half runs and gained more metres than Taufua (6 runs, 49 metres) and Uate (12 runs, 94 metres) in the opening 10 rounds. Merritt has also missed fewer tackles (12 in 10 matches) than Ferguson, who has missed 20 tackles in his eight NRL appearances this season - although Ferguson has also had to make more tackles playing centre for the Raiders.

The omission of Merritt has not been well received by Souths fans, who are mystified the NRL leaders do not have any players in the NSW team, with five-eighth John Sutton and halfback Adam Reynolds the others overlooked.

While many believe the premiership is a four-way battle between the Rabbitohs, Melbourne, Manly and Sydney Roosters, the Blues team also features just one player each from the Storm and Manly.

The Roosters have three, while the Dragons have two in Morris and interchange forward Trent Merrin. The bottom-of-the-table Wests Tigers and Parramatta each have a player in the squad, as do the Raiders, Cowboys and Bulldogs, who are not in the top eight.



Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...cy-theories-20130527-2n6uj.html#ixzz2UY2xfBVp