Nathan Merritt

[mxlegend99]

Was Merritt great? No he wasn't. But Daley himself has confirmed coming in on Inglis was the gameplan. GI is the best player in the world and when an idiot coach has a shit plan to stop him of course he'll tear you up.

Merritt was acting on orders. I doubt he'll play another game now but he has never had a fair go and he has been made to look bad by an incompetent coach.

He was exactly the same as Steve Turner and David Williams were when they played Origin. He had absolutely nothing at this level. Being a good or even a great club winger does not mean that you are built for Origin football.

Nathan Merritt is too small and weak for this level, and was never going to stand a chance against Greg Inglis. That is why so many people were against his selection. Greg Inglis tends to make those sort of players look like bitches. Because he is the best player in the game. But that doesn't mean that you make excuses for a player looking like his bitch.

There are blokes who are just better built to cope with it. Blake Ferguson was pretty good in Game 1. Primarily because he is a big bloke, very confident and doesn't mind playing physical football. It's also why Michael Gordon was good in his single Origin game back in 2010. He isn't built like a second rower, but he's a far stronger player then Merritt and acts as an extra forward when he plays on the wing. He is willing to put his body on the line and is very strong with great leg drive. For a tiny white fella he sure can bash his way through opposition players. Jorge Taufua and Jack Wighton are other players who would be better suited to the job needed in Origin.

That said... if Greg Inglis didn't exist or was playing for New South Wales. Those wingers who have failed miserably could probably step up to Origin and look even better then when they play club football. Because without him running at them, their weaknesses wouldn't be as obvious. With them playing outside him, their strengths would be used to their potential.

 

[Someone]

you can talk about how shitty our halves were until the cows come home.

Merritt was still shit as well.

 

[the dude]

Merritt didn't step up. But there were a few out there just as bad if not worse (not gonna mention any halfbacks name).

 

[Armageddon.]

At least Laurie has put the bullshit racism card to bed.

Or has he?
Daley is indigenous too don't forget

 

[Jason Maher]

Yeah blame the halves cause Merritt can't make a tackle you fkn lunatic

I blame the halves when Pearce can't throw a pass or kick a ball.

 

[Knightmare]

Take Merritt out of the team and the score is 8-6

Wrong. It would have been 12-6 including the penalty goals. Suddenly the scoreline looks a whole lot more respectable...

 

[BranVan3000]

Wrong. It would have been 12-6 including the penalty goals. Suddenly the scoreline looks a whole lot more respectable...

Same thing would have happened to any other winger

 

[mave]

Or has he?
Daley is indigenous too don't forget

Well aware of Laurie's heritage.

There can be no discussion now about Merritt missing out on Game 3 purely because of his skin colour.

He is, and never was, suited to Origin level, regardless of race, heritage, etc.

 

[BranVan3000]

Except Morris has handled Inglis very well the last few series. Merritt had no right to come in when Josh was standing directly infront of Inglis.

What about when Morris is two on one versus Inglis and Slater?

The inside men left both Morris and Merritt outnumbered

 

[juanfarkall]

.... was sure that someone had claimed racism kept Merritt out of rep teams ....

 

[gUt]

I would lose a Morris before Merritt.

 

[sensesmaybenumbed]

Probably right, but if the coach tells you that's the game plan, you follow it. Right?

He was told to jam in on Inglis.

I hope it was raspberry!

 

[chahrour123]

Bye bye........proved what most thought!

Merritt is a great player but had no chance of finishing when Pearce is playing he is hopeless. And I mean hopeless. Boyd scored two tries on meritts side only because his inside men couldn't slide to cover it is completely his insides men fault. Don't blame Merritt blame Pearce who is meant to be the dominant playmaker/organiser and Yes Pearce is not an origin standard halfback. He is barely nrl standard. There are better halves running around in the Q cup. But it's unfair to judge Merritt rushing up on GI when it is not his job. If his inside men did not get drawn inside by decoys then it would not have even been Merritt on GI. It would have been Jennings on GI with no overlap. If his inside men did their jobs then Merritt wouldn't have been made to look so bad. He was just trying to clean up the mess his inside men left him

 

[blaza88z]

Justin Hodges was worse on debut.. imagine if QLD never picked him again after that match

What a ridiculous comparison.

When Hodges made his debut he was very much on the rise and obviously had alot to learn, Merritt on the other hand has proven what he's capable of doing and he's not going to get any better.

At least everyone saying "he's scored a bazillion tries and for that he should be playing" can now rest at ease knowing he had his chance and only did what everyone expected him to do, leaked points with bad reads and the class of Thurston and co found him out.

He's the master of the flop over the line try, that's all.

 

[Armageddon.]

Merritt didn't step up. But there were a few out there just as bad if not worse (not gonna mention any halfbacks name).

Pearce was utter dross but he was still 10x better than Merritt.

 

[rnb11]

Expecting Mundine to cry racism when Merritt doesn't get selected again, anyone who didn't already accept Merritt would cost the Blues a tonne of points must be brain dead and toothless.

 

[Knightmare]

Same thing would have happened to any other winger

Indeed. Any other winger would have run in-field and left a gap wide open for the opposition to score, or been virtually non-existant under a crucial high ball.

Perhaps any other winger would have done that, but not an Origin-standard one...

 

[rnb11]

Bring in the NRL's form winger who actually knows how to tackle and is taller than GI's knee

 

[gUt]

That'd be McManus

 

[fourplay]

It looked like Merritt racing in to shutdown Inglis was a ploy in NSW's gameplan and Josh Morris was meant to slide to the outside to cover the winger. Although only Merritt was following the plan or they weren't communicating as Morris stayed on Inglis, which made him look idiotic.