NSW 2019

[soc123_au]

Mitchel just got the blame from Filter for the loss lol

Poor merkin cant win. Hosed down for the infield kick & not taking on the defence, then Freddy says if he had have kicked infield instead of steamrolling Ponga, 3 guys are lining up to go under the sticks. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

 

[OldPanther]

Battle-hardened, metre-eaters: Why Freddy’s fixed bench can beat Maroons

Amid seven changes and the axing of star centre Latrell Mitchell, Brad Fittler’s battle-hardened NSW bench has been largely overlooked. Criticised intensely for the unusual way he used the interchange in game one, the Blues have plugged the gaps with big-game experience and mobile forwards with size — ditching the now accepted practice of carrying utility back — seemingly to their advantage.

Queensland have added Tim Glasby and Jarrod Wallace to their bench (replacing Joe Ofahenague and Dylan Napa, who will start for the injured Jai Arrow), while the Blues have completely revamped the interchange. “The bench is the secret to NSW winning,” Blues legend Steve Roach told Controversy Corner on Sunday night.

And the numbers prove it.

Fittler’s Origin I tactic of resting props David Klemmer, Paul Vaughan, Payne Haas and captain Boyd Cordner for the final 10 minutes with the game on the line was blasted by some of the best analysts in the game.

The replacement forwards Angus Crichton and Cameron Murray have speed, but not size on their side, while big man Payne Haas was playing just his 11th first grade game.

They will not make the same mistake again.

To combat the lethal momentum swing that struck down the Blues at the back end of Origin I, Fittler has packed his bench with a mix of explosive ball-players and big motors.

The addition of Melbourne lock Dale Finucane, Dragons enforcer Tariq Sims and Sharks weapon Wade Graham has bolstered experience and size of the bench significantly.

Including Murray, the Blues bench now packs 609 games of NRL experience, a whopping 222 games more than the Queensland interchange on 387.

Finucane, although a debutant, packs a punch in big game experience. He has played in five grand finals for one premiership. The Blues bench is averaging a total of 148 post contact metres compared to Queensland’s 128 metres — an impressive advantage given Graham has played just two NRL games.

Defensively, they’re also busier — the Blues average 102 tackles a game this year compared to 78 for the Maroons, in similar minutes.

There is no backline utility to compare to Moses Mbye but Graham’s ball-playing ability has been used in the halves for Cronulla and Penrith 48 times in his 221-game career.

They’re simply older and wiser.

While only two genuine props have been named in the team, Jake Trbojevic can move into the front row, as can Finucane when Vaughan and debutant Daniel Saifiti need a rest.

The importance of the interchange was highlighted in game one.

Blues fans just hope Fittler can get it right this time.

QUEENSLAND BENCH

Moses Mbye: 114 NRL games, 1 Origin

Jarrod Wallace: 126 NRL games, 5 Origins

Tim Glasby: 123 NRL games, 3 Origins

David Fifita: 24 NRL games, 1 Origin

Totals: 387 NRL games, 10 Origins

NEW SOUTH WALES BENCH

Dale Finucane: 173 NRL games, 0 Origins

Tariq Sims: 168 NRL games, 1 Origin

Cameron Murray: 47 NRL games, 1 Origin

Wade Graham: 221 NRL games, 4 Origins

Totals: 609 NRL games, 6 Origins

 

[TheFrog]

So if the 6 or 7 go off Graham can sort-of cover, although its a very long time and quite a few kg's since he played in the halves. But what if Tedesco gets hurt? Turbo can play fullback but we need a centre. Fittler must have thought about this and think he can cover any circumstance but there are risks being taken.

I'd say calling Saifiti a genuine prop, especially in an Origin game, is stretching it a bit. More risks. You can take risks, but take too many and you become more likely to come undone.

 

[Dave's mate]

So if the 6 or 7 go off Graham can sort-of cover, although its a very long time and quite a few kg's since he played in the halves. But what if Tedesco gets hurt? Turbo can play fullback but we need a centre. Fittler must have thought about this and think he can cover any circumstance but there are risks being taken.

I'd say calling Saifiti a genuine prop, especially in an Origin game, is stretching it a bit. More risks. You can take risks, but take too many and you become more likely to come undone.

Unless you have a player like Luke Lewis who was rep quality in the forwards and backs then you are better off picking 4 forwards

 

[Reflector]

Nathan Cleary clearly is beyond being dropped.

If the mail is correct, Cleary would've been dropped if Pearce hadn't conveniently unfortunately been ruled out by injury before Game 1 and Game 2 selections...

 

[Meapro Ham]

Poor merkin cant win. Hosed down for the infield kick & not taking on the defence, then Freddy says if he had have kicked infield instead of steamrolling Ponga, 3 guys are lining up to go under the sticks. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Ridiculous comments by Freddy. An infield kick is a hail mary play. Backing himself to beat the fullback one on one was the right play and most times he would score on that play but Ponga got lucky with the tackle.

 

[Reflector]

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/wh...ready-gone-for-the-blues-20190615-p51xzs.html

it appears the mentor gave hints and reasons why in his article yesterday

Classic Gus speak. A lot of reasonable arguments, peppered with hindsight disguised as wisdom. If NSW had won the series opener he'd be praising the Blues culture and something along the lines of how they'd managed to replicate Qld in "not always playing their best but finding a way to win"

In the same way both party leaders have a winning and losing speech prepared on election day, I almost guarantee you that Gus two separate drafts ready to go next week, depending upon the outcome in Perth. And in both articles, he will claim his gut feeling was spot on yet again, as it always is in the world of Phillip Ronald Gould.

 

[Zadar]

Freddy nicely contradicts himself by saying we want players that play with effort and team attitude, he then drops Morris, adds fergo, puts two guys who have played 6games combined at Center and says they are more than capable, yet hires the services of mark gasnier to teach them how to defend in the centers.

He was arrogant and didn’t really give reasonable answers to most of the questions asked in his interview.

I wonder how many supporters him and Gould have lost in this campaign?

 

[Valheru]

Unless you have a player like Luke Lewis who was rep quality in the forwards and backs then you are better off picking 4 forwards

No Pearce was going to partner Cleary

 

[TheFrog]

If NSW had won the series opener

If NSW had won the entire world would be different. But they didn't, did they?

 

[TheFrog]

Classic Gus speak. A lot of reasonable arguments, peppered with hindsight disguised as wisdom. If NSW had won the series opener he'd be praising the Blues culture and something along the lines of how they'd managed to replicate Qld in "not always playing their best but finding a way to win"

In the same way both party leaders have a winning and losing speech prepared on election day, I almost guarantee you that Gus two separate drafts ready to go next week, depending upon the outcome in Perth. And in both articles, he will claim his gut feeling was spot on yet again, as it always is in the world of Phillip Ronald Gould.

I don't think Gould was expecting the selections of Graham and Ferguson, players who perfectly fit the mould of footballers who have given less than 100% in the past. I can assure you he'd have 4 genuine prop forwards in his 17, instead of one. He will wait for the outcome before criticizing Fittler though.

 

[The unknown]

So if the 6 or 7 go off Graham can sort-of cover, although its a very long time and quite a few kg's since he played in the halves. But what if Tedesco gets hurt? Turbo can play fullback but we need a centre. Fittler must have thought about this and think he can cover any circumstance but there are risks being taken.

I'd say calling Saifiti a genuine prop, especially in an Origin game, is stretching it a bit. More risks. You can take risks, but take too many and you become more likely to come undone.

Graham looked gassed after 20 mins in that Sharks/Raiders game on the wkd. The bloke has also only played like 50 mins of football in what, 18 months?

The smart logical choice would have been to pick the dude who was 18th man in game 1, who also funnily enough filled in the halves quite a few times for the Roosters last year and during the finals.

But low and behold Freddy..

 

[Scotty03]

LOL @ Cleary.

You have to pick a 5/8 to make up for his inability to do anything in attack.

You may as well pick a second rower who can kick.

Ok, we get you don't rate him. Don't need to make it a point in every single one of your posts.

As I said in another post - he made 33 odd tackles (more than most of our forwards), no errors, done 100% of the kicking throughout the game, slotted all his goals and is only 21 yrs old and will only get better. I think Cleary is the least of our worries.

Our forwards got made to look like boys without Klemmer on the field, our 5/8th provided almost zero attack (which he was brought in for considering Cleary struggles to create points), our left-hand edge had little to no communication and lacked effort and we threw an intercept to put them in the lead when we had the game in hand.

All that and all you moan about is Cleary. Yeah ok.

 

[newyboy]

Freddy nicely contradicts himself by saying we want players that play with effort and team attitude, he then drops Morris, adds fergo, puts two guys who have played 6games combined at Center and says they are more than capable, yet hires the services of mark gasnier to teach them how to defend in the centers.

Freddy has lost credibility with me, I thought he had morals. Picking Fergo after his no show at pre-season camp. And getting GAZ, the worst defensive centre and a MYTH in is a joke. Dropping L Mitchell is spot on and if what i read today is correct (rules himself out of future games) I would never pick him again.

 

[big hit!]

Our forwards got made to look like boys without Klemmer on the field, our 5/8th provided almost zero attack which he was brought in for considering Cleary struggles to create points.

This is kind of the point folks are making....if Cleary doesn’t have the all round game a #7 should have, then why is he in an Origin? It’s not a development arena.

 

[Springs09]

This is kind of the point folks are making....if Cleary doesn’t have the all round game a #7 should have, then why is he in an Origin? It’s not a development arena.

Don't worry he makes 33 tackles like a backrower so clearly he should still be #7

 

[Mr Angry]

Graham looked gassed after 20 mins in that Sharks/Raiders game on the wkd. The bloke has also only played like 50 mins of football in what, 18 months?

Try 9 months, was injured in last years semis.

He did not pick himself, us sharks do not want him playing really, he will start for us and play 80 soon enough but hence has had two stints off the bench thus far since coming back. Is 100% healthy, just not match fit for 80.

How ugly are the jerseys, farging dark blue...............

 

[big hit!]

Try 9 months, was injured in last years semis.

He did not pick himself, us sharks do not want him playing really, he will start for us and play 80 soon enough but hence has had two stints off the bench thus far since coming back. Is 100% healthy, just not match fit for 80.

How ugly are the jerseys, farging dark blue...............

After the ill-discipline he displayed in Game 2 2017, you'd hope for more than 2 games back from a long-term injury to prove his worth.

I don't doubt his knee is good. There's even footage of him from Sharks HPU on his efforts to return - and I dare say I reckon the NSW coaches took that into account in selecting him. But how much and how long can he currently redline his engine in the origin arena? It's maintaining repeat efforts at high intensity that win these games.

 

[Dave's mate]

Don't worry he makes 33 tackles like a backrower so clearly he should still be #7

Maybe if the peaheart forwards have a crack he won't have to

 

[moffla]

Watching Freddy on NRL360 you an tell he was rattled. Not often I agree with Kent, Buzz and Ikin but they were firing some fair questions in which Freddy dodged better than a politician.
Turning out to be a bit of a fraud.