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NSW 2019

Mr Angry

Not a Referee
Messages
51,816
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.
Doubt he will play big minutes, Cordner tends to play 80, guess we will see, don't know about you but I have no idea how Freddie will use his bench. Graham is no prop, Freddie hooks 5/8s...…………...
 

SBD82

Coach
Messages
17,849
Doubt he will play big minutes, Cordner tends to play 80, guess we will see, don't know about you but I have no idea how Freddie will use his bench. Graham is no prop, Freddie hooks 5/8s...…………...
With the bench that he has picked, my guess is that Wade has been selected as the utility. So probably 10 to 15 minutes at the back end of the game.

I think cordner played about 70 minutes in game 1. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him play similar minutes this game with a stint in the middle.
 

Mr Angry

Not a Referee
Messages
51,816
What is this shyte?
(Not the models)
trbojevicjake-and-tom-1gp_2561.jpg


This is NSW, marketing merkins, double merkins get farged

0601StuartR-9315.jpg
 

The unknown

Juniors
Messages
2,495
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...............

I like Graham, I just don't think he would be right to fill in if a half/centre gets injured in say the 5th minute...which is pretty much the position he is assigned to play

Meanwhile Matterson has played pretty much 80 mins every game this year AND filled in at centre and five eight for us and done a pretty damn good job
 

big hit!

Bench
Messages
3,452
Doubt he will play big minutes, Cordner tends to play 80, guess we will see, don't know about you but I have no idea how Freddie will use his bench. Graham is no prop, Freddie hooks 5/8s...…………...

Brandy was looking after actual in-game interchange last series so I guess he's also doing it now too. Obviously they run through a plan with some contingencies, but I wonder how they got it so wrong in Game 1.

Daley and Parish brought Graham onto the left edge after about 25', swapped Cordner to the right side, and rotated Frizell through middle for rest of match. The main issue is Graham's motor to play through a whole Origin 2nd half at this stage of his return.

Fittler and Co. may do similar. He was rotating Frizell through middle after about 25' last series and Game 1, it was just Crichton who was the guy brought on an edge - in his case the right-side.

Given Graham's match fitness issues, perhaps it's Sims who will be brought onto left edge, swapping Cordner to right and playing Frizell in middle. Leaves Graham as an actual utility. Vaughan, Saifiti, Jake T, Finucane, Murray, Frizell in middle rotation. You then have to work out the best combinations on the field and make sure there isn't a weakness. Remember, QLD will be rotating Papalii, Napa, Glasby, Wallace, McGuire, Fifita through there all game. Some big poppas. Definitely a clash in philosophy between Walter and Fittler on Sunday.

But really, I'm as stumped as you.
 

Mr Angry

Not a Referee
Messages
51,816
I like Graham, I just don't think he would be right to fill in if a half/centre gets injured in say the 5th minute

Meanwhile Matterson has played pretty much 80 mins every game this year AND filled in at centre and five eight for us and done a pretty damn good job
I do not disagree. Hopefully the game is wrapped up by us when he comes on.
 

grouch

First Grade
Messages
8,393
What is this shyte?
(Not the models)
trbojevicjake-and-tom-1gp_2561.jpg


This is NSW, marketing merkins, double merkins get farged
I suppose if they're going to play like the Cabramatta Two Blues in the Ron Massey Cup, they might as well look like them

Kris Keating > Nathan Cleary

6ad90b90105b38c826e416f49ab84322
 

Xcalibre

Juniors
Messages
2,368
I was quite impressed with Graham’s performances after coming back from a serious injury. As was mentioned last round, his battle with Bateman reminded why he’s rated highly as an origin player. Game fitness is probably not a factor being on the bench.

I’d feel more comfortable having a Tamou or Junior Paulo starting, but Frizell plays tough an almost like a prop. Sims can play that role too.

The centers as everyone have questioned are simply a big risk. Mainly in defence. They’re both big and strong though and can create, especially Trbo, so who knows. If NSW win easily, Freddy will be hailed a genius.
 

TheFrog

Coach
Messages
14,300
Doubt he will play big minutes, Cordner tends to play 80, guess we will see, don't know about you but I have no idea how Freddie will use his bench. Graham is no prop, Freddie hooks 5/8s...…………...
He HAS to win this game, and the next one too, or he will be hung out to dry.
 
Last edited:

Scotty03

Juniors
Messages
238
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.

I think it's due to the fact that he's better in all other areas of his game then the other "contenders".
A halfback isn't there just to create points (yes the best halves in history were able to do both, but Cleary's role wasn't designed to play this way for Freddy's team.)

Freddy wanted someone who is ALL effort, strong defensively, has good game management and is a strong kicker of the footy. Cleary has this is spades and in my opinion, dwarfs the other NSW halves in the comp (only exception is Pierce)

Regardless if people believe he's not living up to expectations, he done EXACTLY what Freddy employed him to do. If the strategy is for Clearly to follow through with the above as mentioned and have a running/ ball playing 5/8th take care of the "fancy" stuff, is that Cleary's fault completely?

Personally I think Cleary has a good running game - this was evident in the under grades where he was leading point scorer year after year scoring a heap of tries based on his running game. The way the Panthers AND NSW use him is a game manager.

If NSW's forwards were doing their job, and our 5/8th did his - no one would be crying about Cleary as much.

You can't put an entire series on 1 bloke.

Yes, he's no Johns, Thurston etc. But he's the best we have with the design Freddy has in place.
I just think people have been way to harsh on him instead of focusing on the fact our team struggles to compete under pressure and constantly get dominated by the QLD forwards.
 

Springs09

Juniors
Messages
1,903
Right so we pick a halfback so they can tackle.

No one is putting an entire series on one bloke. This is the same argument people used to use for Pearce 'it's not all his fault'. No, it isn't. The problem is that everyone else got dropped but Pearce was never dropped until he f**ked up off the field. With Cleary it's the same - Walker is hooked after half a game, our most promising player is dropped after one bad game, Cleary does f**k all and keeps his spot.
 

OldPanther

Coach
Messages
13,404
Right so we pick a halfback so they can tackle.

No one is putting an entire series on one bloke. This is the same argument people used to use for Pearce 'it's not all his fault'. No, it isn't. The problem is that everyone else got dropped but Pearce was never dropped until he f**ked up off the field. With Cleary it's the same - Walker is hooked after half a game, our most promising player is dropped after one bad game, Cleary does f**k all and keeps his spot.

This is why he's there along with his defence/kicking. He also got a try assist, ran for 100m+ in the game against Souths.

Screenshot_20190619-101957_Chrome.jpg
 

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