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NSW Blues 2024

speedster

speedster

Juniors
Messages
1,131
blues-squad-grapgic.png
 
speedster

speedster

Juniors
Messages
1,131
Kudos to Madge for sticking to his guns and selecting on form but has he left NSW short on experience?

I worry about too many rookies and players with few Origins in the backs in particular. Edwards deserves his spot and is a pretty experienced big game player even on debut at this level but I would have had the experienced Mitchell and Addo-Carr combo ahead of Suaalii and Lomax. They could well be exposed by the speedy and more experienced Qld backs.

We'll see how they go I guess.
 
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Captain Apollo

Captain Apollo

Coach
Messages
15,479
Not enough specialist front rowers in that squad. Only 1 specialist, Leniu, on the bench, the rest are all backrowers (i.e. Young, Olakau'atu, Yeo, Barnett). Heck even Jurbo is a backrower and not a specialist prop.

It amazes me the media saying our forwards are "big and strong" when most of them are edge players and not the hit up merchants you need from your front rowers. Note Qld have 2 specialist front rowers on its bench. Is it any wonder why NSW has historically struggled when it keeps doing the same shit regardless of whom is coach thinking "more mobile" will do better than "slower but strong" when experience shows otherwise (both at Origin level and club level) when it comes to front row forwards.
 
Marshall_magic

Marshall_magic

Coach
Messages
15,093
Captain Apollo said:
Not enough specialist front rowers in that squad. Only 1 specialist, Leniu, on the bench, the rest are all backrowers (i.e. Young, Olakau'atu, Yeo, Barnett). Heck even Jurbo is a backrower and not a specialist prop.

It amazes me the media saying our forwards are "big and strong" when most of them are edge players and not the hit up merchants you need from your front rowers. Note Qld have 2 specialist front rowers on its bench. Is it any wonder why NSW has historically struggled when it keeps doing the same shit regardless of whom is coach thinking "more mobile" will do better than "slower but strong" when experience shows otherwise (both at Origin level and club level) when it comes to front row forwards.
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Relying on Haas to play big minutes, which is fine if it works. If he cops an early injury we are in trouble. Yeo does play through the middle but he’s not a prop and won’t have 15 carries for a game. You can get away with 3 specialist props if you have a lock who plays that role.
 
speedster

speedster

Juniors
Messages
1,131
Captain Apollo said:
Not enough specialist front rowers in that squad. Only 1 specialist, Leniu, on the bench, the rest are all backrowers (i.e. Young, Olakau'atu, Yeo, Barnett). Heck even Jurbo is a backrower and not a specialist prop.

It amazes me the media saying our forwards are "big and strong" when most of them are edge players and not the hit up merchants you need from your front rowers. Note Qld have 2 specialist front rowers on its bench. Is it any wonder why NSW has historically struggled when it keeps doing the same shit regardless of whom is coach thinking "more mobile" will do better than "slower but strong" when experience shows otherwise (both at Origin level and club level) when it comes to front row forwards.
Click to expand...
Fair point although Jurbo is a medium-sized middle, not an edge, as is Yeo. I am surprised that Yeo has been selected on the bench and McInness, a small middle who can also play dh, to start and wouldn't be surprised to see that swapped round by kick-off. But the NSW bench does have 2 edge players and 2 middles with only one genuine front rower who can only play around 30 minutes at his explosive best in Leniu so could be caught short. Haumole is a giant however so could easily accommodate up the middle and do a good job there and Martin and Crichton have also spent time in the middle as has Barnett if he gets a go.
 
Mr. Shaman

Mr. Shaman

First Grade
Messages
8,361
Marshall_magic said:
Relying on Haas to play big minutes, which is fine if it works. If he cops an early injury we are in trouble. Yeo does play through the middle but he’s not a prop and won’t have 15 carries for a game. You can get away with 3 specialist props if you have a lock who plays that role.
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Yeo averages 19 carries a match he’ll be right. Martin is a better prop than edge, and will pop into the rotation once Hudson Dumb comes on.
 
speedster

speedster

Juniors
Messages
1,131
Ruby Roundhouse said:
Mitchel is low effort and has had a shit season.
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He is quality effort and has come back and scored 3 tries and had 6 try assists in his last 3 games since coming back after suspension. He has been a match winner at Origin, Tests and in GFs and NSW is a lesser team without him in it.

Suaalii is a barge-arse who plays like a winger in the centres who should have been suspended for his umpteenth knee to the head of a defender (Wade Egan) a few weeks ago but miraculously escaped with a fine which went through to the keeper without any proper scrutiny.
 
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Lambretta

Lambretta

First Grade
Messages
8,689
On first look, this is a decent NSW team - but closer scrutiny shows its full of weaknesses and Queensland will certainly go after them.

Edwards - good pick
To'o and Crichton - excellent

Sua'ali'i and Lomax - so an excellent winger playing in the centres where he is sub par at best. Not a good pairing. Latrell would be a much better choice. He's an out and out centre and has a low key excellent kicking game if needed

Luai and Hynes - best available. Good choices

Robson - fine. Great defender, capable

Jurbo - 1 line break and zero offloads at Origin since 2019. Playing at prop, where he doesn't usually play. Baffling choice. Paseka and others are better option

Haas - excellent choice
McInnes - Mr reliable. Offers nothing great but will not let you down. Good choice

Martin and Crichton - excellent choices

Bench. f**k me just how stupid are NSW?
First the ok bit
Yeo and Lenui. Yeo could start, and Leniu is the prop we need but only a 20 minute prop? f**king hell

The bad. We have picked two edge back rowers in Olaku'atu and Young when the starting back rowers are close to 80 minute players

Never mind that Olaku'atu declared his love for Queensland and shouldn't be in a Blues jersey In the first place

That means no spot for an outside back
Every single f**king game an outside back goes down. Last year we ended up with a hooker at centre and how did that end up? Not f**king good. That's how.

Burton needs to replace Young or Olaku'atu immediately.
Burton can cover centre and five eighth and even if no backs get injured he can come on if Hynes gets stage fright or you have a tiring forward.
Burton has a massive, massive boot. Critical in Origin.
Queensland show year after year they can cut our kicking game out. So we choose a hooker that doesn't kick, pick two halves that have reasonable kicking games at best and leave Latrell and Burton out of the team

NSW are f**king dumber than dog shit and they clearly DON'T and never will get Origin

Rant over
 
speedster

speedster

Juniors
Messages
1,131
Game 1 so critical for NSW at home. Series is virtually over if they lose the opener. Can't afford to slip up right from the get-go but it appears they may already have at the selection table.

If Madge is going to stick to pure form as his guiding principle, then we should expect wholesale changes after every loss because form is not permanent.

Class is permanent but form is temporary as the old saying goes.
 
speedster

speedster

Juniors
Messages
1,131
You
Lambretta said:
On first look, this is a decent NSW team - but closer scrutiny shows its full of weaknesses and Queensland will certainly go after them.

Edwards - good pick
To'o and Crichton - excellent

Sua'ali'i and Lomax - so an excellent winger playing in the centres where he is sub par at best. Not a good pairing. Latrell would be a much better choice. He's an out and out centre and has a low key excellent kicking game if needed

Luai and Hynes - best available. Good choices

Robson - fine. Great defender, capable

Jurbo - 1 line break and zero offloads at Origin since 2019. Playing at prop, where he doesn't usually play. Baffling choice. Paseka and others are better option

Haas - excellent choice
McInnes - Mr reliable. Offers nothing great but will not let you down. Good choice

Martin and Crichton - excellent choices

Bench. f**k me just how stupid are NSW?
First the ok bit
Yeo and Lenui. Yeo could start, and Leniu is the prop we need but only a 20 minute prop? f**king hell

The bad. We have picked two edge back rowers in Olaku'atu and Young when the starting back rowers are close to 80 minute players

Never mind that Olaku'atu declared his love for Queensland and shouldn't be in a Blues jersey In the first place

That means no spot for an outside back
Every single f**king game an outside back goes down. Last year we ended up with a hooker at centre and how did that end up? Not f**king good. That's how.

Burton needs to replace Young or Olaku'atu immediately.
Burton can cover centre and five eighth and even if no backs get injured he can come on if Hynes gets stage fright or you have a tiring forward.
Burton has a massive, massive boot. Critical in Origin.
Queensland show year after year they can cut our kicking game out. So we choose a hooker that doesn't kick, pick two halves that have reasonable kicking games at best and leave Latrell and Burton out of the team

NSW are f**king dumber than dog shit and they clearly DON'T and never will get Origin

Rant over
Click to expand...
You make some good points, many of which I agree with so I'll start there. Burton has to come in to the 17 ffs! I've already said my piece on Latrell needing to be there and would have had his old partner in crime, Addo-Carr on his hip on the left edge with the Crichton-To'o duo on the right. As it is, Crichton-To'o will play left and the 2 rookies together on the right. I'm still shocked that Api isn't there - I expected him to be 9 with either Robson or McInness in the #14. I still can't believe McInness is in the #13 and Yeo the #14 but they could switch by kick-off.

However, with Haumole, I think he is big enough to play some middle off the bench and Young too has played some middle in his earlier days with Canberra so they aren't out and out edge only players. Same goes for Angus and Martin. And with Jake, he is there for his rock solid defence through the middle, not his attack although he did push through in support and was rewarded with a try on the weekend. He leads from the front and is an inspiration with his passion and his talk. He gets Origin and will get his players to buy in I'm sure.

Cheers.
 
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