NSW Origin side 2010

[BissyB]

My Team:

1. Hayne
2. B Morris
3. Josh Morris
4. Lawrence/Jennings (Based purely on form at selection time)
5. A specialist winger, not a centre. (Grothe going great guns at the moment)
6. Soward
7. Pearce (At this stage)
8. Weyman
9. Ennis
10. Ryles/Poore
11. Hindmarsh (c)
12. Watmough
13. Gallen

BENCH:
14. Carney (FB, HB, 5/8)
15. If available for selection, Mateo. The one X Factor that could prove a difference.
16. TLL
17. Tolman

 

[Big Pete]

Has Luke Lewis played centre or wing in the past two years?

Not that I disagree, if you were to have a utility I would rather one that specializes in the forwards.

 

[Joker's Wild]

He hasn't played there in the last 5

and yes, Gids is a better outside back than Lewis

 

[Big Pete]

That's wrong JW.

 

[watatank]

Hornby covers 1, 6, 7, 9 better than Gidley.

Let's put him in.

 

[perverse]

yeah, you make a fair point about the forwards. until gidley laces on a boot this year its hard to speculate on his eligibility regardless. he may be in terrible form when he gets back and it's a moot point either way. realistically you could even select them both, with lewis being your bench second rower.

as far as utility value goes i think gidley has lewis beat, gidley could also cover centre and lock (not as well as spine positions, but can hold his own there)... but lewis certainly does have the benefit that something doesn't have to go wrong for him to be heavily involved in a match, whereas gidleys main involvement with everything going correctly is just to inject a bit of energy into dummy half.

it's a tough call, but to be honest i think form will answer these questions for us by origin. my heart says gidley. my head says gidley has it in him, but probably hasn't proven it in origin. at his best in origin he's been solid-good... at his worst he's had some big blunders. he hasn't had a match turning effect by any stretch of the imagination. what he does bring to a team is his energy and enthusiasm, which i think is certainly important for the blues. i'm a big fan of lewis, though. he's a very different style of utility to gidley, but he certainly offers some utility value and as previously mentioned has the advantage of being a forward for a bench spot.

 

[perverse]

Hornby covers 1, 6, 7, 9 better than Gidley.

Let's put him in.

lol, no. i'm a hornby fan, but no.

 

[Joker's Wild]

That's wrong JW.

When was the last time he played in the outside backs Pete? 2005? 2006 at the latest

Hornby covers 1, 6, 7, 9 better than Gidley.

Let's put him in.

No he doesn't

 

[Matt23]

FFS, I dont wanna Gidley there, Lewis & Hornby both cover utility so much better then Gidley.

 

[perverse]

Lewis i understand the case for, but the only position that hornby is better than gidley is halfback.

 

[Matt23]

Hornby also covers backrow

 

[perverse]

hornby covers backrow in the same way gidley covers centre or lock... or the same way lewis would cover hooker or wing or something.

all 3 of them are completely different breeds of utility... but hornby would be 3rd in line for mine.

 

[MSIH]

You mean Lewis does.

Hornby in the backrow, I don't think so.

 

[perverse]

You mean Lewis does.

Hornby in the backrow, I don't think so.

yeah, i cant really see it myself.

 

[Big Pete]

JW - 2007.

Source: Rugby League Annual and http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/Custom/OC0tNC0tLS0tLTMyNC0tLS0tLS0tLQ==

He's then gone onto play halfback, five eigth and in the backrow where he plays on the edge.

 

[Joker's Wild]

I stand corrected

Peverse is right though. They are different types of utility

 

[Big Pete]

Exactly.

9/10 New South Wales would get more use out of Lewis.

 

[Joker's Wild]

As a bench forward though, not a utility

 

[Big Pete]

Yes, but if New South Wales really needed insurance off the bench, Lewis would be the safest pick.

Gidley has never provided any impact off the bench in Origin. He's not that kind of player.

 

[gorilla with a shotgun]

Luke Lewis has to be in the team and if he keeps this good form up i wouldnt be agianst him starting at lock