1. Kurt Gidley
2. Jarryd Hayne
3. Mark Gasnier
4. Matt Cooper
5. Brett Stewart or Joel Monaghan
6. Jarrod Mullen or Todd Carney
7. Peter Wallace
8. Willie Mason
9. Robbie Farah
10. Luke Bailey
11. Anthony Laffranchi
12. Paul Gallen
13. Greg Bird
14. Michael Ennis
15. Ben Cross
16. Corey Paterson (my smokey)
17. Ben Creagh
unless we sack the selectors i doubt any big changes will be made though.
it's revision time.
if mullen isn't ready for origin this year then i don't think he ever will be. he's been around the block a few times now and is finally starting to get his confidence back again. '09 will be his make or break season imo.
i can potentially see big things for the knights this year if we continue to improve as we have been the last 2 years. if mullen is a big part of that, which i hope he will be, then he could easily make the origin team in '09.
so... for my revised team - and reasons for each revision - i would have:
1.
Stewart/Gidley - with my hint of bias i can't call this one. both offer very different things to a team... however gids looked great in game 3 last year and stewart is a fantastic footballer.
2.
Hayne
3.
Monaghan - "promoted" from wing to centre
4.
Cooper
5.
Stewart/Williams - if gids makes fullback then i'd have stewart on the wing and let him rove a la nathan blacklock. if stewart is fullback then williams slots straight in.
6.
Mullen/Campese - no carney to be seen, if mullen steps up like i expect him to then there wont be much debate about this imo. well, who am i kidding... there will be plenty of debate... but i think he will be ready this time. if mullen doesn't step up this year, campese is the obvious choice.
7.
Wallace - offers far more than pearce.
8.
Kite - the back half of the season and the world cup changed many things.. especially in the forwards. Kite deserves a starting front row spot.
9.
De Gois/Farah - here is where things get really complicated. De Gois is a smokey for me... i expect big things for him filling in buderus' shoes at the knights, and an injury to farah could easily see him in the squad. it may not even take an injury to farah if things go really well. he is a top shelf hooker.
10.
Cross - he will be there because of the bellamy connection, i guarentee it. i also rate the bloke very highly. he can cop a flogging and will give you 100+ metres every game he plays. struggles with lateral movement a bit.
11.
Laffranchi - bloke picks himself. top quality.
12.
Watmough - rate the bloke.
13.
Gallon - shifted from second row to lock in birdys absence. brings aggression to the team if nothing else.
14.
Perry - what can i say, the bloke finally grew up. good on him.
15.
Paterson - still my biggest smokey. this bloke is destined for bigger things
16.
Bailey/Mason - both haven't offered much at origin level lately.. but i can't think of anyone else who can come into the front row that will get the job done.
17.
Ennis/Farah - I would have ennis in the team if farah makes the starting hooker, and do away with gidley altogether. gidley is a fullback, and is a waste of a bench spot.
i know it's a bit tough to read.. and there's a lot of "if this" and "or that" however it is the pre-season... and i really can't improve on that much. i'm glad i'm not a selector at the moment.
