Official NSW side

[jbl31649]

After a weeks a time that squad is easily the best named TEAM in a while. Whilst it lacks superstardom you can appreciate the dragons model behind it - players selected to play a role that forms a good team. King remains my only concern.

My only problem with King is his stamina. He doesn't play many minutes at a high rate. Also as injuries go for Forwards, coming of a rib injury into Origin is a gamble.

I have no doubt he'll give his best, but is that good enough for a faster game.

 

[jamoss]

The thing with players like Hayne and Dugan, they have too many games where they are lazy and half assed in their attitude.. Ive noticed Carney has that a little bit this year also, they are all great players and on their day can be unstoppable, but they are too hit and miss..

people like Slater, Thurston, Lockier, Smith are always turning up and making the effort, there's no laziness in them.. NSW have some players like that but they dont pick them for some strange reason.. Anasta is the one that comes to mind for me.. He is always putting in the effort and in the right frame of mind when he takes to the field, last year with the roosters run into the GF he was outstanding and yet for some stupid reason he seems to be blacklisted in the blues side ?? How did that ever happen ? I think it goes back to that year where Fittler coached and they came last, it was around that time he stopped being considered.. And also around that time that NSW really started to hit the downward spiral.

If it were me picking the team and there were no injury concerns here's what id pick.

Fullback - Hayne (or potentially Stewart)
Wings - Morris + Uate
Centers - Gasnier + Idris
Halves - Soward + Pearce
Lock - Anasta (c)
Second Row - Paul Gallen + Greg Bird
Front Row - Snowden + Tolman
Hooker - Ennis or Farrah

Interchange

Gidley
Luke Lewis
Manah
Trent Merrin

I reckon thats a good mix of experience with youth and heaps of attacking potential... Id potentially just rotate the bench here and there depending on form. Someone like Hindmarsh shouldnt be overlooked either i dont think but something tells me his days may be over in a blues jersey..

Also (sadly) i dont think Stuart is the man for the job, but i also dont know who is. just have to wait and see..

 

[adamkungl]

Anasta isn't getting picked because
1) there are much better forwards than him and
2) as much as I hate to say it, he has had a fair few chances to perform in the blue jersey and never has really stood up and claimed it. 08 was his best chance and he blew it with a lacklustre performance in the decider.

 

[jbl31649]

Also (sadly) i dont think Stuart is the man for the job, but i also dont know who is. just have to wait and see..

I watched this show yesterday on City v Country, it went behind the scenes! What I witness was Daley and Fittler given basic motivation speeches..is that really coaching, could they not hire Tony Robins for that.

If Ricky coaches like that during the SOO campaign I will be worried. Should they be going into more specifics like moving up in defence, targeting any weakness, support play, actual specifics to specific players.

It has been my experience if you don't address specific players/problems, the general banter given will just go over the head of players who are trying to catch their breath...!

 

[besthalfbackPEARCE]

If it were me picking the team and there were no injury concerns here's what id pick.

Fullback - Hayne (or potentially Stewart)
Wings - Morris + Uate
Centers - Gasnier + Idris
Halves - Soward + Pearce
Lock - Anasta (c)
Second Row - Paul Gallen + Greg Bird
Front Row - Snowden + Tolman
Hooker - Ennis or Farrah

Interchange

Gidley
Luke Lewis
Manah
Trent Merrin

.

lol that team is even worse than the one they picked

 

[Matt23]

lol that team is even worse than the one they picked

How?

 

[jamoss]

I watched this show yesterday on City v Country, it went behind the scenes! What I witness was Daley and Fittler given basic motivation speeches..is that really coaching, could they not hire Tony Robins for that.

If Ricky coaches like that during the SOO campaign I will be worried. Should they be going into more specifics like moving up in defence, targeting any weakness, support play, actual specifics to specific players.

It has been my experience if you don't address specific players/problems, the general banter given will just go over the head of players who are trying to catch their breath...!

you might be right.. ive got no idea what makes a coach great, i think some coaches look good because of the teams they have coached but others you can tell are genuinely brilliant. The obvious one in that category is Bennett..

I hope Ricky goes alright, he deserves something to go his way after his time at the sharks but ultimately im not really convinced he is a great coach.. Maybe this series will prove me wrong.

 

[jamoss]

Anasta isn't getting picked because
1) there are much better forwards than him and
2) as much as I hate to say it, he has had a fair few chances to perform in the blue jersey and never has really stood up and claimed it. 08 was his best chance and he blew it with a lacklustre performance in the decider.

I just think he has a lot of qualities that are getting overlooked just because he hasbeen there before.. I also think NSW could do with someone with a bit more experience in there.. His performances that took the chooks into the GF last year were incredible, that field goal in the semis goes down as one of the best games ever i think, and that was after 3 or 4 other games with him really stepping up and proving himself..

I dont think they should be writing him off after a bad game or 2.. I think his form last year was probably the best he has ever been.. But sadly i do think they are choosing to ignore him..

 

[Dutchy]

Well mate we'll have to agree to disagree. Personally, I wouldn't have missed it for anything. If you want to pass judgment on a bloke for having different priorities to you, of course that's your choice.

And yet Jamie Lyon still gets destroyed on here for not wanting to play extra representative matches a few years ago so he could be with his at the time very ill healthed infant..

 

[Hench]

I watched this show yesterday on City v Country, it went behind the scenes! What I witness was Daley and Fittler given basic motivation speeches..is that really coaching, could they not hire Tony Robins for that.

If Ricky coaches like that during the SOO campaign I will be worried. Should they be going into more specifics like moving up in defence, targeting any weakness, support play, actual specifics to specific players.

It has been my experience if you don't address specific players/problems, the general banter given will just go over the head of players who are trying to catch their breath...!

QLD has had Mal as coach but Neil Henry or Michael Hagan in charge of tactics over the last 5 years.

Stuart has enlisted that clown Andrew Johns and a $300 computer.

 

[redvscotty]

Notice how no ones crying over the non selection of Gidley (I know he's injured, but no ones said, 'lucky he is injured or XX wouldn't have gotten a run').

I'm fighting back the urges to say that King is my only dissappointment, however I'll glide over it and say that the team is good.

 

[Joker's Wild]

We all know the best utility in the game would have been there instead of Young Scotty.

He's not nor will he ever be the key to NSW winning though but that doesnt mean he shouldnt be in the team.

 

[gregstar]

.... and a $300 computer.

if it works, make it the coach.

 

[timka4]

I don't mind all these dragons in the side. I actually think this is the best team we have named in 2-3 years at least. Name a better team that we have fielded in recent years

 

[besthalfbackPEARCE]

I don't mind all these dragons in the side. I actually think this is the best team we have named in 2-3 years at least. Name a better team that we have fielded in recent years

2010 State Of Origin Game 3 – NSW Aussie Blues Team:

1. Jarryd Hayne (Parramatta Eels)

2. Brett Morris (St George Illawarra Dragons)

3. Michael Jennings (Penrith Panthers)

4. Beau Scott (St George Illawarra Dragons)

5. Michael Gordon (Penrith Panthers)

6. Trent Barrett – C – (Cronulla Sharks)

7. Mitchell Pearce (Sydney Roosters)

8. Jason King (Manly Sea Eagles)

9. Michael Ennis (Canterbury Bulldogs)

10. Kade Snowden (Cronulla Sharks)

11. Luke Lewis (Penrith Panthers)

12. Paul Gallen (Cronulla Sharks)

13. Greg Bird (Gold Coast Titans)

Interchange:

14. Kurt Gidley (Newcastle Knights)

15. Tom Learoyd-Lahrs (Canberra Raiders)

16. Tim Mannah (Parramatta Eels)

17. Anthony Watmough (Manly Sea Eagles)

 

[gregstar]

i hope both gidley & lewis get a gig at some stage this series.

 

[Cheops]

This year's side is pretty similar standard to game 3 last year imo. Soward and Gasnier > Barrett and Scott, but the back row is weaker this time without Watmough and Lewis. TLL was playing like a beast this time last year as well.

No way is it the worst side ever though. Heck just look at game 1 2010 for starters

Kurt Gidley (c)
Jarryd Hayne
Matt Cooper
Timana Tahu
Brett Morris
Jamie Lyon
Brett Kimmorley
Josh Perry
Michael Ennis
Michael Weyman
Trent Waterhouse
Ben Creagh
Anthony Watmough

Brett White
Tom Learoyd-Lahrs
Jamal Idris
Luke Lewis

 

[Hooch]

Whats the go with TLL? Out of form? He wasn't out for that long with the cheek? You'd think he's another one who'd be there if we're going to stick with a group.

I'm a big fan of Gidley but for mine he's fullback or nothing, and he won't make fullback.

 

[hellteam]

This year's side is pretty similar standard to game 3 last year imo. Soward and Gasnier > Barrett and Scott, but the back row is weaker this time without Watmough and Lewis. TLL was playing like a beast this time last year as well.

No way is it the worst side ever though. Heck just look at game 1 2010 for starters

Kurt Gidley (c)
Jarryd Hayne
Matt Cooper
Timana Tahu
Brett Morris
Jamie Lyon
Brett Kimmorley
Josh Perry
Michael Ennis
Michael Weyman
Trent Waterhouse
Ben Creagh
Anthony Watmough

Brett White
Tom Learoyd-Lahrs
Jamal Idris
Luke Lewis

Wow that is a bad team

 

[Hench]

Not even close. Game 1, 2009 team

Gidley (c)
Hayne
Jennings
Lyon
McAnus
Campese
Wallace
Kite
Farah
Bailey
O'Donnell
Creagh
Laffranchi

Wing
Poore
Weyman
Lewis