NSW just woeful again. Fitler well and truly out of his depth.
Strange selections, cowardly selections, no obvious style, terrible (or zero) in-game reactions, terrible use of rotations…..
They played like the Sharks do against good teams - still tried to sling it wide and go around them, with zero craft in the middle of the pitch….
Some players in that NSW team are very good NRL players (in very good NRL teams with great structures), but don’t translate to origin. Yeo is the greatest example - it just doesn’t work in Origin, and he’s far too nice. Haas is awesome, but he’s not an enforcer, he doesn’t have them scared for their safety - Haas needs to be supported by a couple of meat head middles who have QLD worried - instead he’s got the lovely fella Yeo who’d not say boo to a goose, big Stefano who’s just meh, and plodder Paulo.
The big thing is efforts off the ball - Chrichton break - entire QLD team got back onside to defend, NSW didnt have anywhere near the same attackers. The Hammer lucky bounce try - Haas is the only Blue who’s chased back, all the others stopped chasing back once the break was made (could be seen on the replay players just trotting back).
Filters first season, he made a big thing about picking ‘on form’, but he’s fallen for the same trick that Daley fell for, falling in love with certain players, far too much focus on both ‘club connections’ and ‘incumbency’, rather than just picking the players who can get the job done, in the style you want to play.
Just shit, really really shit, all round.