Qld SOS Squad

[Thunderstruck]

Is Schifcofske available? If he is and they haven't chosen him, he has been absolutely robbed. Best fullback this season so far, and gives them a proper goalkicker.

Out for six weeks with rib injury.

 

[Jordan]

IMO, Paul Bowman starts or he doesn't as we have better options to come off the bench i.e. Mick Crocker who ladies and gents is not overrated more underrated by the majority at LU it seems.

I also think Thurston should be there ahead of Prince. Thurston has been playing brilliantly this year. He has been the Cowboy's best player in nearly every game since round 2. He's an instinctive player, and would really take a lot of pressure off Lockyer imo.
His kicking game is great, but what has really surprised me this year is his defence.
I know the selectors have this thing about incumbency... but the fact of the matter is QLD lost last year (and haven't won a series since 2001) and, if there is a better option, a change should be made.

Arguably though you can swap Prince and Thurston around in your post and there is the same argument for Prince's inclusion.

IMO Scott Prince will get the nod for 2 reasons:

1. He is the incumbent (which you recognise) and whilst we did lose last year, he was arguably our best player for the series more than matching Gower and Kimmorley at the elite level. Prince stood tall for us and came of age which translated to club form in 2004 and 2005.

and...

2. He (Prince) has been on song this season being one of the more instrumental players in the competition (as has Thurston don't get me wrong there) and will once more thrive in the company of Darren Lockyer, Steve Price and the like.

Isn't it great to finally have 2 very good players vying for the QLD number 7 jersey! It has been a long time for QLD fans....

Be all end all, we can't go wrong with either player though I think for Origin 1 at least, Miles and co. will stick with Prince from 2004. He has been in brilliant form this season and did nothing wrong in 2004.

Prince was outstanding in the first game. But when Lockyer came back, he definitely saw himself as the lesser player and didn't want to inject himself into the game as much.

Thurston also has an existing combination with a few of the Cowboys players (Sing has had a field day collecting cut-out balls from Thurston this year). In close games, he has also been the player to step up and be the gamebreaker. In the Bulldogs game, he made that awesome tackle on Utai which dislodged the ball for Matty Bowen to score the simplest of trys. The Warriors game, the Cowboy's looking out of it, he chipped over the top and somehow regathered the ball to get a ball out wide for the Cowboy's to score the match winning try... On several occasions this year when the Cowboy's have been struggling to get out of there own half, Thurston has come up with some unbelievable kicks in general play... kicks that have cleared the fullback by at least 20 metres. I don't think that was just bad positional play by the fullback either..

He leads the try assists in the NRL this year with 9... Scott Prince has 3.

On every close game the Cowboys have had this year, the player to stand up has been Thurston.. The centre of the Cowboy's attack is not Bowen anymore, it's Thurston. He has impressed me so much, and I really think that he'd do an awesome job for Queensland..

 

[Sun_Down]

1. Rhys Wesser
2. Billy Slater
3. Willie Tonga
4. Shaun Berrigan
5. Matt Sing
6. Darren Lockyer
7. Johnathon Thurston
8. Steven Price
9. Cameron Smith
10. Petro Cinvoniceva
11. Dallas Johnson
12. Brad Thorn
13. Tonie Carroll

14. Carl Webb
15. Ben Ross
16. Chris Flannery
17. Matt Bowen

 

[Red Bear]

Flannery deserves his spot for sure, he is playing very well.
Ash Harrison has been completely ripped off again but what do you expect? Hope scotty prince is Qld half, glad Seymour isnt in squad.

Blues will still win

 

[ParraDude_Jay]

Ash Harrison should feel slapped in the face, what a joke. Jason Smith (granted he's playing well) walks straight in after 4 years in England, while a kid like Harrison gets overlooked after working his ass off here and playing just as well in a losing side. Thorn aswell, should be playing for New Zealand!
This has just about ruled out any hope Souths have of keeping Harrison, sad really that he has to leave to get looked at for rep honours.

Okay I am sick of this whinging that Brad Thorn should be playing for New Zealand. Brad Thorn played for Australia and Queensland before he went to Union. It doesn't matter what country he played for when he was in Union. He is Australian. He has never played for New Zealand in Rugby League.

Tell me, where was he born?

Exactly. His heart lies with NZ, it was his dream to represent NZ in Union, but because NZ aren't a winning team in League, he wants to play for Australia. He wants it both ways, and that is a load of crap. He should play for New Zealand, and it's disgraceful that he isn't.

 

[icewind]

hey how bout this:

1. Lockyer
2. Slater
3. Bell
4. Bowman
5. Sing
6. Thurston
7. Prince
8. Price
9. Smith
10. Civeniceva
11. Dallas Johnson
12. Brad Thorn
13. Tonie Carroll

14. Carl Webb
15. Ben Ross
16. Jason Smith
17. Matt Bowen


Something different. and yes, I know that won't happen.

 

[maelgwnau]

1 . Wesser
2 . Slater
3 . Berrigan
4 . Tonga
5 . Sing
6 . Lockyer - Captain
7 . Prince
8 . Price
9 . C Smith
10. Cinvoniceva
11. B Thorn
12. C Webb
13. T Carroll

14. Bowen
15. Crocker
16. B Ross
17. Flannery

 

[Alan Shore]

Thorn should not be there due to above comments.

Nutley and Harrison were both majorly ripped off.

 

[Billybob]

has anyone thought of thurston at lock
or do you guys think he may be too small for lock


just a thought

 

[Jordan]

Way too small to be lock.. And I'd imagine Carroll has that position sewn up since he is the Australian lock.

 

[Broncodroid]

Again, the Prince vs Thurston debate will rage up until the Sunday night before naming the team. IMO, they will stick with Prince though RLW reported Thurston does have his nose in front.

More stats on both players...

Scott Prince in 2005:

Try assists:- 3
Line-breaks:- 5
Tackles:- 82
Offloads:- 5
Kicks:- 60
Hitups:- 25
Metres: 288
Errors: 9
Missed Tck: 11

Johnathon Thurston in 2005:

Try assists:- 9
Line-breaks:- 2
Tackles:- 136
Offloads:- 8
Kicks:- 46
Hitups:- 70
Metres: 601
Errors: 11
Missed Tck: 22

You won't lose with either the way they are playing. Thurston is enjoying playing in a successful team with a brilliant pack, Prince has a hot/cold team who were giant killers early.

Time will tell, though a brilliant selection headache to have.

 

[ParraDude_Jay]

Prince will get the nod. If he plays badly in Game 1 though, Thurston will take his spot. They could have them both (Lockyer 1 Thurston 6 Prince 7) and then they wouldn't need Carroll and could have an extra playmaking option in Harrison at Lock, but that won't happen.

 

[AnGeL]

i think thurston really deserves to play...im hoping slater, thurston and bowen are on the team that way id be one happy chick at the game

 

[lockyno1]

When referring to Prince vs. Thurston, as a Queenslander I'd rather them pick the one better defensively becuase they are both as good as each other in attack! I think Thurston is better in that department and with the amount of Cowboys in the squad it makes sense!

 

[Corbin]

1. Billy Slater
2. Scott Donald
3. Shaun Berrigan
4. Willie Tonga
5. Matt Sing
6. Darren Lockyer
7. Scott Prince
8. Steve Price
9. Cameron Smith
10. Petero Civoneceva
11. Brad Thorn
12. Carl Webb
13. Ashley Harrison

14. Chris Flannery
15. Ben Ross
16. Michael Crocker
17. Matt Bowen

Wish Tim Smith was there

 

[icewind]

my latest thoughts:

1. Bowen
2. Slater
3. Berrigan
4. Bowman
5. Sing
6. Lockyer
7. Thurston (gonna be a few cowboys in the side and Thurston is playing v well)
8. Price
9. Smith
10.Civeniceva
11.Thorn
12.Stagg
13.Carroll

14.Harrison
15.Webb
16.Ross
17.Jenson


A versatile bench imo. Harrison, Webb and Jenson can all play second row, and Jenson also playing as an impact player.

qld would have a hell of a lot of playmaking/kicking options then, with Bowen at f/back, lockyer/thurston at halves, smith at hooker, and Harrison at second row/lock
(hell even Berrigan can kick/playmake)