SOO 13 Game 1: Official NSW Squad

[Knightmare]

For quite a while people have gone on about Qld's 1,6,7 and 9 and the inability of NSW to provide a match for it, and how far behind NSW have been in those positions.

I agree that there are more creative halfbacks eligible for NSW than Pearce, in particular his fear of just putting in a short kick or a grubber kick close to the line when attacking is frustrating. However, while as individuals Cronk and JT are better than Pearce and Maloney, as a pair Pearce and Maloney have a better understanding of eachothers' style of play.

Pearces' lack of creativity as a half lessens in impact because the team aren't relying solely on Pearce to provide attacking opportunities. Robbie Farah can organise the team from the front and lead them around the park, while at the back you have a player like Jarryd Hayne who is adept at breaking the line and creating scoring opportunities for the Blues.

 

[Aragorn]

its a solid team but i cant see any players with the X-factor.

needs a bit of Carney magic!

 

[Tweed Titan]

Decent team. Could live with another prop for Gidley and Carney over Maloney (need a kicker I guess). Hoffman is Creagh v1.2. Gallen should be in the back row with another prop on the bench. This is a typical nsw team 1 team. It always takes a game or two for the selectors to realise their mistakes and fix them, only to stuff up again next year. 6.5/10 team but could be better.

Go NSW!

 

[Walt Flanigan]

Happy with the team except for Gidley. He just doesn't belong.

 

[gypsy]

Tim Grant for Fifita is the big change I'd make. Happy enough with Gids on the bench, he's not nearly as bad as some are making out.

 

[gUt]

No Jamie Buhrer this year? Can't work that one out. I heard he played over 20 minutes for the Sea Eagles the other night.

 

[Bobby DIGital]

McCrone is lucky to be playing NRL football, let alone SOO. For a NRL half, he makes one hell of a butcher

I'm not saying McCrone should be there (although he'd do a better job off the bench than Kurtis), just that he outplayed Maloney in City-Country which he VERY CLEARLY did. He bamboozled so called man of the match Hoffman and scored a nice solo try, and done a lot of other good things during the game. Maloney was a passenger. He's painfully average and will be exposed.

I know you're trying hard to be impartial but come on now.

 

[Sleep]

QLD are struggling with big blokes so we pick a smaller more mobile pack? Doesn't make sense to me. Our backs have never been able to be the difference and we haven't made any huge changes there.

I thought Grant was outstanding last year and along with Tamou could really do well against the QLD side this year. Instead we play small ball again. Plays right into QLD's hands and come Origin II they'll have Hannant and others available again.

We don't need a utility. Never have. Unless someone gets injured or the utilities name is Craig Wing, they bring nothing to the team.

 

[Doomednow]

Gidley surely only gets picked for sentimental purposes. A complete waste of a bench spot.

At least there is some defensible logic behind the halves selection, but Skids?

Also wish Gordon would get more chances.

 

[Tera]

It's really not as bad as you're all saying. Yeah Gidley is a bit of a head scratcher but was always going to happen.

I played junior rugby with Andrew Fifita and always knew he'd be successful. I didn't see him playing SoO though, congrats to the guy.

 

[big hit!]

It's really not as bad as you're all saying.

Actually, it's fundamentally bad.

Daley is going with a middle rotation of Gallen, Tamou, Bird, Fifita, Merrin & Watmough.

Compare this with Meninga's probable of Scott, Shillington, Myles, Lillyman, Parker and a new prop they will blood.

Folks get bamboozled by the names of NSW supposedly superior players here and totally neglect that it is once again small. And because it is also unbalanced, they are forced to individually play new or different roles than what they normally do.

Laugh at the QLD rotation. Compare individual names to the ones Daley intends on using in the middle, but they will almost always collectively do the job better than NSW individual stars.

 

[TimmyB]

Haha i opened this thread expecting that usual defeatist sh*t from the usual numpties and it sounds like they delivered. This is a very very good side, cant wait for the series to get under way

The usual defeatist shit that has been correct for the last 7 years?

As per usual it's a frustrating team. We seem to get it right for 14 or 15 of the selections and then do something bizarre.

Gidley is a farce and Gallen at prop is infuriating. Gallen was switched to prop in 2011 because had an abundance of second rowers and very few props. A few of the potential candidates in Learoyd-Lars, Galloway, and Weyman were injured.

Flash forward 2 years and we have some incredible young front row prospects who are missing out, and second row looks to be our weaker position. So what do we do? Stick with the Gallen at prop and have guns players like Grant and Woods miss out. It's just mind boggling to me.

I'd much rather have Grant and Tamou starting, Gallen into the backrow and bench one of Lewis or Hoffman. I'd get rid of Gidley and put Woods on the bench. With that pack, and that size, we steam roll Queensland.

 

[Mr48Volts]

I'm a Knights fan and I honestly hoped Gids wouldn't have been picked this year, but having said that, Gids' work in about 3 positions yesterday when the Knights lost Darius and Uate was very good, no Gidley brain snaps etc, he just covered the positions well in a beaten side, so in that respect I can see why he got picked over Sutton.
I'd drop Hoffman, and bring in Woods, with Gal in the 2nd row. The halves, I've never been a Pearce fan but I can see what they are trying to do by bringing club level knowledge to the big game.
For everyone whinging about Merritt he's like Uate, he might score 2 tries, but he'll let 4 in, something that can't be forgiven at Origin level, but does he deserve a shot? Probably, can we afford to do it looking down the barrel of 8 series losses, No.

Ah, Origin time 2.4 million coaches, 1 team lol

 

[Spot On]

For quite a while people have gone on about Qld's 1,6,7 and 9 and the inability of NSW to provide a match for it, and how far behind NSW have been in those positions.

I agree that there are more creative halfbacks eligible for NSW than Pearce, in particular his fear of just putting in a short kick or a grubber kick close to the line when attacking is frustrating. However, while as individuals Cronk and JT are better than Pearce and Maloney, as a pair Pearce and Maloney have a better understanding of eachothers' style of play.

Pearces' lack of creativity as a half lessens in impact because the team aren't relying solely on Pearce to provide attacking opportunities. Robbie Farah can organise the team from the front and lead them around the park, while at the back you have a player like Jarryd Hayne who is adept at breaking the line and creating scoring opportunities for the Blues.

It would seem Robbie will have plenty of minutes of the park looking at the bench.

 

[Sea_Eagles_Rock]

Watmough should be starting. Lewis as utility. Gidley should be out and another prop on the bench.

I'll get flamed for this, but not really a fan of Hayne at fullback either. I guess there is not any other options though.

And this argument that Maloney and Pearce know each others games is rubbish. They have played less than half a season together.

 

[Red&BlackBear]

For quite a while people have gone on about Qld's 1,6,7 and 9 and the inability of NSW to provide a match for it, and how far behind NSW have been in those positions.

I agree that there are more creative halfbacks eligible for NSW than Pearce, in particular his fear of just putting in a short kick or a grubber kick close to the line when attacking is frustrating. However, while as individuals Cronk and JT are better than Pearce and Maloney, as a pair Pearce and Maloney have a better understanding of eachothers' style of play.

Pearces' lack of creativity as a half lessens in impact because the team aren't relying solely on Pearce to provide attacking opportunities. Robbie Farah can organise the team from the front and lead them around the park, while at the back you have a player like Jarryd Hayne who is adept at breaking the line and creating scoring opportunities for the Blues.

How does Maloney and Pearce have a better understanding of eachothers play when Cronk/Thurston have played with eachother at the elite level for years now both for Australia and Queensland but also have history dating back to when Cronk was at acacia ridge vs Thurston at sunnybank?

 

[watatank]

Carney/Pearce would surely have a better understanding/combination than Maloney/Pearce, including the one at the level that matters

 

[Pig Mouth]

Kurt is NSW only hope. That speaks for itself. 8 here we go.

 

[Joker's Wild]

The team was picked yesterday, has everyone got the whinging out of their system now? I think all the prefered players have been covered.

Its set in stone, nothing will change it, so how about we just get behind the boys and support them for a win and stop riding them to lose.

 

[Shorty]

For quite a while people have gone on about Qld's 1,6,7 and 9 and the inability of NSW to provide a match for it, and how far behind NSW have been in those positions.

I agree that there are more creative halfbacks eligible for NSW than Pearce, in particular his fear of just putting in a short kick or a grubber kick close to the line when attacking is frustrating. However, while as individuals Cronk and JT are better than Pearce and Maloney, as a pair Pearce and Maloney have a better understanding of eachothers' style of play.

Pearces' lack of creativity as a half lessens in impact because the team aren't relying solely on Pearce to provide attacking opportunities. Robbie Farah can organise the team from the front and lead them around the park, while at the back you have a player like Jarryd Hayne who is adept at breaking the line and creating scoring opportunities for the Blues.

Well firstly that's silly logic, Cronk and Thurston have been playing together much longer than Maloney and Pearce.
And secondly, Hayne and Farah get targeted and where does the play making come from?
This has happened over and over before and Pearce has failed time and time again to make a play.

It astounds me that NSW continue to pick an uncreative/productive half when it's a big part of Qld's domination.
If Pearce was rep quality half, NSW would have taken it last year.