State of Origin 2025

[JJ]

Daley was an iconic origin player, up there with anyone below Wally... but if he doesn't win this he should be never allowed near a coaching box again

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Shibisaki is something you don’t expect to see in this day and age

2018-2024 only 30 NRL games, and only 3 in the past 2 seasons

Starts 2025 with a train and trial contract, wins his spot for round 1 in the Broncos and signs for minimum wage, and 15 games later is playing an origin decider

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

I would've picked Walsh. But then I am his number 1 (only non-Bronco supporter?) fan.

Hammer is a gun player but compared to Walsh he offers very little ball playing and doesn't exactly put in much more effort on defence.

Given Queensland already lack a proper halfback, the whole side is short on creativity and will have to play very direct.

Of course, Queensland have a storied history of eking out wins and Daley is an idiot, so I'm not ruling it out

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

I would've picked Walsh. But then I am his number 1 (only non-Bronco supporter?) fan.

Hammer is a gun player but compared to Walsh he offers very little ball playing and doesn't exactly put in much more effort on defence.

Given Queensland already lack a proper halfback, the whole side is short on creativity and will have to play very direct.

Of course, Queensland have a storied history of eking out wins and Daley is an idiot, so I'm not ruling it out

Yea agree I would've gone Walsh too, and I reckon Laurie isnt too upset he's missing either.

Dude is a threat even on one and a half legs with his ball play ability and temperament. Its not just what he can do, its the fact he backs himself to pull it off, no matter the occasion.

Its obviously risk/reward stuff of the highest order, but given they wont get another lopsided penalty count to run up a lead, the potential reward was worth the punt IMO.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

Yea agree I would've gone Walsh too, and I reckon Laurie isnt too upset he's missing either.

Dude is a threat even on one and a half legs with his ball play ability and temperament. Its not just what he can do, its the fact he backs himself to pull it off, no matter the occasion.

Its obviously risk/reward stuff of the highest order, but given they wont get another lopsided penalty count to run up a lead, the potential reward was worth the punt IMO.

You would think given the relative quality of the two sides that Queensland would take a punt on the most dangerous attacking side they can muster and hope it comes off. This selection to me seems more like, let's just accept they have more weapons than us and try to play tough and grind it out because it's Origin baby QUEENSLANDER. And honestly yeah, that does have a history of working.

 

[Meth]

Definitely would have gone Walsh, with Tabuai-Fidow outside

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Find all the talk ridiculous that the back to back to back to back premiership winning halfback can’t be called a great until he wins some origin games. Hope he smokes it tomorrow night

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Find all the talk ridiculous that the back to back to back to back premiership winning halfback can’t be called a great until he wins some origin games. Hope he smokes it tomorrow night

And he came up with one of the greatest 20-minute periods to snatch it in 2023 when the game was absolutely lost. Truly, I went to bed and woke up shocked.

I completely agree. Then I heard some other nonsense about how his legacy may be tarnished because he's a 'systems guy' and unproven outside the Penrith system. Geezus.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

I would've picked Walsh. But then I am his number 1 (only non-Bronco supporter?) fan.

Hammer is a gun player but compared to Walsh he offers very little ball playing and doesn't exactly put in much more effort on defence.

Given Queensland already lack a proper halfback, the whole side is short on creativity and will have to play very direct.

Of course, Queensland have a storied history of eking out wins and Daley is an idiot, so I'm not ruling it out

I think Queensland weren't prepared to put up with the inconsistency and the uncertainty of Walsh at the back. Everything around ReeceTV would want to be MOM in an Origin decider. I can imagine him massively overplaying his hand. And he's not in great form, nor been fit all season. Hammer was a no-brainer for me.

I do hear what you're saying in that QLD might lack points. But I reckon Slater is saying let's defend well, put pressure on them, and not do what NSW did last game which was basically f**k the game up by playing like nuffs in the first half, dropping ball and giving away penalties.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Shibisaki is something you don’t expect to see in this day and age

2018-2024 only 30 NRL games, and only 3 in the past 2 seasons

Starts 2025 with a train and trial contract, wins his spot for round 1 in the Broncos and signs for minimum wage, and 15 games later is playing an origin decider

Absolutely nuts. He's been Brisbane's best player this year.

 

[Blair]

One more sleep.

 

[blue bags]

One more sleep.

How does origin rate on NZ TV ?

 

[Penrose Warrior]

One more sleep.

My first on AEST! But I haven't been able to suss a TV nor a working fibre connection, so it's laptop and hotspot. Still fired up to actually watch without a gallon of caffeine in me.

How does origin rate on NZ TV ?

That's a good question I'd like to know.

It's actually nuts, the legacy of Origin still lives on. I had a class of 13 Year 9 (13 year old) kids in NZ, and whether this is coincidental, around half of them had an Origin team and were passionate about whether I was Maroons or Blues. This is in a school where league is not played, co-ed etc. I was shocked, but pleasantly so. I dunno where this comes from, but on Origin eve there's still plenty of fire in the next gen for the contest. That may not translate into viewership given the time zone, however.

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

Then I heard some other nonsense about how his legacy may be tarnished because he's a 'systems guy' and unproven outside the Penrith system. Geezus.

That’s a bizarre one isn’t it. Wonder if the same people spouting that held the same view about Cam Smith.

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

I’m finding myself a bit torn for this game.

Really want NSW to put on a score and stick it to Slater but I’m also a massive Papalii fan and it’s hard not to be moved by Munster’s situation.

Hopefully they both have big games… but Cleary has an even bigger one.

 

[Blair]

It's clear weather, should by dry tonight, but with dew due to the cold.

 

[Blair]

To think I was cheering NSW home last time in Perth!

A 'decider', on a cold, dark winter's night. How magnificent.

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

The NRL YouTube channel has been live streaming all the deciders back to back for the last little while.

Managed to catch the 2019 decider earlier today, when Teddy scored the series winner in the last minute. Such a good game.

 

[Blair]

A weather update, there's some cloud now but no rain or showers forecast. So that means a bit less dewy.

Ball retention under pressure! Made a little easier then. I reckon Blues by 20. They're a much better side, that lost their way in the wet in Perth. 32-12!

 

[Beavers Headgear]

The NRL YouTube channel has been live streaming all the deciders back to back for the last little while.

Managed to catch the 2019 decider earlier today, when Teddy scored the series winner in the last minute. Such a good game.

And at the same time we had the Cricket World Cup Semi Final v India on another screen beside it watching us defend a low score