The Origin dilemmas

[Edwahu]

Any thoughts on the preliminarysquad?

They picked:
Braith Anasta
Hazem El Masri
Willie Mason
Luke Patten
Brent Sherwin
Mark O'Meley
Luke Bailey
Trent Barrett
Shaun Timmins
Danny Buderus
Matthew Gidley
Andrew Johns (c)
Ben Kennedy
Josh Perry
Steve Simpson
Timana Tahu
Jason Croker
Luke Davico
Michael De Vere
Craig Fitzgibbon
Anthony Minichiello
Luke Ricketson
Craig Wing
John Hopoate
Steve Menzies
Jamie Lyon
Jason Moodie
Glenn Morrison
David Peachey
Jason Stevens

Jason King, Luke Lewis and Ryan Ohara all were named as "emerging" players.

The notable ommisions would be Kimmorley, Gasnier, Ryles, Hindmarsh and Hill but I would say the last 3 are because of injury. The suprisesfor mine are Hoppa, Croker, Perry and Patten and the joke selection is Moodie.I cant fathom the selection of Moodie ahead of a player like Gasnier, I can only assume that Daley and Brown asked them to dump Gasnier assome kind of motivationalkick up the ass.

 

[imported_JoeD]

I don't really rate Mason, maybe its because I only see him play against the warriors where he usually gets smashed. I'd pick any number of guys mentioned before I'd pick him.

 

[Willow]

They obviously dont rate Ryleschance of being fit for Origin.

"I cant fathom the selection of Moodie ahead of a player like Gasnier"
Yeah well... its sometimes hard to shift the brain cells of the selectors. Still, its only a preliminary squad and in no way a sure thing. Gaz has a few weeks to force his way in.

 

[El Duque]

I thought the joke selection was Timmins.

Lets have a look at his 2003 stats.

<table cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=354 border=0> <tbody> <tr> <td class=stat2>season 2003</td> <td bgcolor=#ffffff>

</td></tr></tbody></table> <table cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=354 border=0> <tbody> <tr> <td class=stat2> <table cellspacing=5 cellpadding=0 width=352 border=0> <tbody> <tr> <td class=stat1b width="20%">App</td> <td></td> <td class=stat1b width="20%">Trs</td> <td></td> <td class=stat1b width="20%">Gls</td> <td></td> <td class=stat1b width="20%">F/G</td> <td></td> <td class=stat1b width="20%">Pts</td></tr> <tr> <td class=statwb>0</td> <td></td> <td class=statwb>0</td> <td></td> <td class=statwb>0</td> <td></td> <td class=statwb>0</td> <td></td> <td class=statwb>0</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>

Impressive stuff.

 

[Willow]

Thats right El but the selectors were looking at the bigger picture:

Timmins 2003
Missed tackles: 0
Penalties conceded: 0
Handling errors: 0

 

[El Duque]

Thsnks for shedding some light on the situation.

 

[imported_Roopy4246]

I can't understand how the third best prop at the Knights is in the squad, and one of the papers declared him a definate selection last week, while the best two props at the Knights were not even considered possibilities.

Matt Parsons is old, not as old as Alan Langer of course, but old, and Adam Woolnough is young, but i think you are the right age if you are good enough.

A few years ago I would have agreed that Parso was not origin material because he didn't have the fitness to play at that speed, but the big guy has found the secret of aerobic fitness since then. Parso would smash his way through any pack in a game as big as SOO. He would do a far better job than Josh Perry anyway.

 

[imported_weasel]

No Gasnier?!?!

Incompetent fools. That's it, I'm going for my homestate this year(Queensland)!

 

[Cronulla_Mania]

Moodie is a joke. So is Stevens.

I would've picked O'Hara before Davico as well

Anyways, Phil Gould is still large and in charge looking at that squad. Where are the youngsters? Id say not one guy in that team has played less than 50-60 games (bar maybe Lyon)

Cheers,
Moffo

 

[legend]

No youngsters Moffo and the other thing I can't understand is Luke Lewis is currently out injured so why should an injured player get a crack at an emerging Origin spot when someone like Phil Graham, who is on fire at the moment is cooling his heels?

Gould makes it very easy for fence sitting supporters to barrack for the Maroons and unless there are some Canberra players in the final NSW side, Gould and his cronies can go and get stuffed. The side is never picked on form and never has under Gus.

The other joke is Timmins selection at centre. Brown is now looking at Timmins for the lock position at Saints because he realises he is more effective there and far too slow for the centres. Timmins may be a good defender but any of the Maroons centres will simply run around him nullifying any effect he may have out wide.

As usual, it's a farce.

IMO, the following players shoulld not be there based on current form:

Ricketson
Stevens
Anasta
Gidley
Moodie
Peachey
Menzies
Tahu
Timmins

 

[Cronulla_Mania]

Anasta? Get plugged mate, he has been in top form

I think Croker would be great on the bench and is versatile

Isn't Phil Graham a Qlder? Or am igetting him confused with someone else?

Cheers,
Moffo

 

[†BROÇ?†™]

Phil Graham is a qlder. Personally i dont expect many raiders to even be in
consideration for the blues. Gould is a farce as a coach and commentator.
The longer he runs the blues as gus's boys club, the longer that trophy will
remain north of the border.
I mean seriously, how can you even name a player in a squad (and IMO an overrated
one at that) who hasnt even taken the field all year, it is rechoculous.Then again
if you had anderson as the coach im sure you would find noddy and hill be the
halves with joey either at hooker or off the bench.
This brings me to my next point, a coach should only do what he is there to do
and that is COACH the squad he is given. All players should be picked on
form, granted some who deserve to be there will miss out due to only 17 places
available in the team.
If gus has so much say in who is in the team then what the hell are the selectors
being paid for.

 

[imported_Mystery_Man]

Mighty Maroons

1. Lockyer
2. Schifcofske
3. Tate
4. Hodges
5. Wesser
6. Thurston
7. Berrigan
8. Webcke
9. Marsh
10. Tookey
11. Tallis
12. Price
13. Carlaw
14. Carrol
15. Civoneciva
16. Parker
17. Walker

Scum from the south

Who cares? With that team, the Mighty Maroons should trample all over the cockroaches at the fortress that is the new Lang Park.

 

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