New South Wales Blues vs Queensland Maroons – Wednesday night – Melbourne Cricket Ground

Blues

1. Josh Dugan (St George Illawarra Dragons)
2. Will Hopoate (Parramatta Eels)
3. Michael Jennings (Sydney Roosters)
4. Josh Morris (Canterbury Bulldogs)
5. Brett Morris (Canterbury Bulldogs)
6. Mitchell Pearce (Sydney Roosters)
7. Trent Hodkinson (Canterbury Bulldogs)
8. Aaron Woods (Wests Tigers)
9. Robbie Farah (Wests Tigers)
10. James Tamou (North Queensland Cowboys)
11. Beau Scott (Newcastle Knights)
12. Ryan Hoffman (New Zealand Warriors)
13. Paul Gallen (c) Cronulla Sharks
14. Trent Merrin (St George Illawarra Dragons)
15. Boyd Cordner (Sydney Roosters)
16. David Klemmer (Canterbury Bulldogs)
17. Josh Jackson (Canterbury Bulldog)

Maroons

1. Billy Slater (Melbourne Storm)
2. Darius Boyd (Brisbane Broncos)
3. Greg Inglis (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
4. Justin Hodges (Brisbane Broncos)
5. Will Chambers (Melbourne Storm)
6. Jonathan Thurston (North Queensland Cowboys)
7. Daly Cherry-Evans (Manly Titans)
8. Matt Scott (North Queensland Cowboys)
9. Cameron Smith (c) (Melbourne Storm)
10. Nate Myles (Gold Coast Titans)
11. Aidan Guerra (Sydney Roosters)
12. Sam Thaiday (Brisbane Broncos)
13. Corey Parker (Brisbane Broncos)
14. Michael Morgan (North Queensland Cowboys)
15. Josh McGuire (Brisbane Broncos)
16. Matt Gillett (Brisbane Broncos)
17. Jacob Lillyman (New Zealand Warriors)

Note: team line-ups are subject to change. Rosters will be updated as amendments filter through.

The Blues are already making excuses and the series has only just begun. It seems Queensland are the filthiest team in the history of world sport and, because most of the world adores them, they can get away with it. As evidence the Blues cite the following:

• the enormous head of Nate Myles - which occasionally makes contact with opponents while tackling in a contact sport
• former jockey Billy Slater who, legally and with limited force, dared to tackle a NSW player on the ground

Whether either of these examples are as bad as Justin Poore lifting up and dropping the head of an unconscious opponent onto the ground is hard to say, but we can safely assume that New South Wales are 'under siege from an inhospitable and unfair world'. It's them against everyone. So with all that in mind we can expect to see Nate Myles getting worked over like Playdo, Billy Slater getting chicken-winged like a chicken, and Daly Cherry-Evans bullied unmercilessly like he's a Playdo chicken. At some point things will flare, and NSW will be one-in all-in for the melee/brawl because it's them against everyone. Shortly thereafter NSW will give us their best impersonation of 6 year olds on the school oval (ie. they started it...a few weeks ago...and a couple of years before then...and so on). Personally there's nothing I like better than watching Paul Gallen and Robbie Farah whining at the referees. It's great television and it's great for rugby league and its hopes of increasing its finger-hold in an emerging sporting market. In the event that QLD do wrap up the series we can be certain the NSW captain will speak with glowing praise of his opponents...as he always does.

Sooooo....as you may have noticed I'm not embracing game two with as much enthusiasm as I usually do. I hope for two things - I hope to see some football and I hope to see a contest. Unfortunately, the only way this will be a contest is if the game involves as little football as possible. I might get one wish, but it's unlikely I'll get two.

The Blues have stuck with Trent Hodkinson, probably because the coach said that he would. Just last week his club coach benched him when the match was on the line. His replacement stepped up and helped secure the win. If Hodkinson has confidence issues that wouldn't have helped.

Despite all my reservations about the NSW halves at this level and their capacity to score points, I'm tipping a Blues victory on Wednesday night. The weather in Melbourne is looking touch and go and I fear this will be another gritty, dour struggle. For NSW to win they'll need to win ugly, and I think that's what we'll get. Paul Gallen and Robbie Farah won't get many more chances at this level, and they'll drag their team over the line if it's the last thing they do (and it could be).

And those of you that like a good conspiracy theory can bank on this series going to a decider at Lang Park. You know it makes sense, and the bookies are offering you $2.35 about a result that has already been pre-determined. With official interest rates at 2% that's a pretty decent return. Gamble responsibly.

Verdict : NSW 15 - QLD 14

First try scorer: Brett Morris

Man of the Match: James Tamou