New South Wales Blues vs Queensland Maroons – Wednesday night – ANZ Stadium
New South Wales Blues
- Matt Moylan (Penrith Panthers)
- Blake Ferguson (Sydney Roosters)
- Michael Jennings (Parramatta Eels)
- Josh Morris (Canterbury Bulldogs)
- Josh Mansour (Penrith Panthers)
- James Maloney (Cronulla Sharks)
- Adam Reynolds (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
- Aaron Woods (Wests Tigers)
- Robbie Farah (Wests Tigers)
- Paul Gallen (Cronulla Sharks)
- Boyd Cordner (Sydney Roosters)
- Josh Jackson (Canterbury Bulldogs)
- Greg Bird (Gold Coast Titans)
- Dylan Walker (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
- James Tamou (North Queensland Cowboys)
- David Klemmer (Canterbury Bulldogs)
- Andrew Fifita (Cronulla Sharks)
Coach - Laurie Daley
Queensland Maroons
- Darius Boyd (Brisbane Broncos)
- Corey Oates (Brisbane Broncos)
- Greg Inglis (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
- Justin O'Neill (North Queensland Cowboys)
- Dane Gagai (Newcastle Knights)
- Jonathan Thurston (North Queensland Cowboys)
- Cooper Cronk (Melbourne Storm)
- Matt Scott (North Queensland Cowboys)
- Cameron Smith (Melbourne Storm)
- Nate Myles (Manly Sea Eagles)
- Matt Gillett (Brisbane Broncos)
- Sam Thaiday (Brisbane Broncos)
- Corey Parker (Brisbane Broncos)
- Michael Morgan (North Queensland Cowboys)
- Josh McGuire (Brisbane Broncos)
- Aidan Guerra (Sydney Roosters)
- Josh Papalii (Canberra Raiders)
Coach - Kevin Walters
* note: team line-ups are subject to considerable change, but will be updated as news filters through.
The ANZAC Test was not so long ago, and the starting thirteen for Australia included ten Queenslanders. The three players that weren't Queenslanders were:
- a winger not eligible to play for NSW (Radradra);
- a centre who has pulled out injured (Dugan); and
- a prop forward (Gallen - whose record as Origin captain speaks for itself).
The biggest change for Queensland, and potentially the biggest issue, relates to changes off the field. Queensland have a first-time coach this year, and he wasn't exactly the most wanted person for the role. Critics of Mal Meninga as a coach will, at the very least, accept this - the man has a presence. Whether Kevin Walters can lift his troops remains to be seen.
I was hoping to know sooner if Cooper Cronk were playing or not. Strange this may sound to some, but I think Queensland are a better chance of winning without him. Thurston and Morgan are quite the combination for the Cowboys, and that Cronk/Thurston combination at Origin level hasn't always clicked. If Cronk withdraws, there is some risk Thurston can't make it through the game either. How Queensland manage that scenario is anyone's guess. Thurston will be targeted, but Beau Scott isn't there this time. Watch for Gallen, Klemmer, Bird and Farah to put their hands up for the role of hurt merchant. They'll be hitting his hips all night.
The weather, wet it may be, keeps the game closer but I'm not convinced it changes the result. I accept that Maloney and Reynolds have very good kicking games in general play, but we haven't seen that from either of them at this level. Quite frankly, I'll take those experienced old heads in maroon to handle a wet, slower game of football anyway.
Whether Robbie Farah has 80 minutes of football in him at this level on a wet track is another question mark for me, and Aaron Woods has only recently returned from injury. Plenty spoke of his tremendous performance for the Tigers against the Knights...but that's against the Knights.
The referees are generally reluctant to get the whistle out of their pockets in game one of an Origin series. If that happens again, and it probably will, the play-the-ball area will be in super slo-mo all night. I'll bank on the guile of Cameron Smith and his very experienced troops to prevail under such circumstances.
This is likely to be the final Origin series for NSW captain Paul Gallen. Watching him trudge off the field with his head bowed is an image that will bring me considerable delight.
Verdict – Queensland 14 : New South Wales 10
First try scorer - Blake Ferguson
Man of the Match - Cameron Smith (or Michael Morgan if Cronk withdraws)
Comments
Submitted by Coach Potato on
Would be nice to hear some fair rugby league commentary from this page and someone back me up a little. Blues got a carving from the refs. Else I would have to say the integrity of contributors has some huge question marks.
Submitted by The Thinker on
The official stats are saying NSW had possession for 72% of that game.
Can that possibly be right? How could QLD have more total sets and more complete sets but only have 28% of the possession?
Submitted by mark ashford on
NSW get rid of Bird, Farrah and Gallen replace them with three players on a NSW fans vote choice and you'll win #2
Submitted by tigerholic on
Come on Mark, lets be fair dinkum, the knock on that was over turned was bullshit, the try that was sent upstairs as a try was impossible to go against the refs call but the bunker did, why can;t you Queenslanders be honest in your one side appraisal of the game.
If the ref was not playing for QLD, different story.
Submitted by mark ashford on
As a loosing supporter Coach you are calling for support???
Oh the refs gave you a caning.
I watched the game (missed the first 5 mins) and couldn't see what you are talking about.
Mate take the loss for what it was only 2 points. Next game? you may win.
Hope your little girl is over her sickness.
Submitted by Coach Potato on
I think JR's got the right idea.
Who really needs to share rugby league commentary with a bunch of outback jacks.
Submitted by Baggy_Gee on
I agree with picking inform players but not sure that they were the weak link. If this is a fair well series, they acquitted themselves well tonight. But if there are more in form players then lets make it happen.
Submitted by mark ashford on
Tiger I guess I saw that "try" and the replays as many times as you did.
As a QLDer I didn't think it crossed the line.
You as a NSWer thought it did.
The Bunker agreed with me. So this time I'm lucky.
Next SOO it may well go against me. Luck of the draw?
Or how do we fix it. You tell me.
Submitted by mark ashford on
"A bunch of outback jacks" Coach ?
Or do you mean supporters of the winning team?
Don't you wish to comment here anymore?
Seems to me you have taken this loss very hard.
Submitted by a on
QLD are the best
Submitted by Baggy_Gee on
Need I start? A simple GPS beacon, suspended within in the ball with rubber ensuring that it stays in the centre when passed, kicked or other wise manipulated, if it crosses the touch lines/goal line, it registers. Then it is just the grounding that matters. That system would make it easy to work out offside and forward passes, a quick line from the ball when it is kicked would show onside, and you could easily work out a way to do a 10M circle when it was caught. 3 issues corrected with existing technology. Players already wear those metric collecting devices.
Submitted by The Thinker on
No Pearce tonight, but Gallen leads NSW to another loss.
They say people get the leaders they deserve. Drop him and move on.
Submitted by Rocket Ryan on
Is coach pototo really gus gould
Submitted by a on
Paul Gallen is not a good player
Submitted by The Thinker on
Baggy,
It's not a bad idea, but to score a try or find touch you just need any part of the ball to touch the line.
Submitted by The Thinker on
Aha....I knew that possession stat was wrong. They've rectified the error.
NSW 52% - QLD 48%
Submitted by Baggy_Gee on
The inside of the line is the mark, that way it includes all possibilities. Basically the visuals are for the T.V. as the Bunker would already have the result.
Submitted by mark ashford on
C'mon Thinker and Baggy can't we just agree with the refs call?
For the last 100 years we were ok with it.
Now in the digital age we demand everything to be perfect.
It's a game of sport. One team wins one looses.
Get over it.
Why do we have to demand everything in Rugby league is perfect?
Because nothing else in life is.
Submitted by Rocket Ryan on
Love the way we stuck to the job you cant beat watching gus and the eighth chew on another defeat
#decade of dominance
Submitted by Tailspin on
I would like to know if anyone can tell me, why couldn't the bunker rule on the renolds strip from Thiaday when he was on the ground tackled.
Also How was Farah's acting performance on trying to milk that penalty in the play the ball area, what a dead set wanker, I'm glad the refs seen straight through him and played on. Anyway, a good result for QLD round 1, only 2 more victories for us to get, Ye Ha.
Submitted by a on
Where will the round 13 page be up Thinker
Submitted by Chris Gibson on
Well,,the whinging has started,,lol. The Brett Morris try/no try. Well,i will tell you what NSW,,we will give you that try but we will take back the one by Boyd Cordner because i reckon Maloney just about dislocated his shoulder handing it forward to him.
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