2019 Origin Discussion

[the_next]

Pearce out. Hopefully he has a rest against us the following week also.
Personally I now think the blues will be harder to beat with Maloney in rather then Pearce.

 

[Dexter]

Depends if they let him play NFL again.
He will be under huge pressure defensively and give away plenty of penalties. Only the refs can take it away from us.

 

[Wolfie]

I hope they dont pick lodge or it will be another NSW Bronco i want to see smashed into the ground.

 

[jarro65]

Social media abuzz with reports Mitchell will be overlooked for Origin 2

 

[Alec]

I know they are Broncos players, but I'd be overlooking Lodge and Haas too. They are specials for at least one abysmal miss a game.

 

[ningnangnong]

Glasby and Wallace in for Queensland.

 

[Alec]

Glasby and Wallace in for Queensland.

Both? Yikes...

 

[Battler]

So the NSW selectors have black listed Lodge I take it? There's no way Saifiti is better than Lodge on form, talent, or any other metric.

Also, lmao at there being ZERO props on the NSW bench. They've lost the plot.

 

[Morkel]

I think NSW went the right way with picking Maloney. Still think Cleary is useless but he'll benefit far more having Maloney next to him than a rumoured Pearce.

Their forward pack is shit though. Not individually, but as a cohesive pack. That many back-rowers suggests they're going to move the ball around a lot, try to wear us down with mobility. That will only happen though if they get more ball than we do, which means they expect (perhaps rightly so) that the refs will give them a leg-up. We have a lot more toilers in our pack that means if we get any sort of roll-on, their mobility and strike power will mean ****-all, and we'll tear them apart through the middle and then easily isolate Maloney or their out-of-position centres.

 

[Alec]

I've pretty much gone completely off Cleary. I thought he was still young and developing, and it was impressive how he looked composed at his age...but he has shown nothing since coming into first grade. His running game used to look OK, but it's been missing for a while too. His ball playing is about as threatening as having Maranra on the wing. He's still got 5 years at the Panthers after this year too!
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Regarding Latrell, gee I'm glad he's not playing. If he's switched on, he can figuratively kill Chambers, whose defense looked really suspect in Game 1.

 

[Culhwch]

So the NSW selectors have black listed Lodge I take it? There's no way Saifiti is better than Lodge on form, talent, or any other metric.

Only until he plays for a Sydney team, I'd wager. Once he leaves the Broncos behind, he'll be properly redeemed.

 

[tommy]

Just curious where does the idea that Gus Gould picked the team come from?

 

[holdzy]

Just curious where does the idea that Gus Gould picked the team come from?

There is a perception that Freddy is Vader and Gus is The Emperor sort of thing. But Gus is Jabba and Freddy is Jar Jar.

 

[Alec]

Just curious where does the idea that Gus Gould picked the team come from?

The most telling moment for me was last year where Fittler apparently wasn't going to pick Klemmer. Then the round before Origin, Gus, Johns and co were all talking aboit how he has to be in the side. In the end, he was picked.

 

[Big Pete]

Just curious where does the idea that Gus Gould picked the team come from?

On 100% Footy Gus is open about the fact he advises Freddy and his opinions on certain players tend to have an influence on their selections.

Last year, Gus was pretty vocal about Cordner's form in the lead up to Origin one and how he's a very predictible player to defend against. Suddenly Boyd is throwing passes before the ruck, running different lines and just trying to do different things. Last year Gus made a point about how Wighton's a centre and if he was playing centres for Canberra he'd be one of the first players picked in the Blues team. Didn't quite work out like that, but despite throwing the game losing intercept and nearly having a try scored on him by Gillett, he's in the centres. Also before the series, Gus was putting it out there that Latrell had a massive attitude problem and the Blues should be wary about picking him. Sure enough, one quiet performance and he's out the side.

Gus doesn't pick the side 1-17, but he has an influence and the Blues hierarchy go with it, even if they don't believe in it entirely themselves.

 

[Ponga01]

Paul Vaughan still looks better than Darius’s kick lol

 

[Super Freak]

Tariq Sims has been hit with a Grade 2 Dangerous Contact charge for his hit on Michael Morgan.

He will need to fight the charge and win in order to play in Game III.

 

[Big Pete]

Freddy is still whining, this time about the media's coverage of how Latrell found out he didn't make the team.

In fairness to Freddy, he has a point. The team was named at 6pm, what was he supposed to do? Tell him before the game? While the game was going on?

I just don't know why the team has to be announced at 6pm. Why not hold off until 7:30-8pm? Give the coaches enough time to ring up the players and get them ready to fly out or stay with the team. Sometimes the game doesn't get it's priorities right and as much as it's about the fans and the broadcasters, it's the product itself and the players that need to be looked after.

I may have missed it, but I wish somebody had have asked Freddy and Kev whether they asked to delay the announcement of the team before they did their due diligence.