Granty
20-04-2006, 12:13 AM
http://www.smh.com.au/news/league/not-a-cross-word-but-murray-cryptic-about-origin-puzzle/2006/04/19/1145344156144.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
Not a cross word but Murray cryptic about Origin puzzle
By Roy Masters
April 20, 2006
IT'S an intriguing jigsaw unlikely to be finally solved until it appears, with all the deceitful tidiness of the answers to yesterday's crossword puzzle, in the newspapers of July 6.
The previous night, at Melbourne's Telstra Dome, a third State of Origin match will have been played between NSW and Queensland. Based on the results of the past five years, in which four series have been decided by the final match, 2006's third game won't be a dead rubber. And even if the Blues or Maroons do seize a 2-0 lead, records indicate the losers are capable of a dead-cat bounce.
But another more immediate, compelling game is being played, a cat-and-mouse contest over the position Brisbane captain Darren Lockyer will play for Queensland. This was evident yesterday, judging by the verbal manoeuvring of NSW's Graham Murray and Queensland's Mal Meninga at a promotion in Melbourne.
Meninga made it clear his old Canberra teammate, Ricky Stuart, now Australia's coach, had the answer to one down. "Where Ricky picks Locky for the Test match against New Zealand on May 5 will be a clue," he said.
When Lockyer started the season poorly as Broncos pivot, the suggestion surfaced that Stuart would switch him to fullback and shunt the incumbent, Anthony Minichiello, one of his best players at the Roosters, to the wing. The brilliant form since of Cowboys five-eighth Johnathan Thurston, a certain Queensland representative, has added weight to the argument.
Although Lockyer believes he is the answer to six across, wanting to play five-eighth for his club, state and nation, Meninga claims Broncos coach Wayne Bennett is not hostile to a switch between Lockyer and Brisbane fullback Karmichael Hunt.
If Lockyer is chosen for Australia and Queensland at No.6, one thing is certain: New Zealand and NSW will run at him. They will seek to tire him, rendering him a speed bump in attack. But if Lockyer is chosen at fullback, won't he assume his normal position in attack of second receiver anyway? Asked where Lockyer will play for Queensland in Origin I on May 24 in Sydney, Meninga says: "I honestly don't know at the moment. [Scott] Prince [Wests Tigers half] is going well now and Thurston is on fire. We need to put all three in there somewhere. But a lot can change in four weeks."
Murray agrees, saying: "There is no doubt Thurston and Lockyer will both be in the Queensland team." Asked in which positions, he offers the same out as Meninga: "It's too far away to say." OK, but what about the Test match on May 5?
"I said three weeks ago that Thurston is one of the best players in the competition and nothing has changed," Murray says of his Cowboys pivot. "He's got to be there."
So where should Thurston play for Australia? Murray is a former maths teacher whose daily joy is the sudoku puzzle, the box score game in which everything must add up at the end.
"Where did Thurston play for the Bulldogs two years ago in the grand final?" he asks, turning a question into a question. Answer: Off the bench. Murray: "But where did he play when he came on?" Answer: Ball player.
Murray: "He replaced a lock and people will say you can't pick him as lock but…" Answer: Players are interchangeable parts! Rugby league at the representative level has become a game of Scrabble with one, six and seven human blanks.
Furthermore, coaches have masterminds to prepare game strategies. Murray's assistant at the Cowboys, Neil Henry, will be Meninga's No.1 man.
"We're pretty good mates and we work well together for the Cowboys but he'll be plotting against us when I'm with NSW," Murray says. "I've got no doubt about it. I expect him to, as will [Cowboys trainer] Billy Johnstone, plus at least four of my players."
Meninga, who was influential as a director of the Raiders in appointing Henry as Canberra coach for next year, says: "Technically and tactically, Neil's very good. He produces a fantastic game plan, which we saw last week when he came up with the tactics to negate Andrew Johns and tire the Newcastle forwards."
Asked how Murray will counter the loss of Henry, Meninga offers a cross word of his own. "That's his problem," he says simply.
Not a cross word but Murray cryptic about Origin puzzle
By Roy Masters
April 20, 2006
IT'S an intriguing jigsaw unlikely to be finally solved until it appears, with all the deceitful tidiness of the answers to yesterday's crossword puzzle, in the newspapers of July 6.
The previous night, at Melbourne's Telstra Dome, a third State of Origin match will have been played between NSW and Queensland. Based on the results of the past five years, in which four series have been decided by the final match, 2006's third game won't be a dead rubber. And even if the Blues or Maroons do seize a 2-0 lead, records indicate the losers are capable of a dead-cat bounce.
But another more immediate, compelling game is being played, a cat-and-mouse contest over the position Brisbane captain Darren Lockyer will play for Queensland. This was evident yesterday, judging by the verbal manoeuvring of NSW's Graham Murray and Queensland's Mal Meninga at a promotion in Melbourne.
Meninga made it clear his old Canberra teammate, Ricky Stuart, now Australia's coach, had the answer to one down. "Where Ricky picks Locky for the Test match against New Zealand on May 5 will be a clue," he said.
When Lockyer started the season poorly as Broncos pivot, the suggestion surfaced that Stuart would switch him to fullback and shunt the incumbent, Anthony Minichiello, one of his best players at the Roosters, to the wing. The brilliant form since of Cowboys five-eighth Johnathan Thurston, a certain Queensland representative, has added weight to the argument.
Although Lockyer believes he is the answer to six across, wanting to play five-eighth for his club, state and nation, Meninga claims Broncos coach Wayne Bennett is not hostile to a switch between Lockyer and Brisbane fullback Karmichael Hunt.
If Lockyer is chosen for Australia and Queensland at No.6, one thing is certain: New Zealand and NSW will run at him. They will seek to tire him, rendering him a speed bump in attack. But if Lockyer is chosen at fullback, won't he assume his normal position in attack of second receiver anyway? Asked where Lockyer will play for Queensland in Origin I on May 24 in Sydney, Meninga says: "I honestly don't know at the moment. [Scott] Prince [Wests Tigers half] is going well now and Thurston is on fire. We need to put all three in there somewhere. But a lot can change in four weeks."
Murray agrees, saying: "There is no doubt Thurston and Lockyer will both be in the Queensland team." Asked in which positions, he offers the same out as Meninga: "It's too far away to say." OK, but what about the Test match on May 5?
"I said three weeks ago that Thurston is one of the best players in the competition and nothing has changed," Murray says of his Cowboys pivot. "He's got to be there."
So where should Thurston play for Australia? Murray is a former maths teacher whose daily joy is the sudoku puzzle, the box score game in which everything must add up at the end.
"Where did Thurston play for the Bulldogs two years ago in the grand final?" he asks, turning a question into a question. Answer: Off the bench. Murray: "But where did he play when he came on?" Answer: Ball player.
Murray: "He replaced a lock and people will say you can't pick him as lock but…" Answer: Players are interchangeable parts! Rugby league at the representative level has become a game of Scrabble with one, six and seven human blanks.
Furthermore, coaches have masterminds to prepare game strategies. Murray's assistant at the Cowboys, Neil Henry, will be Meninga's No.1 man.
"We're pretty good mates and we work well together for the Cowboys but he'll be plotting against us when I'm with NSW," Murray says. "I've got no doubt about it. I expect him to, as will [Cowboys trainer] Billy Johnstone, plus at least four of my players."
Meninga, who was influential as a director of the Raiders in appointing Henry as Canberra coach for next year, says: "Technically and tactically, Neil's very good. He produces a fantastic game plan, which we saw last week when he came up with the tactics to negate Andrew Johns and tire the Newcastle forwards."
Asked how Murray will counter the loss of Henry, Meninga offers a cross word of his own. "That's his problem," he says simply.