Granty
22-05-2006, 12:51 AM
http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/story/0,20797,19212757-5003409,00.html
Young Maroons unscarred by past
Steve Ricketts
May 22, 2006
QUEENSLAND State of Origin legend Greg Dowling says the Maroons' failure to win a match at Sydney's Telstra Stadium meant nothing to the "young and innocent" new breed given the task of tackling NSW at the 82,000-capacity venue on Wednesday night.
Dowling, who joined the Queensland camp yesterday as part of new coach Mal Meninga's mentor scheme, said he believed this was the Maroons' best chance in years to break the Telstra hoodoo.
He said the selection of seven rookies for Origin I would prove a masterstroke with the youngsters driving on the veterans with their enthusiasm. "They're young and innocent. They're not mentally scarred by that (Telstra) record," Dowling said. "That's the beauty of having these young blokes in the team.
"Yes we haven't won a game at Telstra in 10 goes and that's a big thing for us. But these guys don't give a damn.
"It's a new ball game to them. It's just a game.
"Yes it is State of Origin and that's the way they're treating it. But I think it will play in our favour.
"These guys aren't mentally scarred. They don't have any of those hangovers.
"They'll go out there and play their best football and the younger ones will push the older ones on. And that's what has been happening all week at training. The enthusiasm is unreal.
"This is our best chance in years to set the record straight and break that hoodoo down there."
Dowling, who lives at Atherton in North Queensland, ran the rule over the Queenslanders at an opposed session with the Sunshine Coast Falcons representative side at Quad Park, Kawana.
The veteran of 11 Origin matches and 12 Tests for Australia has spoken to each player individually and reserved a special chat for interchange forward Nate Myles, who hails from Cairns.
"I followed Nate's career when he was with Kangaroos in Cairns and I spoke to him a fair bit this year when he got suspended at the Bulldogs," Dowling said.
"The second time he got suspended he was down in the dumps and thought the world was against him and I just told him to keep hanging in there, mate."
Dowling told the Queensland forwards they would have a tough night against a NSW pack which boasts Myles's Bulldogs teammates Willie Mason and Mark O'Meley, who starred in Australian's Test win over the Kiwis on May 5.
"I said to them all, 'did you watch the Test match' because they (O'Meley and Mason) laid the foundations along with (Queensland's) Petero Civoniceva and that's where they're going to come at us on Wednesday. So we've got to stop them and they're all quietly confident they can.
"It's a great opportunity for Nate to gain the respect of his teammates O'Meley and Mason."
Queensland centre Brent Tate trained impressively after being restricted at previous sessions and the Broncos star declared himself a certain starter with his suspect ankle holding up well on grounds that are harder than what he is used to in Brisbane.
The NSW camp is tipping a late switch with Manly's Steve Bell playing left centre against NSW trump Mark Gasnier. The Blues also feel Carl Webb will start instead of Matt Scott.
Tate said a late switch from centre to wing would not worry him but for the entire session yesterday he trained at left centre with Storm's Greg Inglis on the wing.
"Whatever Mal feels is right for the team I'm more than happy to do it," Tate said. "I haven't marked Gasnier too much because I normally play on the other side of the field.
"He's a good player and he'll take a lot to handle. It will be a hard night. But I've got some good defenders inside and outside me."
Young Maroons unscarred by past
Steve Ricketts
May 22, 2006
QUEENSLAND State of Origin legend Greg Dowling says the Maroons' failure to win a match at Sydney's Telstra Stadium meant nothing to the "young and innocent" new breed given the task of tackling NSW at the 82,000-capacity venue on Wednesday night.
Dowling, who joined the Queensland camp yesterday as part of new coach Mal Meninga's mentor scheme, said he believed this was the Maroons' best chance in years to break the Telstra hoodoo.
He said the selection of seven rookies for Origin I would prove a masterstroke with the youngsters driving on the veterans with their enthusiasm. "They're young and innocent. They're not mentally scarred by that (Telstra) record," Dowling said. "That's the beauty of having these young blokes in the team.
"Yes we haven't won a game at Telstra in 10 goes and that's a big thing for us. But these guys don't give a damn.
"It's a new ball game to them. It's just a game.
"Yes it is State of Origin and that's the way they're treating it. But I think it will play in our favour.
"These guys aren't mentally scarred. They don't have any of those hangovers.
"They'll go out there and play their best football and the younger ones will push the older ones on. And that's what has been happening all week at training. The enthusiasm is unreal.
"This is our best chance in years to set the record straight and break that hoodoo down there."
Dowling, who lives at Atherton in North Queensland, ran the rule over the Queenslanders at an opposed session with the Sunshine Coast Falcons representative side at Quad Park, Kawana.
The veteran of 11 Origin matches and 12 Tests for Australia has spoken to each player individually and reserved a special chat for interchange forward Nate Myles, who hails from Cairns.
"I followed Nate's career when he was with Kangaroos in Cairns and I spoke to him a fair bit this year when he got suspended at the Bulldogs," Dowling said.
"The second time he got suspended he was down in the dumps and thought the world was against him and I just told him to keep hanging in there, mate."
Dowling told the Queensland forwards they would have a tough night against a NSW pack which boasts Myles's Bulldogs teammates Willie Mason and Mark O'Meley, who starred in Australian's Test win over the Kiwis on May 5.
"I said to them all, 'did you watch the Test match' because they (O'Meley and Mason) laid the foundations along with (Queensland's) Petero Civoniceva and that's where they're going to come at us on Wednesday. So we've got to stop them and they're all quietly confident they can.
"It's a great opportunity for Nate to gain the respect of his teammates O'Meley and Mason."
Queensland centre Brent Tate trained impressively after being restricted at previous sessions and the Broncos star declared himself a certain starter with his suspect ankle holding up well on grounds that are harder than what he is used to in Brisbane.
The NSW camp is tipping a late switch with Manly's Steve Bell playing left centre against NSW trump Mark Gasnier. The Blues also feel Carl Webb will start instead of Matt Scott.
Tate said a late switch from centre to wing would not worry him but for the entire session yesterday he trained at left centre with Storm's Greg Inglis on the wing.
"Whatever Mal feels is right for the team I'm more than happy to do it," Tate said. "I haven't marked Gasnier too much because I normally play on the other side of the field.
"He's a good player and he'll take a lot to handle. It will be a hard night. But I've got some good defenders inside and outside me."