Granty
24-05-2006, 07:31 AM
http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,19236950-23214,00.html
Six shooters turn on their own
By Stuart Honeysett
May 24, 2006
THERE are six men plotting the downfall of Graham Murray tonight: Johnathan Thurston, Matt Bowen, Carl Webb, Matthew Scott, Neil Henry and Billy Johnstone.
There is nothing unusual about that given they are all connected with the Queensland camp and Murray is leading the charge for New South Wales.
What is unusual is, after tonight's opening State of Origin match at Telstra Stadium in Sydney, all seven men will head back to Townsville to join forces again for their club North Queensland.
"I haven't even thought about it until you just mentioned it now," Murray said when alerted to his own men within the enemy camp.
"I don't try to guess what they're saying to the Queensland blokes and I'm not trying to guess what they do. I'm probably thinking less about them and more about us than I would at normal times."
While Murray is not sparing his club troops a second thought, the same cannot be said for Queensland Rugby League when it started to look around for support staff for coach Mal Meninga last year.
No doubt the conspiracy theorists will be whispering that the QRL deliberately opted for personnel who might know all Murray's little secrets but nothing could be further from the truth.
The QRL had finished all of its State of Origin appointments in October and Murray was not officially handed the reins for NSW until Ricky Stuart vacated the position to take over the Test job in December.
What the QRL did want, however, after three consecutive series losses, was the best in the business and, given the Cowboys had transformed themselves under Murray into a powerhouse in the NRL, suggested Townsville was a good place as any to start.
Let's begin with Johnstone.
The former professional boxer and Canterbury Bulldogs hooker has carved a reputation for himself in the game as one of the toughest trainers in the business, a trait that is needed for the frantic pace of the Origin arena.
"There's even guys in this (NSW) camp here ... we just talked about Billy's impact in Australian camps ... and I can't speak highly enough of him myself," Murray said.
Then there's Henry.
Murray's right-hand man at the Cowboys since 2003, who will head to Canberra next season to take over from Matthew Elliott, is seen as the perfect foil to coach Meninga.
"Neil's got a tremendous football brain, he's also very, very good at skills and drills and he's not frightened to challenge your own ideas," Murray said.
"We've got a very good relationship that he'll put things up and I'll either go with them or I won't. But more often I go with them.
"At the same time, while I think coaches can have a bit of an impact on the game, it's the two lots of 17 that are going to be fairly instrumental in what happens out there."
Therein lies the problem.
Take out rookie prop Scott ("he's a good athletic kid," Murray said) and damaging back rower Webb ("he's been hitting good in defence and been running the ball well") and you are still left with Thurston and Bowen, two of the most influential players in the game this season.
Having enjoyed watching the pair tear opposition sides apart, Murray will be at their mercy tonight.
In his favour is the fact he also knows all their weaknesses but QRL chairman Ross Livermore believes that won't help him much as opposing coaches only give so much away in Origin, even if the mantra is state against state and mate against mate.
"Do you think a coach is going to give everything away about his players at club level and then when they play them next time they know how to clean them up?" Livermore said.
"I'm sure (Newcastle and former Queensland coach) Michael Hagan went a certain distance with (NSW halfback and Knights captain) Andrew Johns but you are not going to give everything up about him if he's got any weaknesses, are you?"
The Australian
Six shooters turn on their own
By Stuart Honeysett
May 24, 2006
THERE are six men plotting the downfall of Graham Murray tonight: Johnathan Thurston, Matt Bowen, Carl Webb, Matthew Scott, Neil Henry and Billy Johnstone.
There is nothing unusual about that given they are all connected with the Queensland camp and Murray is leading the charge for New South Wales.
What is unusual is, after tonight's opening State of Origin match at Telstra Stadium in Sydney, all seven men will head back to Townsville to join forces again for their club North Queensland.
"I haven't even thought about it until you just mentioned it now," Murray said when alerted to his own men within the enemy camp.
"I don't try to guess what they're saying to the Queensland blokes and I'm not trying to guess what they do. I'm probably thinking less about them and more about us than I would at normal times."
While Murray is not sparing his club troops a second thought, the same cannot be said for Queensland Rugby League when it started to look around for support staff for coach Mal Meninga last year.
No doubt the conspiracy theorists will be whispering that the QRL deliberately opted for personnel who might know all Murray's little secrets but nothing could be further from the truth.
The QRL had finished all of its State of Origin appointments in October and Murray was not officially handed the reins for NSW until Ricky Stuart vacated the position to take over the Test job in December.
What the QRL did want, however, after three consecutive series losses, was the best in the business and, given the Cowboys had transformed themselves under Murray into a powerhouse in the NRL, suggested Townsville was a good place as any to start.
Let's begin with Johnstone.
The former professional boxer and Canterbury Bulldogs hooker has carved a reputation for himself in the game as one of the toughest trainers in the business, a trait that is needed for the frantic pace of the Origin arena.
"There's even guys in this (NSW) camp here ... we just talked about Billy's impact in Australian camps ... and I can't speak highly enough of him myself," Murray said.
Then there's Henry.
Murray's right-hand man at the Cowboys since 2003, who will head to Canberra next season to take over from Matthew Elliott, is seen as the perfect foil to coach Meninga.
"Neil's got a tremendous football brain, he's also very, very good at skills and drills and he's not frightened to challenge your own ideas," Murray said.
"We've got a very good relationship that he'll put things up and I'll either go with them or I won't. But more often I go with them.
"At the same time, while I think coaches can have a bit of an impact on the game, it's the two lots of 17 that are going to be fairly instrumental in what happens out there."
Therein lies the problem.
Take out rookie prop Scott ("he's a good athletic kid," Murray said) and damaging back rower Webb ("he's been hitting good in defence and been running the ball well") and you are still left with Thurston and Bowen, two of the most influential players in the game this season.
Having enjoyed watching the pair tear opposition sides apart, Murray will be at their mercy tonight.
In his favour is the fact he also knows all their weaknesses but QRL chairman Ross Livermore believes that won't help him much as opposing coaches only give so much away in Origin, even if the mantra is state against state and mate against mate.
"Do you think a coach is going to give everything away about his players at club level and then when they play them next time they know how to clean them up?" Livermore said.
"I'm sure (Newcastle and former Queensland coach) Michael Hagan went a certain distance with (NSW halfback and Knights captain) Andrew Johns but you are not going to give everything up about him if he's got any weaknesses, are you?"
The Australian