pemmy
25-05-2006, 08:22 AM
The Rantings of a Sports Journalist...
State Of Origin II Squad
1. Darren Lockyer
2. Greg Inglis
3. Justin Hodges
4. Steve Bell
5. Billy Slater
6. Jonathan Thurston
7. Scott Prince
8. Steve Price
9. Cameron Smith / Aaron Payne
10. Petro
11. Nat Myles
12. Sam Thaiday
13. Tonie Carroll
Interchange
14. Carl Webb
15. Kirk Reynoldson
16. Rod Jensen (or someone like him)
17. Matt Bowen
Reasons:
Sorry Darren, most of Queensland doesnt care what has been said in the past and what Queensland and the Bronco's needed when we had no halves. Fact of the matter is you played your best footy at fullback and ever since his move to five eigth has never been as great.
Hooker - Really don't know who to put in. Payney has been playing well but could be a little small around the ruck. Still have that vision of him trying to attach himself to Willie Mason in the Bulldogs match at the Cowboys 10th anniversary, and Willie litterally throwing him away. Would do some damage around the ruck and that's one of the major things that let the maroons down last night. When we had a play the ball there was just no momentum, no speed, no role on.
Halves - Don't think it matters if Thursty has the 6 or 7 on his back. Putting Prince in their would shake up the make up of the team. Too many times it goes to Darren and play is a second man play out to the left centre. Prince is just a tenacious little bugger who will take the line on every now and then and put a bit of worry into some of the bigger fellas. Without Darren in the halves, our attack could really take a new look.
Myles and Thaiday - when these blokes came on they aimed up. Thaiday got about the last 20 minutes... why not throw him out there when they were scoring points willy nilly, no one else was making the tackles.... whats the problem if he isnt either. Myles also went looking for their forwards in defence, trying to lay the smack down on O'Meley and Mason when he could.
Tunza - seen Tunza in the shops on the weekend - gee he is a big unit. Get him out their smashing people and busting the line. When he is fit and without injury he could really do some damage in Origin again.
Bell- Sterling said it all - "needs to be in traffic" and "needs to have his hands on the ball and thats hard to do on the flanks"
Billly - needed to put someone out there and we need some speed. Not suited to the wing spot but with no Sing and Williams..... Brenton could be a bolter though.
The Bench: Sorry guys as much as Bowen is one of "the" players of the nrl and one of the greatest players to watch, Willie proved why he is better off the bench. Nathan Brown said Wayne Bennett had created a monster by playing him of the bench and it was justified. In an Origin time enviroment when defence is the biggest issue for any team, he is better suited coming in and darting around. Probably one of the reasons why NSW kept finding room from their kicks last night was that Inglis and Bowen were constantly rotating between wing and fullback.... doesn't really allow either player to be in position to get to the kick on the full.
Charlie - leave he on the bench but someone please make him angry!
Reynoldson - this bloke has some mongrel and has only got better since playing with Joey. Unleash the Bushranger.
Rocket Rod - I have previously said on the forum that Rocket probably wasn't good enough for Origin. But we need him (or someone like him) to come on and inject some damn speed and passion into the match. Rocket is sometimes prone to a mistake, but gees, when he comes on with them legs going at 4000 miles an hour at the line, either in attack and defence, its good to watch and good for the team. Rocket (sorry to use this analagy mate) is like your dog when you play backyard cricket, he is always round the ball, trying to get it and when he does just takes off like his life depends on it.
Reasons for leaving players out:
Dallas - read so many stories about how he was the new Axe but he seemed to be on the receiving end of all the big hits. Wasn't that he didn't do anything wrong, just didn't seem to be doing anything
Scott - started - but not much seen of him in the watch. Didn't seem to have the same gusto as in the Cowboys matches.
Stagg- Good tackling machine for the Broncos but not much of a line bender. Need our forwards to be able to tackle and break the line.... not one or the other.
Berrigan - was probably the best of the bench last night but just didn't understand what he was there for in the first place. May serve some purpose to the squad if injuries play a factor.
State Of Origin II Squad
1. Darren Lockyer
2. Greg Inglis
3. Justin Hodges
4. Steve Bell
5. Billy Slater
6. Jonathan Thurston
7. Scott Prince
8. Steve Price
9. Cameron Smith / Aaron Payne
10. Petro
11. Nat Myles
12. Sam Thaiday
13. Tonie Carroll
Interchange
14. Carl Webb
15. Kirk Reynoldson
16. Rod Jensen (or someone like him)
17. Matt Bowen
Reasons:
Sorry Darren, most of Queensland doesnt care what has been said in the past and what Queensland and the Bronco's needed when we had no halves. Fact of the matter is you played your best footy at fullback and ever since his move to five eigth has never been as great.
Hooker - Really don't know who to put in. Payney has been playing well but could be a little small around the ruck. Still have that vision of him trying to attach himself to Willie Mason in the Bulldogs match at the Cowboys 10th anniversary, and Willie litterally throwing him away. Would do some damage around the ruck and that's one of the major things that let the maroons down last night. When we had a play the ball there was just no momentum, no speed, no role on.
Halves - Don't think it matters if Thursty has the 6 or 7 on his back. Putting Prince in their would shake up the make up of the team. Too many times it goes to Darren and play is a second man play out to the left centre. Prince is just a tenacious little bugger who will take the line on every now and then and put a bit of worry into some of the bigger fellas. Without Darren in the halves, our attack could really take a new look.
Myles and Thaiday - when these blokes came on they aimed up. Thaiday got about the last 20 minutes... why not throw him out there when they were scoring points willy nilly, no one else was making the tackles.... whats the problem if he isnt either. Myles also went looking for their forwards in defence, trying to lay the smack down on O'Meley and Mason when he could.
Tunza - seen Tunza in the shops on the weekend - gee he is a big unit. Get him out their smashing people and busting the line. When he is fit and without injury he could really do some damage in Origin again.
Bell- Sterling said it all - "needs to be in traffic" and "needs to have his hands on the ball and thats hard to do on the flanks"
Billly - needed to put someone out there and we need some speed. Not suited to the wing spot but with no Sing and Williams..... Brenton could be a bolter though.
The Bench: Sorry guys as much as Bowen is one of "the" players of the nrl and one of the greatest players to watch, Willie proved why he is better off the bench. Nathan Brown said Wayne Bennett had created a monster by playing him of the bench and it was justified. In an Origin time enviroment when defence is the biggest issue for any team, he is better suited coming in and darting around. Probably one of the reasons why NSW kept finding room from their kicks last night was that Inglis and Bowen were constantly rotating between wing and fullback.... doesn't really allow either player to be in position to get to the kick on the full.
Charlie - leave he on the bench but someone please make him angry!
Reynoldson - this bloke has some mongrel and has only got better since playing with Joey. Unleash the Bushranger.
Rocket Rod - I have previously said on the forum that Rocket probably wasn't good enough for Origin. But we need him (or someone like him) to come on and inject some damn speed and passion into the match. Rocket is sometimes prone to a mistake, but gees, when he comes on with them legs going at 4000 miles an hour at the line, either in attack and defence, its good to watch and good for the team. Rocket (sorry to use this analagy mate) is like your dog when you play backyard cricket, he is always round the ball, trying to get it and when he does just takes off like his life depends on it.
Reasons for leaving players out:
Dallas - read so many stories about how he was the new Axe but he seemed to be on the receiving end of all the big hits. Wasn't that he didn't do anything wrong, just didn't seem to be doing anything
Scott - started - but not much seen of him in the watch. Didn't seem to have the same gusto as in the Cowboys matches.
Stagg- Good tackling machine for the Broncos but not much of a line bender. Need our forwards to be able to tackle and break the line.... not one or the other.
Berrigan - was probably the best of the bench last night but just didn't understand what he was there for in the first place. May serve some purpose to the squad if injuries play a factor.