brainofmike
13-06-2006, 06:45 AM
http://www.smh.com.au/news/league/maroons-arent-bad-were-good-buderus/2006/06/12/1149964471607.html
NSW captain Danny Buderus said he and his teammates weren't getting the credit they deserved for their recent interstate domination, as Queensland greats Wally Lewis and Shane Webcke hit back at doomsayers of the Maroons team and the Origin concept.
With NSW on the eve of a record four consecutive series wins in tomorrow night's match at Suncorp Stadium, the Maroons have come in for unprecedented criticism from within their own ranks after losing last month's opening game.
Maroons coach Mal Meninga declared before the 17-16 loss at Telstra Stadium that the future of Origin was under threat if the Blues won and a mood of pessimism is evident north of the border as Queensland icons such as Wayne Bennett and Greg Dowling openly question team selections and the merits of players.
But Webcke slammed the previously little-known trend of Queenslanders turning on their own and called for former players to butt out of the debate.
"It's not for every man and his dog to have an opinion," Webcke told the Herald. "There are too many broadsides, particularly from ex-players. Just because you've played Origin doesn't give you a right of passage to criticise.
"It annoys me - 'they're soft, they're this, they're that'. Every one of those players plays NRL - by definition they are not soft and you are not suddenly a mob of soft *******s who can't play.
"It's a knee-jerk reaction and it really, really annoys me. I'm not saying they are protected species but it should be well-rounded, well-thought-out critiques.
"To say they will never ever win another game of football is quite ridiculous."
Lewis added: "There's no rule against people coming out and expressing their opinions but it's Mal's team and I think he has got a right to be upset. I thought they played pretty well in the first game and people have got to realise they only lost by one point."
Brett Finch's last-gasp field goal put NSW one win ahead of Queensland in the 75 Origin matches played since the concept began in 1980, with two games drawn, while both states have held the shield 12 times.
But the Maroons have won just six of the past 21 interstate encounters - a fact Buderus believes is due more to the quality of the team initially developed under coach Phil Gould than the disintegration of Queensland.
"I think we have the nucleus of a great side and that's probably something that is not getting enough recognition," Buderus said. "The team we've been putting out the past few seasons, I think we have done a great job. There have been games where we've lost by a point and games where we have won by a point. It's always been very close.
NSW captain Danny Buderus said he and his teammates weren't getting the credit they deserved for their recent interstate domination, as Queensland greats Wally Lewis and Shane Webcke hit back at doomsayers of the Maroons team and the Origin concept.
With NSW on the eve of a record four consecutive series wins in tomorrow night's match at Suncorp Stadium, the Maroons have come in for unprecedented criticism from within their own ranks after losing last month's opening game.
Maroons coach Mal Meninga declared before the 17-16 loss at Telstra Stadium that the future of Origin was under threat if the Blues won and a mood of pessimism is evident north of the border as Queensland icons such as Wayne Bennett and Greg Dowling openly question team selections and the merits of players.
But Webcke slammed the previously little-known trend of Queenslanders turning on their own and called for former players to butt out of the debate.
"It's not for every man and his dog to have an opinion," Webcke told the Herald. "There are too many broadsides, particularly from ex-players. Just because you've played Origin doesn't give you a right of passage to criticise.
"It annoys me - 'they're soft, they're this, they're that'. Every one of those players plays NRL - by definition they are not soft and you are not suddenly a mob of soft *******s who can't play.
"It's a knee-jerk reaction and it really, really annoys me. I'm not saying they are protected species but it should be well-rounded, well-thought-out critiques.
"To say they will never ever win another game of football is quite ridiculous."
Lewis added: "There's no rule against people coming out and expressing their opinions but it's Mal's team and I think he has got a right to be upset. I thought they played pretty well in the first game and people have got to realise they only lost by one point."
Brett Finch's last-gasp field goal put NSW one win ahead of Queensland in the 75 Origin matches played since the concept began in 1980, with two games drawn, while both states have held the shield 12 times.
But the Maroons have won just six of the past 21 interstate encounters - a fact Buderus believes is due more to the quality of the team initially developed under coach Phil Gould than the disintegration of Queensland.
"I think we have the nucleus of a great side and that's probably something that is not getting enough recognition," Buderus said. "The team we've been putting out the past few seasons, I think we have done a great job. There have been games where we've lost by a point and games where we have won by a point. It's always been very close.