state of origin

[Ken Gargett]

time for the annual origin thread?

i will just say the biggest giggle i have had for a while was on one league thread where endless nsw fans were lining up to bash pearce (there is even a 6 minute pearce origin blooper you can google - well worth it) and complaining about how good we have had it in the halves (comes and goes - playing against johns and daley was no picnic for us). pointed out how we had locky and JT and then cronk and JT and now have back-ups in cherry-evans and morgan and someone pointed out that if ben hunt was from the south, he'd be playing rather than in the qld 3rds.

but the highlight was a heap of nsw fans complaining the nsw selectors did not pick sandow ahead of pearce. the x-factor etc. why oh why? pearce so awful and on and on.

finally someone popped up and mentioned that perhaps the reason they were not picking sandow was because he was a queenslander. you could hear the groan from here.

go those mighty maroons!

[JohnS]

NSW selectors pick Chris Sandow? What, so we can have fun working out which Chris Sandow turns up...the ordinary one or outstanding one? There never seems to be an in-between with him and hence my reservations. At Origin level you need tried-and-true performers who are a model of consistency. Unfortunately, Pearce may not be that either but it's probably the best NSW have for now.

[soutso]

Pearce is actually in career best form and given that he has played so many SOO games he won't let the occasion get to him. I think he will do well.

That said, I think this golden generation of players have another origin in them. I think the Blues will win their Sydney match and lose the other two.

The only joy us Blues get is watching Big Mal standing around doing nothing at half time whilst another man does the coaching. A quick look at his foray into politics tells you all you need to know about Mal.

[Ken Gargett]

Pearce is actually in career best form and given that he has played so many SOO games he won't let the occasion get to him. I think he will do well.

That said, I think this golden generation of players have another origin in them. I think the Blues will win their Sydney match and lose the other two.

The only joy us Blues get is watching Big Mal standing around doing nothing at half time whilst another man does the coaching. A quick look at his foray into politics tells you all you need to know about Mal.

i think the blues will come out and attempt to monster qld in this first one and it might very well work. the next two will be tougher. we will be saying we've learnt. why the hell we don't learn before it happens, as we know it will happen?

mal cops a bashing from down south but he must be doing something right. most successful coach in origin ever. a lot more to coaching than yelling at players at half time.

as for pearce, sure he is in form but the roosters have a top pack. he always struggles when the pack is not dominant and if nsw do not get on top in the forwards, i think you'll have a new combo for game 2. but the law of averages says that eventually he has to have a good game at origin. he has had 12 bog average ones. i'd be very interested to see, if he makes an early mistake, how he reacts. in the past, that would be it. has he got over that sort of thing?

was an interesting piece i read where the writer was saying part of the problem is farrah. they way he plays does not suit pierce. possible.

[madbunny]

go the BLUES ,haha

[madbunny]

sore loser kenny ?

[Ken Gargett]

sore loser kenny ?

not sure i follow. we have won 8 out of the last 9 series, so i think that the losers might all reside south of the border.

even if we get done this series, if you'd asked a decade ago, would we be happy with 8 out of the next 10, i think most qlders would have said yes.

[madbunny]

without grub gallen we nsw are going to be smashed with the rorters halfback leading us around the park

[Ken Gargett]

without grub gallen we nsw are going to be smashed with the rorters halfback leading us around the park

my only argument with that is that i am not sure i'd put pearce and the word "leading" in the same sentence. but you will miss the drug cheat.

[madbunny]

the bunnies cant even get a blues jumper ?

[madbunny]

^{still theres only one good thing to come out your state it's rum}

[soutso]

i think the blues will come out and attempt to monster qld in this first one and it might very well work. the next two will be tougher. we will be saying we've learnt. why the hell we don't learn before it happens, as we know it will happen?

mal cops a bashing from down south but he must be doing something right. most successful coach in origin ever. a lot more to coaching than yelling at players at half time.

as for pearce, sure he is in form but the roosters have a top pack. he always struggles when the pack is not dominant and if nsw do not get on top in the forwards, i think you'll have a new combo for game 2. but the law of averages says that eventually he has to have a good game at origin. he has had 12 bog average ones. i'd be very interested to see, if he makes an early mistake, how he reacts. in the past, that would be it. has he got over that sort of thing?

was an interesting piece i read where the writer was saying part of the problem is farrah. they way he plays does not suit pierce. possible.

The players at Queensland's disposal are the sole reason they have had this incredible amount of success. Mal probably has something to offer, but he's no genius. He was an incredible player who makes a living off of his legend. Perhaps that's all you need at SOO level in terms of coaching. It certainly works with guys like Slater, Smith, Cronk, Inglis and especially Thurston.

Craig Bellamy is an excellent coach. He could not prevent his team from losing to the Maroons in the 3 (was it 3?) series he coached the Blues. He just didn't have the players to compete with them.

If our pack monster the Queenslanders, that should pave the way for Pearce to have a good game..... or at least play an acceptable game. Time will tell.

I am surprised that Luke Lewis wasn't picked for the Blues. Only he, Gallen and Bird perform well year in year out. Yeah I get that Gallen and Bird have a grubby element but you need that crazy factor at this level and those three players have been mightily reliable.

Whilst I think Qld will win the series this is the first time in a long time that us Blues fans go into a series with the hope that victory is possible.... I know we won last year but not many thought we would at the start of the series.

[Ken Gargett]

^{still theres only one good thing to come out your state it's rum}

i'll let rob know there is no point any cigars coming out of our state your way.

[Ken Gargett]

The players at Queensland's disposal are the sole reason they have had this incredible amount of success. Mal probably has something to offer, but he's no genius. He was an incredible player who makes a living off of his legend. Perhaps that's all you need at SOO level in terms of coaching. It certainly works with guys like Slater, Smith, Cronk, Inglis and especially Thurston.

Craig Bellamy is an excellent coach. He could not prevent his team from losing to the Maroons in the 3 (was it 3?) series he coached the Blues. He just didn't have the players to compete with them.

If our pack monster the Queenslanders, that should pave the way for Pearce to have a good game..... or at least play an acceptable game. Time will tell.

I am surprised that Luke Lewis wasn't picked for the Blues. Only he, Gallen and Bird perform well year in year out. Yeah I get that Gallen and Bird have a grubby element but you need that crazy factor at this level and those three players have been mightily reliable.

Whilst I think Qld will win the series this is the first time in a long time that us Blues fans go into a series with the hope that victory is possible.... I know we won last year but not many thought we would at the start of the series.

i would agree that mal is not bellamy or bennett or even gould and the team you have will make a huge difference, though you can say that about any coach, any sport, any level. i think mal would be badly exposed over a full nfl season.

all that said, i think coaching origin is a very different beast. you have such a short period and only a few games. i think mal has largely mastered this. he is respected, has been there, knows what is needed to win, as a player and a coach. he manages the team extremely well. obviously is good at planning what is needed to win and also to hold back the blues. he and the qld admin have long led the way in developing future players, incorporating the older guys and past players.

nsw still does not get it. i know nsw disputes this but trying to bring in artie beetson as a blues hero? what the hell were they thinking? they have made themselves look idiots, must have made the players uncomfortable and have given the maroons yet another motivating force. how pissed off would the qlders be at that? it speaks volumes that the morons who came up with that did it after artie died and not when he was alive.

we agree re the pack and pearce. pretty much exactly what i said earlier. but, from a spectator's perspective taking away the bias, i really would love to see how the bloke responds if he did start badly. i'm not sure he is the sort of playing to do that. others are. hayne was one. hodges for us another.

as for the three, lewis has long been respected up here. a little surprised as well, but i think he is probably well past his best. not a bad time to make big changes. bird is usually solid though to be honest, never met a qlder too worried if he was picked. and a lot are sorry he won't be there. often a negative factor for you guys with penalties and silly play. tough but dumb. the drug cheat is a terrific player and has had big games but also probably past his best. but as for 'mighty reliable', while i know what you mean, their win/loss record is horrific.

interesting if you win the first two and then gallen and bird were available (yes, i know bird is gone), would they pick them?

[soutso]

I'm not aware of the Artie Beetson story. A Blues hero? Really? It's obvious where Artie's loyalty lied so based on that, its genuinely embarrassing.

With regard to your last point, I think the Blues selectors take the view of picking the best available players (as they see it) rather than look to the future. With a series wrapped up, they'd stupidly select the drug cheat at the very least.

[Ken Gargett]

I'm not aware of the Artie Beetson story. A Blues hero? Really? It's obvious where Artie's loyalty lied so based on that, its genuinely embarrassing.

With regard to your last point, I think the Blues selectors take the view of picking the best available players (as they see it) rather than look to the future. With a series wrapped up, they'd stupidly select the drug cheat at the very least.

big thing made up here about how they were going to make big artie a blues legend or something. i assume someone in the backroom has been doing the sums and worked out artie played many times for the blues and only once for qld. ditto rod reddy, who was one of the best players i ever saw and who had massive game in that first origin, which no one remembers.

so based on that, it was apparently decided to make artie a blues legend or whatever. i can understand simply from the numbers but it really wasn't very bright. and his family blew up.

i suspect you are correct re gallen but in fairness to him, he has been such a great servant for nsw, he'd deserve it. others may not get treated so well. the policy up here has always been loyalty first and i think it has helped us - remember you guys have a pool four times the size of what we have to select from. your selectors way too quick to chop and change. but ours like to introduce new blood as well. but they do it slowly. they try and have the new kids as 18th man but very rarely have the same 18th man twice, to share it around. then to the bench and then in when a spot. and a few of those coming up soon.

[soutso]

Time for predictions:

NSW 14

QLD 13

[Ken Gargett]

Time for predictions:

NSW 14

QLD 13

i assume you mean 14 for nsw over the entire series and 13 for us by half time?

more seriously, i am very worried by the blues bench but provided we don't get ambushed, and lord knows that we know it is coming so no excuse, qld 22 nsw 6. consolation try.

though we have a shocking record - only won one out of about 8 - in series openers at this ground.

[soutso]

I will remain humble and say that Queensland, with their superior roster, superior record and superior Origin structure will be almost impossible to defeat.

The Blues will have to work hard, keep their heads and do enough to win three games of football just to stay withing touching distance of the almighty Maroons.

I believe in fairies, miracles and justice. I believe the Blues may just scrape through this evening.

[Jeremy Festa]

I cannot wait for the State of Origin. I have swapped it for a cigar! Said to the missus, you can watch the Kardashians or something. So in my eyes... QLD just won!

Sent from my iPhone

[Ken Gargett]

I will remain humble and say that Queensland, with their superior roster, superior record and superior Origin structure will be almost impossible to defeat.

The Blues will have to work hard, keep their heads and do enough to win three games of football just to stay withing touching distance of the almighty Maroons.

I believe in fairies, miracles and justice. I believe the Blues may just scrape through this evening.

despite the deparate need nsw have to claim underdog status, they are current holders, have won 5 out 6 series openers at this ground and we have only ever won 5 of 22 here in total. home crowd makes a massive difference.

nsw have a young hungry side and we have an ageing side, suffering numerous injuries, always a very bad sign in origin.

you have the much superior bench.

and no doubt nsw officials have instructed the refs to allow a far greater tolerance of the usual nsw thuggery.

qld very much backs to the wall here.

it might sound odd but i'd be more inclined to put money on us winning the series than winning tonight.

more importantly, what are you smoking?

i have an old Hoyo DC and some good rum ahead of me. not a fan of these - one of rob's very few 'misses' for me.

but as he and i had the magnificent diplo bushido this arvo (for a video but no spoilers), i figure that anything will be overshadowed. also, in big games, i often forget what i am smoking and puff away as though i am gasping for my last breath, so don't want to waste a biggie! if we are 2-0 up going into the third, i might have a hamlet.

[soutso]

Ken,

On my way to mates place for the annual shellacking.

At least I'll have my Upmann Sir Winnie to console me.

I respect your attempts to downplay your team's superiority however the referees instruction to quicken the play the ball firmly suits the Maroons. I can already see Chris Close punching the air in delight ... sigh

[Ken Gargett]

never in doubt!!

[soutso]

Bloody hell. NSW offered nothing in that second half. Terrible

Thank God for the Sea Eagles

[Ken Gargett]

Bloody hell. NSW offered nothing in that second half. Terrible

Thank God for the Sea Eagles

must have been the worst half time speech ever by daley. collapsed in the 2nd. strange. you guys had it at half time. mind you, the refs helped your lot first half. evened up in the 2nd.

thank god for the sea eagles. not something you hear often. tough year for you.