2017 State of Origin

Yeah you can't pick Cleary. That'd be a huge mistake.

The current situation is so anomalous in Origin history, at least for NSW. I don't think they've ever been faced with the prospect of having their best available half being a demonstrable, time and time again, utter failure.

I definitely still till think they need to get Austin in there. He is arguably their most dangerous ball runner in the halves and it's the straight running that troubles QLD the most. The only time Maloney looked threatening was when he took the ball flat and played fast and straight.

But yeah as I said a while ago I agree with Wilson that Sezer has been quite overrated on here.

 

I don't see how anyone can advocate picking Tedesco again though. With the current halves options they need a genuine ball playing fullback.

 

Well I don't think you have one.

I never like agreeing with Magic but for a lot of the match, Tedesco honestly did remind me of Dugan at fullback.

 

Be interested to hear why you think that. Cunt is a beast imo. I have never seen him get driven backwards. One thing is his lateral movement.

Tamou has disappointed starting. Off the bench though I think he can keep a place. Who would your starting props be?

 

If you're asking me has my opinion changed since the last time we had this discussion the answer is no. Assuming Slater returned and was playing well enough to retake the QLD no.1, I would put Boyd back outside Inglis and reform the most successful and deadly flank in Origin history. I would not unnecessarily shift Boyd or Oates out of position.

1.Slater
2.Boyd
3.Inglis
4.Chambers
5.Gagai

Is Oates better than Gagai? Yeah. Is he sufficiently better to warrant moving him out of position or Boyd to the right so Oates can stay on the left? Nah, no way. Totally unnecessary risk. There are still positional issues in his game and moving him to the other side will only magnify them. Boyd would probably handle it but it's just not worth it when we have quality, right side, specialist players available. I'm not going to weaken the left and take a risk on the right.

Hypothetically, if you take out incumbency and experience I don't even know if I'd pick either of them. Aside from Greg Inglis, Ben Barba and Billy Slater, I think Valentine Holmes is the best finisher and most naturally talented outside back in QLD. Cunt is an absolute freak. In time, I think he'll become a walk-up starter.

 

Yeah aside from a few poor reads Gagai has been way, way better than I thought he would. Very much like Chambers, Yow Yeh and Boyd when he first debuted they've far surpassed expectations on the wing.

 

Well, whether we like it or not, I really can't see Pearce missing out next year. Daley so badly wanted him in there this time around. Off-field dramas aside, even moderate form will see him picked.

1.Tedesco
2.
3.Dugan
4.Jennings
5.Mansour
6.Maloney
7.Pearce
8.Woods
9.Farah
10.
11.Cordner
12.
13.

I'd say those are probable selections.

 

How much do you think they'll miss Gallen? I still think they'll miss him a lot but not quite as much as I used to.

 

Who are you picking at left centre, Taylor?

 

Well unless he quits, he will be. NSWRL has already said as much and that was before they won Game 3.