NSW State of Origin Blueprint 2012 and beyond

Nah, I really disagree. We've spent large periods of time just camped in our own end in both Game II and Game III because we didn't have the go-forward or the kicking game to gtfo out of there. It's not a coincidence that happened; it's just what happens when you play with one prop on the field, have wide-running second rowers taking tight hit-ups and and go wide from your own end every second play regardless of momentum.

If the logic is "Gallen is going to play 80 in the front row so we only need three props" then I can see that, however this doesn't work at all when you only give the other two props 30 minutes between them. Particularly when all the back rowers we picked are better fringe runners than centre-field players - we haven't even picked a genuine modern-day lock to help out.

I don't really care how many props we pick on the bench as long as we have two out there at all times.

 

You didn't need to name five fullbacks though. You only named three wingers even though one of them is also in your fullback list and you play double the wingers you do in each game compared to fullbacks. I'm a big fan but Coote needn't be on the list; he has no hope.

 

On Canberra's bench where he belongs. Shit cunt. Don't make me cockblock.

 

I believe my team before the series was:

I said I'd sit Lyon down and talk to him about playing, and move Lewis to centre if he really didn't think he could serve the team. I hadn't decided on a replacement second rower in that eventuality, but I was considering someone like Tupou just for impact.

My team hasn't changed that much at all, really. Lyon's been flicked now, so Lewis to centre it is. I was impressed with Scott's work in the second row so he can start. Uate in for Morris.

Snowden was dropped, slightly unfairly given the limited chances he got but he was terrible tbf and he was also poor in the Test. I still like the idea of Mannah and TLL on the bench so I'd probably just bring Douglas in as a straight swap for Snowden in that team.

Halves are still pretty confusing. Campese's injured again, I don't know what to make of Carney at all now, Mullen needed to have a big year and really hasn't, and Soward actually out-performed Pearce just to make it more difficult.

Of the other players I didn't name who Stuart picked - Glenn Stewart and Jennings had solid games. Creagh gets a lot of wraps but I still think he's been pretty poor; he's done nothing to prove my perception of him wrong. Dugan went okay but I still think Hayne or Stewart would offer a lot more, and Minichiello was terrible. Merrin and Galloway barely got in the field, but did nothing to suggest I was wrong to leave them out. Ennis was crap as expected. Oh and Young got a game - lol.