Williams set to return for Origin decider
June 16, 2012
MANLY strike forward Tony Williams is in line for a shock Origin recall for next month's decider - if he can prove his fitness before the NSW side is named next Sunday.
Williams missed Wednesday night's 16-12 defeat of Queensland after injuring his back in Origin I and Blues coach Ricky Stuart was resigned to being without him for the series.
However, a Manly official told the Herald that the club was hopeful Williams may be available for next Sunday's match against Sydney Roosters and if he does play the giant second-rower would be an almost certain selection in the NSW team.
Stuart said yesterday that he had not been expecting Williams to be available but if he was fit, the Canterbury-bound back-rower would come under strong consideration for a place on the interchange.
''I have a responsibility to put the best team that is available on the field for NSW,'' Stuart said.
The Herald was told that Sea Eagles medical staff are reluctant to put a time frame on Williams's return but his fitness is being assessed on a game-by-game basis and there is a chance he will be available for the Roosters game.
However, Manly officials insist he will not return in Monday night's blockbuster against Melbourne at Brookvale Oval.
Stuart is aware the Blues are going to have to improve on Wednesday night's performance to end Queensland's six-year domination of Origin in the series decider.
The NSW coach has already started reviewing the match and he was pleased by the grit and determination his players showed, particularly defending their own line.
The Maroons had four more sets of possession than NSW, who made 375 tackles compared with their opponents' 320. The Blues also had to spend much more time defending inside their own 20 metres than in Origin I but Queensland managed to score just twice.
The support play of the Blues was also better, with players backing up any half-break made by a teammate.
Another area that was much improved was the kicking game of playmakers Mitchell Pearce and Todd Carney, and NSW kicked for 974 metres in Origin II compared with 598 metres in the series opener.
The chase was also better and Maroons fullback Billy Slater was physically punished by a wall of blue defenders on almost each of the 16 occasions he returned a kick.
However, the Blues are yet to force a goal-line drop-out in the series, whereas Queensland received possession back under such circumstances on six occasions in Origin II and three times in Origin I.
Stuart said whichever players he chooses for Origin III will have to be at the top of their game to beat Queensland, who will be vying to give Petero Civoniceva a triumphant send-off at Suncorp Stadium.
''We are going to have to be near-perfect to beat Queensland in Queensland under these conditions,'' Stuart said.
''We got into the grind of the game at the back end on Wednesday night and throughout the games now I have been promoting how we have to enjoy the grind of Origin and the players are slowly learning.
''It was nice to see that they could handle that pressure because it is going to increase. There is going to be a whole heap of hype in Brisbane as we experienced last year and we didn't live up to it.''
Meanwhile, NSW skipper Paul Gallen remains unlikely to play for Cronulla in tonight's match against the Warriors, despite being cleared of further damage to his posterior cruciate. Gallen has been battling the knee injury for six weeks and met with the Sharks physio yesterday to discuss the result of scans taken on Thursday.
A final decision will be made on his fitness today but he remains in doubt and with Cronulla having a bye next weekend Gallen is unlikely to play again until Origin III.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/williams-set-to-return-for-origin-decider-20120615-20fck.html#ixzz1xuPAK1wN
