That time of year, your NSW Blues team!!

[globaleagle]

Buzz who is self proclaiming he single handedly saved SOO a few years ago by typing an open letting in his paper to greenburg (or what the rest of us would call 'doing his job'), has now written another open letter to v'landy asking that the refs don't penalise players for head highs in origin like they've been doing in the reg season.

Because, you know, no one else in league has been saying the new interpretations have gone way to far. It's all up to Buzz to save us as he single handedly worked this out.

No Cookies | Daily Telegraph

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www.dailytelegraph.com.au

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Saw a story somewhere saying the refs aren’t changing anything for Wednesday’s game.

With the high intensity of Origin that could mean 9 v 10 at some stage.

And if anyone thinks that’s Origin they’ve got rocks in their head.

 

[Disco]

Part of me hope it happens to show up the rubbish state of affairs we have atm

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Part of me hope it happens to show up the rubbish state of affairs we have atm

Yes and in fact if that did happen in the showpiece game things WOULD change.

 

[Ryan]

Dear NRL Gods,

You have taken your fair share of blood and bone from my Manly Sea Eagles this year, last year, and quite a few years prior to that. With your Eagles quota full, can I please ask that you focus your desires in other directions, and can I please also ask that you keep our three boys safe in State of Origin.

Please and thank you,

Ryan !

@God , please instruct your subordinates imminently. Case of beer coming

 

[Tomay]

I think Yeo is a great club player but personally don't think he suits the origin arena. Sometimes, it takes a certain skill set to work in a game the speed of origin that great club players aren't up for. Think of Trent Merrin, Nathan Merrit, Cody Walker, etc.

I wish NSW would stop picking flashy players and just pick the toughest team they can. They should be able to roll straight over the QLD pack and hit them on the edges with more big bodies like Turbo and Latrine. Instead I fear they will approach it like a Panthers club game with razzamatazz, lateral movement (without go forward first against QLD line speed) and desperation will sink in again.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

I think Yeo is a great club player but personally don't think he suits the origin arena. Sometimes, it takes a certain skill set to work in a game the speed of origin that great club players aren't up for. Think of Trent Merrin, Nathan Merrit, Cody Walker, etc.

I wish NSW would stop picking flashy players and just pick the toughest team they can. They should be able to roll straight over the QLD pack and hit them on the edges with more big bodies like Turbo and Latrine. Instead I fear they will approach it like a Panthers club game with razzamatazz, lateral movement (without go forward first against QLD line speed) and desperation will sink in again.

Very good points !!

 

[Rafferty]

I think Yeo is a great club player but personally don't think he suits the origin arena. Sometimes, it takes a certain skill set to work in a game the speed of origin that great club players aren't up for. Think of Trent Merrin, Nathan Merrit, Cody Walker, etc.

I wish NSW would stop picking flashy players and just pick the toughest team they can. They should be able to roll straight over the QLD pack and hit them on the edges with more big bodies like Turbo and Latrine. Instead I fear they will approach it like a Panthers club game with razzamatazz, lateral movement (without go forward first against QLD line speed) and desperation will sink in again.

Yes Tomay, how do you leave players like Finucane out, tuff uncompromising, super reliable in terms of doing his job, any job in the forwards they ask of him and will let no one down, proven big game must for me. I‘m worried the Qld pack will get the better of ours again, the blue’s have the job in front of them getting over the Qld forwards, no good having the best backline in the world if we get dominated up front, Yeo will work his ass off, but your right to question just how effective he’ll be! Not long before we find out I guess.
The other moot point for me is our backline, it’s stacked with talent, but we are carrying 3 fullbacks (bit like our forward pack with 3 locks) and effectively no centre three quarters, in fairness I guess Mitchell has played as one before, but if we get owned up front again it won’t matter. It‘s must win we’d night, can’t imagine going into game 2 at Suncorp off the back of a loss and seeing us win the series and finally to think the blues are favourite, it’s mind boggling, I don’t get it, Qld should be red hot favourites to sweep the series. Hope I’ve got terribly wrong.

 

[Disco]

NSW will win......we have Turbo

 

[Rafferty]

NSW will win......we have Turbo

I hope your right, but I don’t share your confidence

 

[globaleagle]

The Origin Eve sprint race Brad Fittler couldn’t bear to watch

During a visit to accommodation for Indigenous students, Josh Addo-Carr was challenged to a foot race. All his coach could think about was the Manly Corso.

www.smh.com.au

Brad Fittler thought it was a joke at first.

But when his larger-than-life winger Josh Addo-Carr decided to race against some young Indigenous kids in suburban Townsville on Monday afternoon, the Blues coach could only cover his eyes and hope for the best.

Imagine the headlines had Addo-Carr broken down when hitting top speed during an impromptu foot race on a concrete driveway, just for a laugh.
“All I kept thinking about was ‘Harry’ and the Manly Corso,” said Fittler, in reference to Trbojevic’s famous late-night race earlier this year.

For the record, Addo-Carr narrowly won and pulled up fine.

 

[globaleagle]

State of Origin: Tom Trbojevic tipped to ‘cause some havoc’ in return to NSW Blues

James Tedesco rates Tom Trbojevic an even more dangerous weapon for NSW in State of Origin now than when he scored a hat-trick two years ago

www.theguardian.com

James Tedesco rates Tom Trbojevic an even more dangerous weapon for NSW in State of Origin now than when he scored a hat-trick two years ago. Trbojevic will make his return to the Origin arena in Wednesday night’s opener in Townsville, after missing all of last year’s series through injury.

The Manly fullback has arguably been the most dangerous player in the competition for the past two months, completing turning around the Sea Eagles’ season, but Origin will make for a different challenge.

The 24-year-old will run out at right centre for the Blues, but is likely to be given freedom to roam as an extra fullback at times in attack. Trbojevic scored a hat-trick in his first game at centre for the Blues in Perth in 2019, but was largely restricted three weeks later in that year’s decider.

 

[Woodsie]

Big Mal has come out on the eve of origin to question the selection by NSW of players who have not pledged to play for the Kangaroos ..

 

[yokahontas]

Big Mal has come out on the eve of origin to question the selection by NSW of players who have not pledged to play for the Kangaroos ..


View attachment 18375

Given Qld’s record of selecting players who actually never met the selection criteria for Origin (or specifically for Qld)…it’s a bit rich for Meninga to suggest players who were born and bred in Sydney should be ineligible for NSW.

Having strong ‘second tier’ international teams is nothing but good for the game. And let’s face it, those teams are only going to have access to really good players because of ancestral eligibility; there are very few top line players born, bred, and making the NRL out of Pacific Island nations.

Where players clearly meet eligibility criteria for Origin, and then also have dual (or more) eligibility internationally, it should be entirely their choice.

 

[Disco]

NSW will win......we have Turbo

What did I say....

 

[Woodsie]

Given Qld’s record of selecting players who actually never met the selection criteria for Origin (or specifically for Qld)…it’s a bit rich for Meninga to suggest players who were born and bred in Sydney should be ineligible for NSW.

Having strong ‘second tier’ international teams is nothing but good for the game. And let’s face it, those teams are only going to have access to really good players because of ancestral eligibility; there are very few top line players born, bred, and making the NRL out of Pacific Island nations.

Where players clearly meet eligibility criteria for Origin, and then also have dual (or more) eligibility internationally, it should be entirely their choice.

I too love the emergence of stronger Island nations , is it great for the game .

I will admit to being conflicted regarding allowing non-Kangaroo aligned players to play SOO .. the two main reasons against are 1) What has made the SOO so successful is the inherent rivalry of the players playing for their state .. any watering down of this concept is a risk .... and 2) One of Australia's advantages internationally is the tempering of players advancing through the SOO process ... if only half or less of the players are Australian we give away an important advantage and selection pathway ..

 

[globaleagle]

See how happy Mr Qld ref Sutton was when Tom scored????

I guess he was dirty that qld didn't capitalise on all the 6 agains he gave them!

Also... qlders love their team and soo so much that here's a screen shot of many of them leaving early....to get back and watch the replay I'm guessing.

 

[Ranga]

See how happy Mr Qld ref Sutton was when Tom scored????

I guess he was dirty that qld didn't capitalise on all the 6 agains he gave them!

Also... qlders love their team and soo so much that here's a screen shot of many of them leaving early....to get back and watch the replay I'm guessing.

So NSW only got one 6 again, in the last minute of the first half when Sutton realised that it was so far beyond credible that QLD, the team most under the pump, had been perfect. And the infringement he found was on tackle 1 and for something that just wasn't there.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

NSW were almost flawless. Having said that, If Turbo and Mitchell were in the Qld team they might have won!

 

[Ranga]

NSW were almost flawless. Having said that, If Turbo and Mitchell were in the Qld team they might have won!

Just like if GI played for NSW (like he should have), it could have been NSW with 9 in a row. These guys are just on another level.

I'm not the biggest fan of Latrell, but last night he was incredible. I actually thought he should have been MOM.