That time of year, your NSW Blues team!!

[The Who]

While Turbo deserved the MOM I was very impressed with Tariq Simms. I thought he was strong, skilful and worked extremely hard. Latrine and To'ooo were also terrific.
Injuries excepted, the only change I'd make to the NSW team for SOO II would be Angus Crichton for Liam Martin. Martin did nothing wrong but Crichton is the incumbent and deserves to be re-instated.

 

[yokahontas]

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 ..

That’s the thing though - these guys ARE Australian citizens - Luai, for example, is eligible for Origin (and the Kangaroos) because he was born and bred in Sydney. He’s eligible for Samoa through his paternal grandparents, and would likely also qualify for NZ selection via his Mum’s ancestry. It’s no different to ‘white’ kids born and bred in Sydney or Brisbane who use ancestral rules to qualify for Scotland, Lebanon, Malta, Italy etc when World Cup time rolls around. They’d still be eligible for NSW or Qld if they were good enough to be picked.

Previous SOO selections - on both sides - have been dodgy (players who grew up in Fiji, PNG, or even SA or the NT, and didn’t move to NSW or Qld until their late teens or adulthood, for example), but the Mt Druitt kids Meninga singled out this time are not even the slightest bit questionable on eligibility. If they’re good enough to play Origin, and then raise the level of Samoa, Tonga etc when they play for them - well that’s better than having a Mickey Mouse competition at international level where it’s only ever Aus or NZ with a genuine shot at winning anything.

 

[Woodsie]

That’s the thing though - these guys ARE Australian citizens - Luai, for example, is eligible for Origin (and the Kangaroos) because he was born and bred in Sydney. He’s eligible for Samoa through his paternal grandparents, and would likely also qualify for NZ selection via his Mum’s ancestry. It’s no different to ‘white’ kids born and bred in Sydney or Brisbane who use ancestral rules to qualify for Scotland, Lebanon, Malta, Italy etc when World Cup time rolls around. They’d still be eligible for NSW or Qld if they were good enough to be picked.

Previous SOO selections - on both sides - have been dodgy (players who grew up in Fiji, PNG, or even SA or the NT, and didn’t move to NSW or Qld until their late teens or adulthood, for example), but the Mt Druitt kids Meninga singled out this time are not even the slightest bit questionable on eligibility. If they’re good enough to play Origin, and then raise the level of Samoa, Tonga etc when they play for them - well that’s better than having a Mickey Mouse competition at international level where it’s only ever Aus or NZ with a genuine shot at winning anything.

(Please note) .. that when I say Australian players I am referring to which Country the player has pledged to play for ... not their ethnic origins

All you say is true and reasonable ... but Australia's desire to win at International level is not reasonable ... it's the priority ..

Within the past 15 years, players of Polynesian loyalty have gone from about 15% of the NRL up to currently 50% .. in another decade it will probably surpass 60-70% ... at that stage if we see only about 5 Australians in our SOO and biggest National selection game, ... and say 10 Kiwi's, 10 Samoans, and 10 Tongans ... we will have well exceded any "helping" of these Nations, we will have committed RL Hari Kari ...

Also, after the past few years I am not certain that teams like Tonga and Samoa are not genuine contenders any more ... the last thing we need to do is toughen 10 of them up in a SOO series every year at the expense of Australian players ... we will soon be the easy beats ...

And then there is still the issue of whether the SOO would still still retain it's DNA or become non tribal ... I have my doubts it would ...

I think it is up to the Islands to start there own series ... the obligation is on them ... they have enough players and the public and viewers have proven they love watching them .. so it would be a financial success ...

Many of the players that played for the RL minnow countries like Scotland and Lebanon for example, did so at World Cups and only after not being required by Australia ... for example our own The Lessor Robbo played for Scotland .. but I am fairly sure he would have played for Australia if named ... and that is something I fully endorse ...

I am no longer conflicted Yoka ... I've talked myself into being deadset against it ..

 

[yokahontas]

(Please note) .. that when I say Australian players I am referring to which Country the player has pledged to play for ... not their ethnic origins

All you say is true and reasonable ... but Australia's desire to win at International level is not reasonable ... it's the priority ..

Within the past 15 years, players of Polynesian loyalty have gone from about 15% of the NRL up to currently 50% .. in another decade it will probably surpass 60-70% ... at that stage if we see only about 5 Australians in our SOO and biggest National selection game, ... and say 10 Kiwi's, 10 Samoans, and 10 Tongans ... we will have well exceded any "helping" of these Nations, we will have committed RL Hari Kari ...

Also, after the past few years I am not certain that teams like Tonga and Samoa are not genuine contenders any more ... the last thing we need to do is toughen 10 of them up in a SOO series every year at the expense of Australian players ... we will soon be the easy beats ...

And then there is still the issue of whether the SOO would still still retain it's DNA or become non tribal ... I have my doubts it would ...

I think it is up to the Islands to start there own series ... the obligation is on them ... they have enough players and the public and viewers have proven they love watching them .. so it would be a financial success ...

Many of the players that played for the RL minnow countries like Scotland and Lebanon for example, did so at World Cups and only after not being required by Australia ... for example our own The Lessor Robbo played for Scotland .. but I am fairly sure he would have played for Australia if named ... and that is something I fully endorse ...

I am no longer conflicted Yoka ... I've talked myself into being deadset against it ..

The point you make about players choosing to represent ‘minnow’ countries only when not required by Australia is likely a factor for a lot of the Pacific Islander players as well. Luai might well make a different choice if he wasn’t behind Munster in the pecking order - as it stands, he’d know he’d basically be relying on injuries to get that 5/8 spot in a national squad, whereas he can establish himself in the Samoan squad.

Your view of international football is quite different to mine. TBH, there have been matches in the last 10-15 years where I wasn’t disappointed to see the arrogant, entitled Kangaroos squad brought down a peg. I’d rather see a ‘proper’ competition any day, over a couple of teams being way above the level of any others. I don’t think the ‘threat’ of a Polynesian takeover is that big anyway - while western Sydney and similar areas of Brisbane have big islander populations, there are still a huge majority coming out of country towns (in both NSW and Qld) who have no rep eligibility apart from Australia (whether they are indigenous or non-indigenous). That won’t be changing any time soon.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Quite a nice interview with Latrell here. He has a few haters on this site (and elsewhere) but he's definitely one of my favourite non-Manly players

Faith guides Latrell’s Origin comeback

Blues centre Latrell Mitchell says he believes he has paid back the selectors for picking him after being dropped in the 2019 State of Origin series

www.nrl.com

 

[eagleron]

(Please note) .. that when I say Australian players I am referring to which Country the player has pledged to play for ... not their ethnic origins

All you say is true and reasonable ... but Australia's desire to win at International level is not reasonable ... it's the priority ..

Within the past 15 years, players of Polynesian loyalty have gone from about 15% of the NRL up to currently 50% .. in another decade it will probably surpass 60-70% ... at that stage if we see only about 5 Australians in our SOO and biggest National selection game, ... and say 10 Kiwi's, 10 Samoans, and 10 Tongans ... we will have well exceded any "helping" of these Nations, we will have committed RL Hari Kari ...

Also, after the past few years I am not certain that teams like Tonga and Samoa are not genuine contenders any more ... the last thing we need to do is toughen 10 of them up in a SOO series every year at the expense of Australian players ... we will soon be the easy beats ...

And then there is still the issue of whether the SOO would still still retain it's DNA or become non tribal ... I have my doubts it would ...

I think it is up to the Islands to start there own series ... the obligation is on them ... they have enough players and the public and viewers have proven they love watching them .. so it would be a financial success ...

Many of the players that played for the RL minnow countries like Scotland and Lebanon for example, did so at World Cups and only after not being required by Australia ... for example our own The Lessor Robbo played for Scotland .. but I am fairly sure he would have played for Australia if named ... and that is something I fully endorse ...

I am no longer conflicted Yoka ... I've talked myself into being deadset against it ..

You're making sense Woodsie, I have to say for the sake of the future of Australia at international level it doesn't make sense to play anyone in SOO who has committed to playing for another nation, surely the hope of everyone chosen to play for his state is to use that experience to lay claims to become a Kangaroo

 

[globaleagle]

Must admit, I wasn't too surprised the whistle got put away. It always does.

No Cookies | Daily Telegraph

No Cookies

www.dailytelegraph.com.au

Even though everyone in 'power' said it would continue, it didn't. But as the article says, to only fine Feldt is a total joke. It's like v'landy told them to only make it a fine otherwise they would be found out for actually reffing the game different when they said they wouldn't (actually Kent says that as well.)

Always a shame when politics > integrity.

 

[40 nil]

Blues Bros

https://twitter.com/x/status/1402922963192619019

 

[nightster]

While Turbo deserved the MOM I was very impressed with Tariq Simms. I thought he was strong, skilful and worked extremely hard. Latrine and To'ooo were also terrific.
Injuries excepted, the only change I'd make to the NSW team for SOO II would be Angus Crichton for Liam Martin. Martin did nothing wrong but Crichton is the incumbent and deserves to be re-instated.

I agree with that change but I'd also swap Wighton for Schuster

 

[40 nil]

Seibold's analyis of the Blues' winning game plan & what the Maroons need to do to next game

Blues' tactics brilliant, but Maroons can hit back

The 2021 State of Origin opener was a record-breaking win for New South Wales and some tactical innovations from Brad Fittler played a key part in the final result. Anthony Seibold and Zac Bailey analyse the performances of both teams, and what needs to change for Game II, in this week's edition...

www.nrl.com

 

[40 nil]

Crichton & Finucane selected in Blues 20 man squad for Game Two

Blues Origin II team: Tom Trbojevic back at training; Crichton returns to side

NSW have named their team for game two of the Ampol State of Origin series.

www.nrl.com

 

[EagleFromMay1967]

TT should be fullback. Tedesco should declare himself unavailable. Do the world a favour.