While much has been written on the refereeing blunders that cost NSW the game there are a few things that NSW can fix or alter that will help to win them the next 2 games in the series. The first thing that can be done relates to Mitchell Pearce. I thought he played quite well on Wednesday and he's just missing that extra piece of his game that will make him great. I think he misses a little foresight in terms of reading the game and that he doesn't utilise his running game as much as he should. I point to when Pearce ran the ball on about half way and the QLD outside backs backed away from him, gave him room and he was able to get the ball to Hayne who passed it to Jennings. One thing that both Thurston and Cronk are good at is their ability to pick and choose when they run the ball. Pearce is big enough to take a decent hit and I would expect a halfback of his size to take the line on more.
The next relates to his halves partner, Todd Carney. Carney is an incredibly talented player who can take a team apart on his own when he's at his best. His problem is that he loses confidence easily. An Origin player can't do that. If he makes a mistake he has to get back into it and try again. Carney was involved quite alot in the opening 10 minutes but after he missed the first conversion he went missing. An Origin half can't do that. Now, I don't want to see Carney dropped, if we want to build a NSW dynasty we have to stick by our spine. Carney's had a taste of Origin and will be better for it.
My next point is that we have to pick both an athletic but a tough pack built for Origin. I don't think Merrin, Buhrer or Creagh have that Origin mentality. All 3 barely featured in the match. Buhrer had the least game time out of the 3 but from what I saw of him he shouldn't have been picked. Merrin barely had a hitup and Creagh was virtually invisible. The players that they should replace these 3 are Watmough, Mannah and Hinchcliffe. These guys are built for Origin. Both Watmough and Mannah have played at Origin level and know what it's about. Hinchcliffe is the understudy to the best hooker in the game and who better to beat the master at his own game?
The final point is that the Blues have to play with passion and pride in the jersey. As Raudonikis says, it's about the cattledog attitude. The Blues have to never give up and keep going when they think they can't take another step. Vince Lombardi once said that "Games are primarily won in the hearts of men. Gentlemen, let me see you hearts." The Blues have to push themselves past their limits if they want to beat QLD and I believ they can do it. I'll leave this blog with 2 quotes, the first from Vince Lombardi, the second from Muhammad Ali. "I firmly believe that any man's finest hour. The greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear. Is when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle: VICTORIOUS. "Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even."
Replies
Good blog. Agree about pretty much everything.
Farrah was playing very well, and once Carney's head had gone, we needed the extra dominant playmaker out there. Buhrer definitely shouldn't have been on the bench, but he might've been less of a disaster if he'd been used as expected.
I don't think you're giving Merrin enough credit. Granted, I think he's ordinary, and shouldn't have been in the team, but he did some decent work. Commentators were raving about Hannant (9 runs for 75 metres, 15 tackles) when Merrin (8 runs for 77 metres, 30 tackles) showed a lot more. For forwards, in the whole NRL he second only to Gallen for offloads, and third behind Gallen and Tamou for metres.
Creagh ended up playing so central he was almost a prop.. or he would've been if he had touched the ball. Our second row was really poorly balanced.. we started with three locks and had two hard-running second rowers on the bench. Surely if you were going with that make-up, you'd have a lock and a runner on the bench, and a lock and a runner wearing 11 and 12 to start?