I haven't posted anything until this regarding the Blues and where I think they have gone wrong.
It is obvious the Blues have made some bad calls around team selections. Picking the best players doesn't mean you have the best team. Origin is usually won with effort, yet the Blues continue picking too many of the flashy types of players. Players that want to look good 1st and play good 2nd. Something that comes up most years is how Qld have had many great players at the Origin level that would never get selected if they were NSW-based players. Hard work and effort will usually win over fancy and flashy players. Sure, the flashy players can have success every now and then as we saw a few years back, but the team with the hard-working players will win more often. I would bet that the current Blues' selection panel would still select a team with majority Blues players if they had the option to pick a side including Qld'ers.
Not only do the Blues pick the wrong type of players, but they also leave themselves short on the bench. For example, I am not the biggest fan of King Gutho but he offers plenty from the bench. Gutho could cover most positions from 1 to 6. Another player I would look at for a bench spot is someone like Cameron Mcinnes from the Sharks. Cameron covers your dummy half if needed, he also can provide leg speed as a middle forward if needed. I would then select a middle forward on the bench with someone that can play middle or on an edge.
The next thing I would change is the selection of players that choose not being available for Australian selection. However, if a player misses Australian selection and then picks to represent another nation I wouldn't mind. I believe NSW have had at least 4 players this year who all made themselves unavailable for Kangaroo's selection for the world cup last year.
I'm sure that a player was not selected last year as he lacked height on the wing, yet that same player was selected this year. I could be wrong, but I believe the player I'm talking about was in way better form last year than this year.
Finally, the way the Blues have made selections because of club combinations is ridiculous. Club football is totally different to Origin. In club football all teams have several weaknesses for teams to attack, whereas at the Origin level weaknesses are few and far between. Origin game plans should be really simple. Coaches find a couple of places to attack and players continue attacking those areas.
The Blues must now rebuild with strong leadership and direction.
Replies
Before the 2007 series, NSW and QLd had an equal number of shields. Between 1990-2006, QLD had only won the shield four times outright. But since 2007, QLD have pulled away and NSW have been poorly run. The whole organisation needs a clean out from top to bottom.
I would bet that most Origin games since the salary cap started would show the NSW players selected earning more money than the players selected for Qld. This is due to the fact that Qld picks players that work hard, while NSW picks players because they have a reputation.
Isiaa yeow is a perfect example of why the blues got beaten..his crafty little passes work for the panthers in that system...it does not work in origin..run hard tackle hard...we have the best 13 in the game in murray, but our space cadet of a coach chooses to play him out of position...
I won't put to much weight into the salary cap. The things a joke. I reckon most of the elite players would earn more money from third party deals then their salary cap. What that stat shows is the thoughbreds ( Broncos group) and others are doing a good job paying dudes outside the cap.
NSW effort areas-particularly the kick chase were diabolical. At the 5 min mark Moses puts up a beautiful bomb-completely untested that then hits the ground and bounces into a qlders hands. It was on the 5th tackle inside Qlds half so there is absolutely no excuse for not knowing it was coming nor could they have been fatigued.
At the start of the second half (2 mins in) virtually the same thing happens except this time Walsh catches it. Martin is the only NSW player within 10 metres.
If you're not making the effort in plays like this after 5 mins at the start of the game and 2 mins in the 2nd half then you can expect a thrashing.
You'd be disappointed if you saw this in any first grade game let alone origin.
Qld aren't as good as they are making out-they're just beating us with desire and effort. Time for a new coach-personally I think Paul Gallen is the person for the job
I agree with everything except Gallen as coach. I am not sure he understands much but running hard.
I never liked Gallen as a player but gees he was a competitor. Won an origin series as Capt, won a premiership with sharks, won majority of fights and also landed a couple on Myles chin-bonus points for that. His game was built on effort and desire so if he can bring that and have a brains trust working with him on strategy etc it could be a good combination
Fair points.
I have been thinking what potential NSW coaches are there that have brains. I can't think if any but perhaps Ennis. He can analyse a game but can he coach though? The rest of the commentators appear dumb.
Toovey
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