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| NRL fans, let's get ready to rumble. |
The Blues are searching for their second series win in nine
years while the Maroons are eager than ever to bring the Series Shield back to
the Sunshine State.
Considering the available players in both pools, Queensland
should at least win Game One of the three-game series simply due to the number
of important players missing from last year’s winning Blues squad.
Greg Bird was and always has been a key enforcer for NSW
over the years while Jarryd Hayne has relocated to San Franciso to fufill his
dream of playing in the National Football League with the 49ers.
Brett Morris’ try-saving tackling efforts with a
dislocated shoulder last year speaks volumes itself, and is more than less the
kind of thing that one would associate with State of Origin footy.’
Captain Paul Gallen, an 80-minute workhorse, is a “doubt”
for Game One but I’m sure not too many NRL fans will be surprised if he pulls
on a playing strip to lead the Blues out by kick-off time.
Then there is the ongoing selection debate in the halves
– arguably where most games are won.
If history is to go by anything, NSW coach Laurie Daley
would be stupid to change the victorious combination of Bulldogs pair Trent
Hodkinson and Josh Reynolds at halfback and five-eighth respectively.
Form is temporary but class is permanent.
But it would not
hurt for the two Canterbury players to show their worth in Friday night’s clash
against my second preference Roosters pair James Maloney and Mitchell Pearce.
If NSW has learnt anything from their dominant Queensland
rivals over the years, then form should not be at the top of the list of
concerns.
If Daley is to make the big change at number 6 or 7 then
it should be at the expense of Josh Reynolds, who has continued to show lack of
maturity and poor decision-making in recent times.
Overall, the NSW team will still be competitive playing
in front of a home crowd at ANZ Stadium in Sydney but fans cannot realistically
expect a win to start off.
My starting NSW line-up: 1. Josh Dugan, 2. Daniel Tupou, 4. Michael Jennings, 3. Josh Morris, 5. Will Hopoate, 6. Josh Reynolds, 7. Trent Hodkinson, 8. Aaron Woods, 9. Robbie Farah, 10. Paul Gallen, 11. Beau Scott, 12. Ryan Hoffman, 13. Luke Lewis, 14. Trent Merrin, 15. Andrew Fifita, 16. James Tamou, 17. Anthony Watmough.
With the way both Queensland teams in the NRL are
playing, that is the Brisbane Broncos and North Queensland Cowboys, the Maroons
side should pick itself with little dramas.
Queensland coach Mal Meninga has already stated that
reasonable faith would still be shown in the losing 2014 side ahead of the May
27 series opener.
Therefore there aren’t too many talking points besides
the pointless decision to put GI or Billy The Kid at fullback, toss up Brent
Tate’s wing spot vacancy, or whether to pick Manly’s out-of-form DCE.
Maroons fans may have been sweating over the fitness of
long-term injury hit Darius Boyd but will be pleased that the Broncos winger
has already been instrumental since returning to action last week against the
Penrith Panthers.
On paper, as it should be, it is a star-studded line-up
that will once again require the highest of quality performances from the
opposition to force a loss out of the Queensland side.
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