SOO Game 3: So Close But Yet So Far

NSW dejection

Origin has come and gone for another year and yet again we have to endure a year without the shield or interstate bragging rights. Whilst we couldn’t get mathematically closer to winning, without actually winning, at the end of the day QLD were the ones left celebrating.

I could spend all day talking about the video refs and decisions that went against NSW in games 1 and 3 but they were there for all to see and NSW had opportunities to win anyway.

So where to now for the Blues?

Firstly I think Ricky Stuart has done a terrible job this year with the NSW team and whilst I don’t think his job will be in jeopardy, in my opinion it absolutely should be. There were some terrible team selections throughout the series which left NSW behind the 8-ball. The fixation on picking Dragons players, who even my friends who support the Dragons admit aren’t in great form and didn’t deserve to be there this year. Ben Creagh has never been great at Origin level and this season his NRL form has done nothing to deserve a shot in sky blue. Trent Merrin is decent but was coming off the bench for his club side and whilst he may have an Origin future, he wasn’t warranting selection. They eventually figured this out and left him out of the Game 3 side.

Beau Scott somehow got a call-up to replace Glenn Stewart in Game 3 and once again I’m baffled by it. A solid defender who offers little in attack, Scott too has not performed well enough this year to warrant selection in the position NSW is deepest in. Not to mention that if Tariq Sims had been rightfully picked in Game 1, he never would have been playing for the Cowboys to suffer his season ending injury. Plus, poor Aaron Woods deserved to play at least one game this series and instead we just kept getting more underperforming Dragons.

As much as I love Nathan Merritt and want him to play Origin, I had no issue with Brett Morris replacing Uate and he didn’t disappoint. Both Morris twins are classy players and were possibly NSW’s best in Game 3. If only ‘Slippery’ kept breeding and created a few more for us.

Then of course we come to the inclusion of Jamie Buhrer in Game 1. Whilst I understand NSW wanted someone in the utility role and with Gidley unavailable our options were limited. But Luke Lewis and Greg Bird were already in the team and both can cover most positions on the field. Then to only play him for 7 minutes and basically play a man short, that’s just poor decision making and bad coaching.

We also have the major issue that during the games themselves NSW seemed to lack direction or any semblance of a coherent game plan. I put this both down to a lack of coaching, preparation, as well as the fact our halves are so many levels below Queensland’s. Meninga may not be much of a tactician as a coach, but he and Hagan clearly have a game plan in place that his team know how to execute. NSW on the other hand look like they just met each other.

Mitchell Pearce was horrendous in Game 3 and not much better in Games 1 and 2. Todd Carney was horrendous in Game 1 and not much better in Games 2 and 3. Hopefully we aren’t too far away from seeing the likes of Adam Reynolds, Josh Reynolds and some of the next generation putting their hands up to get a shot at the NSW halves positions. We have the Stewart brothers, the Morris brothers... now let’s add the Reynolds “brothers” to the mix.

I really wish Phil Gould would find a way to settle his differences with the NSWRL and come back to save us. He is certainly the best candidate to put an end to the Queensland domination. However if he still refuses to work with the NSWRL, then I’d love for Peter Sterling to have a crack at the job. Everyone seems to be in agreement that he is one of the smartest football brains around and the only thing preventing him from getting a coaching job is his lack of interest.

But for three games a year I wonder if Sterlo could be talked into it.

Please Sterlo.

PS: Brent Tate is a cat.