2016 State Of Origin, Game Three: Preview
Jimbo got da juice
Ain't nothing like a dead-rubber huh? Cue up the lads and lasses, suss out the local pub or who's bringing what and what house you'll be watching because game three is here ... game three aka the most interesting dead-rubber eveeeer!!
A splash of sarcasm there sure, although I actually view this game three as being rather interesting, especially as Laurie Daley has been forced to lean towards youth. This game three has nothing riding on it as Queensland have already wrapped up the 2016 State Of Origin series, flexing their greatness muscles in the process and I'll never say that watching those Queensland wizards go to work is boring - it's quite the opposite. There's nothing riding on this game, yet we will be given some insight into how the next few years will play out in State Of Origin.
The funk obviously sits with New South Wales and their young group which oozes talent, to the point where you've simply got to find a way to fit James Tedesco, Jack Bird and Matt Moylan in the same team. Bird has been named to start in the halves alongside James Maloney and while I'd prefer Matt Moylan start there with Bird coming off the bench, it will be fun to see Bird in action as a State Of Origin half.
As I wrote last week, Bird is far more suited to a bench utility role than Moylan is. In saying that, I am beyond trying to figure out Daley's selections so I am now just gonna roll with whatever Daley serves up. Regardless of who fills what position, NSW have dramatically increased their attacking fire-power by having Tedesco at fullback, Bird in the halves and Moylan on the bench. All three are dynamic runners of the footy, however they all offer just as much skill and play-making ability as they do in running the footy.
Tedesco can genuinely play on either side of the field and it all starts with his pace as this gets him on the outside of defenders, from which he's got a fantastic pair of hands to pick the right pass. While Tedesco lacks the experience and footy nous of Darius Boyd, he's just as talented and seeing Tedesco go directly against Boyd will be an interesting battle.
As halfback, expect James Maloney to play a more simple game in which he only really has to worry about organising his team and executing his kicking game to near perfection. What interests me hear is how Maloney and Bird play together as a halves pairing. Bird plays right centre for the Shark and when he burst on to the scene in the halves for Cronulla, it came down their right edge. NSW could play with Maloney on the left and Bird on the right, or they could look to get Maloney in at first-receiver as much as possible and allow Bird more time and space, a few passes wide of the ruck.
Every time Bird and Tedesco link up, take note. It won't get much more exciting for NSW fans than seeing these two strike a dangerous combination.
There could be some funk with Moylan coming off the bench as I'm struggling to see him doing the Michael Morgan job through the middle - he doesn't have to. Daley has a variety of options he could pick and you don't need to be a genius to figure out the option which excites me (Bird to lock, Moylan as a half). Speculating isn't what excites me though, it's the uncertainty that has me excited and I've got a feeling that Daley may throw a curve-ball here so keep a close eye on Moylan when he comes on.
With the backline they have - peep the low key return of Josh Dugan at right centre - NSW have more weapons available to them and suddenly have an injection of speed/skill which could be crucial in breaking down Queensland's defence. We only need to look at the forward pack selected by Daley to know that NSW will throw the footy around, they'll chance their arm and look to punch through the middle then spread to the edges through offloads or slick passing.
What has held NSW back in the past though is their lack of utter control in the halves and this was evident in both game one and two as NSW's halves struggled to find open pasture with their kicks, while Queensland's play-makers pinned NSW down their own end repeatedly. NSW struggled in this regard with Adam Reynolds and Maloney, so don't expect them to be a whole lot better with Maloney and Bird.
Maloney will either get plenty of support from Robbie Farah and Wade Graham's left boots, or Queensland will simply load up on Maloney and put him under immense pressure.
NSW still have a huge forward pack that should punch holes going forward and provide quick play-the-balls for an exciting backline. More so than ever, this is a battle of two different styles and you could compare it to Brock Lesnar vs Mark Hunt and Daniel Cormier vs Anderson Silva. Lesnar and Cormier are wrestlers, while Hunt and Silva are strikers.
In moving away from 'tough' players who fitted the typical 'Origin' mould and moving towards more skilled players with a bit more flair, NSW have put themselves in that striking group with Hunt and Silva. This is hugely exciting for NSW as this is the best way for them to beat Queensland.
On the flip side, this is an interesting test of Queensland's ability to shut NSW down. Queensland have shown this year that their grizzly forward pack can step up their aggression and skill to counter NSW's big forward pack and that came with only three genuine forwards on their bench, now they have four with Gavin Cooper in that No.14 jersey. They now have another big body, another bloke who will be eager to make an impression and when these forwards pull on that Maroon jersey, they play with an edge that has so far seen them dominate a bigger forward pack.
Sure, a lot of my attention will be on what NSW dish up and how Daley brings together an exciting backline filled with weapons, with a forward pack that his huge, mobile and skillful. However, I'm almost as intrigued in how Queensland play this one, or more notably what tricks they have up their sleeve to snuff out any NSW momentum that would come from a game three win.
One idea to keep an eye on is that pressure on Maloney. This will be led by Cameron Smith - Sam Thaiday and Corey Parker will be two other blokes to watch out for whenever Maloney's gearing up to kick.
Another is that NSW will only be a threat if they have possession in good territory. In other words, if Smith, Jonathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk play at their best, it doesn't really matter what weapons NSW have at their disposal. This is what I mean about enjoying these wizards at work because watching them at their best is poetry and they can basically play NSW out of the game.
In game two, Greg Inglis was immensely physical and reminded everyone what a beast he is. Inglis and Justin O'Neill will likely adopt a similar plan in game three and look to physically impose themselves on Michael Jennings and Josh Dugan, but look for them to rush in on defence, especially from the outside-in.
Led by Smith, Queensland also love to play incredibly direct and fast through the middle of the field. This has worked time and time again with big boppers running in behind the ruck and plenty of dummy half runs, with the idea of working over NSW's big forwards, giving them a lot of work to do. Tyson Frizell has been named to start at lock and if he does start in the middle (he and Josh Jackson could swap), this is only enhanced as Queensland will have fresh meat in the middle to devour.
We haven't seen such a stylistic difference between these two teams for yonks and I believe this is why - besides have rugby league wizards - Queensland have dominated. Now, we have a NSW team that just oozes attacking instinct and enthusiasm on paper which is nicely pitted against Queensland, who hold the King Of The Grind title as well as executing every minor detail to near-perfection.
It's a dead-rubber, sure and if you're one of those casual sports fans who tunes in to Origin because you're caught up in the hype, this probably won't tickle your taste buds. Personally, this is a stylistic match up sent down from the rugby league gods that will offer us as fans an excellent gauge on how Origin may look in the coming years.