2016 State Of Origin, Game Three: Squads
Bare with me folks, it will all be over soon, just one more game. Yeah that's right, my excitement levels for a State Of Origin game are at an all time low which tends to be the case in a game three after the series has already been wrapped up. Game three doesn't really matter folks, regardless of what players and coaches tell you as Queensland have already swept aside another mediocre New South Wales challenge, sealing their 10th Origin series in 11 years.
I still love Origin, it's just that a dead-rubber game three does nothing for me.
Queensland have been forced to make a few changes to their squad with Michael Morgan and Josh Papalii dropping out via injury. Gavin Cooper and Nate Myles get the call up, Myles returning to the Origin arena while Cooper makes an Origin debut that could be considered 'long awaited'.
There is some funk here as Morgan's absence will see Queensland play without a bench utility, which has been a staple of their success throughout this dynasty. Myles is Morgan's replacement and you'd have to suspect that Myles will start with Josh McGuire sliding back to the bench. This won't result in any drastic change to Queensland's style of play as McGuire/Myles will do what Morgan did in coming off the bench to play through the middle and more than anything, this is an opportunity to put what Morgan has done into some context as he does a similar job for 20-30 minutes as McGuire/Myles.
Obviously this will mean that Queensland have a bigger, more rugged bench that lacks the extra pair of play-making hands and speed of Morgan.
Cooper replaces Papalii, yet he'll likely feature on an edge for Queensland whereas Papalii was a beast through the middle. Kevin Walters could start Cooper on an edge and push Sam Thaiday to the bench, especially in a dead-rubber but Cooper will likely come off the edge to give Thaiday a spell on that left edge.
Their backline will look the same and I expect their forward pack to look like this: Scott, Smith, Myles, Thaiday, Gillett, Parker ... McGuire, Cooper, Guerra, Lillyman.
Honestly, I've run myself around in circles thinking about this NSW squad. I genuinely feel like the problems of NSW are on full display in this game three squad as both Matt Moylan and Dylan Walker have been cut, young players who got a taste and didn't quite do the trick in their first two (two!) Origin games. Think of how many young NSW players have been thrown into the Origin cauldron against the greatest rugby league team we've ever seen, come off second best and then been kicked to the curb. And they've done it again.
James Tedesco certainly deserves to be selected at fullback and his selection is huge for NSW as he's clearly their most potent attacking threat ... already. Moving forward, NSW and Laurie Daley will need to find a way to fit both Tedesco and Moylan in the same team together. Take that further and look at these 'development players' that have been named, where Tom Trbojevic's (plus Jake Trbojevic and Bryce Cartwright) name is listed. Those are three of the best young fullbacks in the NRL and again, moving forward, NSW will need to find a way to get all three of them playing in the same team together.
It's not ideal, however if you've got that much talent, it's no use sitting at home watching this game. I saw a dead-rubber game three as the perfect opportunity to play Tedesco at fullback and Moylan in the halves alongside Adam Reynolds; what is there to lose?
Playing guys out of position can definitely be annoying. There's a difference between playing a bloke like Moylan out of position because you think he'll be better in the halves and trying to fit two of the most dangerous youngsters with long Origin futures ahead of them, in the same team. I can't stress enough that Tedesco and Moylan (plus Trbojevic) will play in the same Origin team for many years to come, it's gonna happen, Moylan will have to play somewhere else besides fullback. Embrace it, give 'em a go and start that process now.
Walker is the victim of a tough night against a rampant Greg Inglis, hardly something to scoff at. While it's clear that Daley has opted for a more youthful vibe which has me excited and encouraged to some degree, he has stopped well short of going all-in on the younger brigade and that's what confuses me. Have Michael Jennings and James Maloney tasted much success at Origin level, have they consistently helped NSW win?
Are Jennings and Maloney realistically part of NSW's long-term planning? I'd say no, so why not start that long-term planning now and give Walker another crack at centre or chuck Jack Bird in there with Walker on the bench. Same with Moylan/Maloney - why not show Moylan some faith and trust that he can do a job at Origin level in the halves? The lack of foresight to try and fit both Tedesco and Moylan into the same team, for a dead-rubber kinda sums up the lack of planning from Daley ... even if he's got this phoney 'development player' concept.
It's as though Daley has one foot in the future bucket and one foot in the now bucket. Given what has taken place this year and over the past 11 years, both feet should be in the future bucket, especially as there's nothing riding on this game. Daley clearly has a fond relationship with Robbie Farah and Paul Gallen, but this smacks of NSW's biggest issue as they are both players who have tried hard, done their state proud and everything but they won't be there when Queensland's greats move on. Now is the time to start planning for when those Queensland greats start to move on, game three, wipe the slate clean.
The young core group of players is exciting for NSW, hence it's frustrating that the young brigade aren't being shown 100 percent confidence. Finally we'll get to see Wade Graham offer some skill down their left edge and with Bird again filling that bench utility spot, we should see him given more minutes off the bench. Bird was a threat for NSW in game two and he is the perfect complimentary piece to NSW's skilled players.
I can't help but be incredibly frustrated by NSW and their team selections. There's a plethora of young talent in NSW that will ensure that they are back up in the Origin mix soon enough, however there's a reluctance to trust that young brigade. I understand that reluctance in a game one or two, when everything is on the line, yet the inability to go all-in on a young group for game three after the series is lost is nothing less than an opportunity lost.