• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

*Official* NRL 2011 Season thread

vic_orthdox

Global Moderator
So frustrating watching all the Blues give up the chase on that first try for Thurston. He might have got it anyway, but you just know that one of those experienced Qlders would have chased all the way back and tried to get a hand in the way, or at least made him earn it and smash him when he put the ball down.

Much better than the last few series', but waiting for a capitulation after an honourable loss.
 

howardj

International Coach
Thought the worst sign for NSW last night was that when Qld needed (and distinct from wanted) to score last night, they did so within two minutes.

Changes...

- Soward has to go - no authority, poses no threat to the line. Bring in Mullen.

- Hayne for Morris (beggars belief that JH was sitting at home last night)

- Tolman for King

- Lewis in there somewhere too

- Inglis, Hodges or Berrigan for Neilsen.
 

Burgey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Soward was all right I thought, playing behind a well beaten pack. Seen a lot worse debuts.

Surprised at how easily Mick "Origin Player" Ennis is getting treated. Dropped the ball first touch, crap kick led to the last try (qld's only one not scored from a kick tbf), trod on Cronk like a dog and offered zero creativity out of dummy half.

I don't subscribe to the "when they had to score they did" theory tbh. In the first thirty Qld had enough ball to win two games.

Certainly King must go though. I suspect they may go with TLL, who was injured for this one. I can't understand why Manna gets so little game time tbh. He always gets a quick play the ball, and he makes good yards. Much as I'd like to see Jayne at fullback, Dugan wasn't bad at all really. Beau Scott was fantastic for NSW as well.

I'd probably run with

Dugan
Hayne
Jennings
Gasnier
Uate
Soward
Pearce
Gallen
Bird
Scott
TLL/ Tolman
Farrah
Snowden (not convinced on him but he is a solid player tbf)

Idris
Mannah
Merrin
Lewis

We need points now, and Lewis, Idris and Hayne all add a lot of flair. I don't think Qld would want wither of Hayne or Idris there. Reason enough to pick them IMO.
 
Last edited:

Ausage

Cricketer Of The Year
- Soward has to go - no authority, poses no threat to the line. Bring in Mullen.
How can any half be expected to gain authority when we keep shuffling them around after a loss? Similar things were said about Pearce as recent as this year, and he went very well last night. Mullen has a stronger passing game, but a worse kicking and running game, so I don't see the point in changing. Soward absolutely does pose a threat to the line when the forwards are making inroads.

Snowden (not convinced on him but he is a solid player tbf)
Really? He was the only thing holding the forward pack together in the first 20, with King being smashed, Scott still adjusting and Bird and Gallen quiet. Kept tackling on our line through a dislocated shoulder in the second half. I'm a big fan tbh.
 

Burgey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Yeah that's a fair point on Snowden.

Apparently Tonga is gone - dislocated his shoulder in about the 20th minute but stayed on. That would mean a seamless swap of Inglis & Hodges for Tonga and Nelisen.
 

howardj

International Coach
Dugan was bloody good though for a debut, wasn't he

Dugan
Hayne
Gasnier
Jennings
Uate
Carney
Pearce

Lewis
Bird
Gallen
TLL
Farrah
Snowden

Tolman
Idris
Merrin
Mannah
 

iamdavid

International Debutant
I hope the Blues don't go making wholesale changes like they have in previous years, at the end of the day this was a pretty closely-run thing and it could've gone either way, experience (particularly in the halves) and a better front row titled it in Queensland's favour.

At the same time I think there are three changes which absolutely have to happen, Lewis in for Creagh, TLL or Tolman in for King and Hayne in somewhere.

It's going to be a gamble picking Hayne on the wing if they go down that path, he hasn't played there at all in a year and not regularly for a couple, plus he really doesn't play like a typical outside back anymore for Parramatta, it's his ball-playing as much as his running which adds value. He absolutely has to be there somewhere imo though, especially with Pearce and Soward in the halves, I was pretty impressed with them last night but they don't offer a whole lot of creativity and neither does Ennis at hooker. Personally I'd punt Dugan for Hayne, harsh as he was reasonable on debut, but at the end of the day I reckon Dugan's pretty much the most overrated player in the game, he does the little things right but he's never going to be a Jarryd Hayne.
 

Mister Wright

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Can't see why Hayne couldn't have been selected on the bench. Fair enough Gidley will most likely get that role if he's fit. Hayne could cover any spot in the backline 1-7 (&9) and could play lock (with a little reshuffle of the pack) if the need arose. Could have been very dangerous towards the back end of the first half when QLD were looking a little tired.

Glad they didn't tbh. If the Blues are going to really be "like Queensland" then they need to follow their selection policies also, you don't see Boyd missing out because he's not a specialist winger. Boyd's good enough for Origin, they put him in there and he more than does his job. Hayne's proven he's good enough for Origin, find a spot for him.
 

social

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
My tip is that the Blues wont make any changes to the starting lineup unless forced to do do by injury
 

howardj

International Coach
Yeah, both teams I think will want to largely retain the same 17. It never happens that way though - amazing how injuries impact the lineups between Origin games. Agree with Kyle, that when you're talking elite players, positions are over-rated. You just got to get them in the 17. You don't have Hayne sitting in his lounge room on Origin night; you just don't.
 

Son Of Coco

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
We may have won, but the adudicating was bull****. NSW were all over the QLDers early in the game, yet we didn't get a penalty.

NSW were lucky to be within 4 points towards the last 80 mins.

They are pure scum.
I agree, you guys were totally ripped off. Apart from the forward pass that wasn't, dropped ball that was clearly raked, and tackle whilst in the air of course.

QLD deserved to win, they have too much class in key positions. Thought NSW did well though, and am pretty sure QLD would hope to play a bit better next time around.

Disagree about them being lucky to be within 4 points towards the last 80 mins. At that point I thought they thoroughly deserved to be level-pegging at 0-0. :happy:
 

Mister Wright

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I agree, you guys were totally ripped off. Apart from the forward pass that wasn't, dropped ball that was clearly raked, and tackle whilst in the air of course.

QLD deserved to win, they have too much class in key positions. Thought NSW did well though, and am pretty sure QLD would hope to play a bit better next time around.

Disagree about them being lucky to be within 4 points towards the last 80 mins. At that point I thought they thoroughly deserved to be level-pegging at 0-0. :happy:
P-Lease! NSW would have been 18-0 down after 15 if the ref hadn't allowed your guys to lay all over us in the tackles. Slowest Origin in decades!
 

Burgey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Always a good night of football when the Broncs lose (y)
This.

Mitigated by the Bulldogs and Manly winning, of course.

Jesus though, how unlucky were the Titans? Never seen so many close calls go against one side.

Well, not since Tony Archer's MOTM performance for Melbourne in the 2009 Grand Final.
 

Johnners

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
P-Lease! NSW would have been 18-0 down after 15 if the ref hadn't allowed your guys to lay all over us in the tackles. Slowest Origin in decades!
Ha, what rubbish

This.

Mitigated by the Bulldogs and Manly winning, of course.


Jesus though, how unlucky were the Titans? Never seen so many close calls go against one side.

Well, not since Tony Archer's MOTM performance for Melbourne in the 2009 Grand Final.
Goes without saying
 

Son Of Coco

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
P-Lease! NSW would have been 18-0 down after 15 if the ref hadn't allowed your guys to lay all over us in the tackles. Slowest Origin in decades!
Yeah you're right. It was good to see QLD getting off us quickly and letting us get a quick play the ball in during the same period though. Very sporting :happy:
 

howardj

International Coach
Antony Griffin's resting policy working a treat. I said so at the time...why did they lock this nuffy for three years for?

Unproven, not in demand - never in those circumstances should a club lock itself in.
 

Burgey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Newcastle score first. Their right side causing real problems for Parra tonight.
 

Top