Did Maloney just play himself into a blue jersey

[Andrew Walker]

This situation proves how much of a joke it is.

The premier competition loses its best players during the rep season.

Are you just being so vocal now as it looks like it will affect us

I think Maloney and Pearce will be picked

[Guest]

It would work.

For the life of me I don't understand why Robinson puts SBW in the scrums.

He'd be triple marked in the back line in those situations.

He'd either break the line anyway, or get the ball to players in space.

Saving that right bower for when needed I'd imagine. It'd be a play we'll use at some stage.

To answer the question, yes James did.

Chook.

[Guest]

Having both our halves play origin could come back to bite us later in the year. It does take a lot out of them. I'd be wrapped if they picked both as it is good for there confidence and all but also a little worried they may feel the effects come the pointy end of the season.

[redwhiteblue]

As of today, he is the competition's leading pointscorer. I found this on Wikipedia so it must be true.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_NRL_season

[Guest]

Mortimer at 1/2 and SBW at 5/8 if this happens??

Forgetting Samisoni Langi?

One of the NYC's best 5/8's apart from Milford.


It would've been smart to buy Ryan Carr from last year though

[chook 56]

I don't want any of our players doing rep games.

Selfish bugger am I.

Premiership first, while we have the roster.

[Guest]

I think if Maloney and MP7 are playing Origin you'll see;

6. Friend
7. Mortimer
9. Seluni

[davos]

Maybe we could sign up the prodigal son brett Finch.

He's not getting a run at the cheats and could fill in during origin.









































Nah I'm just screwing with ya.

[Guest]

I think he has fletch, yes.

I knew he would help us but I never thought he'd have the impact he has.

[Guest]

I don't want any of our players doing rep games.

Selfish bugger am I.

Premiership first, while we have the roster.

My thoughts exactly, Fitty.

**** origin.

[Guest]

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/l...412-2hrnd.html

Maloney Credits Pearce.

Sydney Roosters five-eighth James Maloney says his halfback Mitchell Pearce is making him look good. So the obvious question is whether he thinks his teammate can do similarly for NSW this year.

Pearce has already been earmarked by Blues coach Laurie Daley as his halfback for game one, and with Maloney shading him against the Bulldogs on Friday night, it stands to reason that the new Roosters No.6 - having already been mentioned as an Origin prospect - has enhanced his chances.

"It's a long way away, and there are still plenty of blokes out there who are in line to do the job," Maloney said.

"I'll keep focusing on my footy and see what happens": Maloney.

"We'll wait and see. I'll keep focusing on my footy and see what happens."

Maloney did acknowledge that combining with Pearce on a weekly basis helped his cause. "I'm enjoying playing with Mitch," Maloney said. "We're trying to work each week on teaming up together, and we got together a couple of times (on Friday night). It's something we're building on and working on, and I suppose Mitch is making me look a bit better than what I am."

A perfect seven from seven with the boot will also help his cause, as will the fact he outplayed one of his main rivals. Maloney was superb as his Roosters shut out a Bulldogs side which included Josh Reynolds, another potential NSW debutant.

"I'm enjoying the footy, I'm enjoying the club, I'm enjoying the boys," Maloney said. "It's a great bunch of guys. I think everyone's just playing for each other. It's probably contagious.

"When you're enjoying your footy, everything's going well, and everyone's happy. But our forwards are doing a great job, and they're not getting a whole lot of recognition. Everything we're doing is coming off the back of them. It probably goes unnoticed, and I think that was what got us the points. We opened them up through the middle, and after that things happened."

While he couldn't speak for Maloney's Origin potential, Roosters coach Trent Robinson was happy to state how important the former Warriors playmaker was to his squad.

"I've been to an Origin game; that's as close as I've got," Robinson said. "For me, I can't comment on what it takes to play, or to get selected. I know that he's playing great football, I know he's got a great combination with Mitchell Pearce, and that's what we're looking for from Jimmy. He's been very consistent in the way that he's played every single week.

"He's worked hard on his defence, and he's coming up with some really classy plays in attack. I think his kicking's getting better. He's playing great footy, and he's one of the better five-eighths in the comp to date."

The Bulldogs' halves, meanwhile, have not been firing so successfully this season. Coach Des Hasler brought Trent Hodkinson in at the expense of Kris Keating (calf) against the Roosters, and was unsure who would be the player to drag the club out of the hole against the Sharks in round seven. "We'll see how they come up," Hasler said.

Hasler lamented his side's fifth defeat from six matches. "We're a bit out of sorts," he said. "It's round six, but we've got some work to do. But we'll do it. We'll bounce back from this."
___________________________________________

Maloney appears to be bringing the best out in Pearce too. They could be a super combo under Robbo.

Chook.

[Guest]

If Carney is fit I would stick with him. If Carney fires, Blues win. It's a big if, but to beat this Qld team we need a Carney or a Hayne to play their absolute best.

[Guest]

I like Josh Reynolds. He was in a difficult situation last night. He was the only Bulldog that came close to bending our shape and he wasn't getting much support. If you pick him for the blues you need a half with flair. I'm not sure that the Reynolds duo would work together, but I think that if they each had a complimenting halves partner, both could do the job. I would prefer Reynolds/Sutton to play for the blues over Maloney/Pearce....for obvious reasons. Roosters first. Those games in the middle are too taxing when you have numerous players involved.

[Yak]

If Maloney and Pearce are both picked I think we'll see:

6. Langi
7. Mortimer
9. Friend
14. Seluini

But I would prefer to see:

6. Tuivasa-Sheck
7. Friend
9. Mortimer
14. Langi

With Langi coming on as halfback and Friend to hooker giving Mortimer a rest. Then when Morts comes back on he goes back to 9, with Friend back to 7 and Langi plays second row. Friend would be quality back up half imo. Whereas I don't think Mortimer is good enough at 7 without an established half playing alongside him.

[Guest]

A part of me would rather not have Pearce and Maloney get selected. Pearce has probably been ruined by Origin; it's been nothing short of emotionally damaging. If they won the series and performed certainly the confidence taken out of that could propel then onto better things later in the year. However the moment things come apart no doubt it will be whipping boy Pearce dragged over the coals again and again.

The things with Pearce that has constantly bother me is that since he was a kid he's had every big name NRL personality blowing smoke up his arse. Andrew and Matty Johns, Freddy, Ricky Stuart, Sterlo, Laurie Daley all have professed his talents and potential. Honestly he came into his first Origin as a 19 year old. It sounds ****ing ridiculous now - who puts a kid into the most important role on the field in a must win match? Who does that?!

All everyone has heard about him is '10 year player', 'could be one of the best halfbacks in the game', 'the Roosters have built a side around him' yadda, yadda yadda. The reality is that although he is quite proficient and has a range of good skills he's never been able to reach those great expectations.

To me he is no failure. It's not his fault that people who should have known better hoisted him up as some legend well before he earned it. It's unfair that he's always had to try and live up to things that are far beyond his capabilities. It's unfair that he's is always measured by these standards.

Laurie Daley is a prick for picking him before he's proved himself as the best NSW halfback. He may think this gives Pearce security and some sort of confidence but it doesn't feel like that at all. Reynolds deserves a look it and Pearce deserves the opportunity to know within himself that he is good enough for Origin without being viewed as some sort of 'protected species'.

In Jimmy's favour is that he probably has the temperament to handle Origin. He doesn't get fazed by anything which is important. By comparison Carney well and truly shat himself in the last series. Along with his GF capitulation I think it is legitimate to question his capacity to perform in high pressure games. Temperament isn't everything though and I think Carney, if he can recover from his injury, will probably have the first chance. Carney can win games without a dominant forward pack. I don't know if that's within Maloney.