State of Origin

[kakaruk]

Freddy needs to pick Momo at center and Hutch at hooker the blues will be sweet then

[Flipper Hands]

They had an off night - agreed - but they are very good. Penrith haven't lost only 3 games in two years with crap halves.

They aren't crap - they just aren't "natural" football players. Both are manufactured halves, though Luai is also a freak athlete. A good example is Cleary getting belted time and again in the first half while kicking on the 5th, he didn't mix it up and kick early, switch to Luai, or drop back to give him time to evade. He just followed the game plan. It's probably Cleary's only flaw.

QLD had a plan to nullify Cleary last night, and it worked.

[player 1]

They aren't crap - they just aren't "natural" football players. Both are manufactured halves, though Luai is also a freak athlete. A good example is Cleary getting belted time and again in the first half while kicking on the 5th, he didn't mix it up and kick early, switch to Luai, or drop back to give him time to evade. He just followed the game plan. It's probably Cleary's only flaw.

QLD had a plan to nullify Cleary last night, and it worked.

Great post.

Whereas Munster and DCE played very heads up. Like Sam Walker! Laugh, but you never know what young Sam could do at this level even now.

[roostermcgregor]

My thoughts from last nights game , watching from the stands:
Qld were managed into the game by Klien , clearly outplayed by NSW in the 1st half, but NSW are behind on the scoreboard at half - time?
For the record I am not surprised that Collins had a big game. 2 runs in the Titans game a few weeks ago were absolute rippers. He was already back and ready for Origin.
Haas was enormous in the first half.
Cherry Evans was completely at sea when the going was tough. Always looks heaps better than he is, when he is given space, and when the game opens up
I love Toops. He is a great club player. But I predicted he would get burnt for pace , and Qld did this with Valentine Holmes - just once was enough.
Origin is full of players with blistering pace, so I think picking Toops is not on . He is 31, and slowing down , still vey good for Club football, but NOT origin.\
Left side attack from NSW was very dangerous in the second half
NSW were the better team on the night, for at least 60 minutes of the game, but lost - Again.

[The Lip]

They aren't crap - they just aren't "natural" football players. Both are manufactured halves, though Luai is also a freak athlete. A good example is Cleary getting belted time and again in the first half while kicking on the 5th, he didn't mix it up and kick early, switch to Luai, or drop back to give him time to evade. He just followed the game plan. It's probably Cleary's only flaw.

QLD had a plan to nullify Cleary last night, and it worked.

Yeah agree with all of that re Cleary

[milanja]

I’d like to see that big manly 2nd rower in for sims, and hopefully Latrell is fit enough for game 2.

[Bruce Pickett]

Luai is a natural. He's a punk but he can play. Set up both our pies last night.
Cleary was hovering between Pearce and Finch at Origin level last night.

[player 1]

My thoughts from last nights game , watching from the stands:
Qld were managed into the game by Klien , clearly outplayed by NSW in the 1st half, but NSW are behind on the scoreboard at half - time?
For the record I am not surprised that Collins had a big game. 2 runs in the Titans game a few weeks ago were absolute rippers. He was already back and ready for Origin.
Haas was enormous in the first half.
Cherry Evans was completely at sea when the going was tough. Always looks heaps better than he is, when he is given space, and when the game opens up
I love Toops. He is a great club player. But I predicted he would get burnt for pace , and Qld did this with Valentine Holmes - just once was enough.
Origin is full of players with blistering pace, so I think picking Toops is not on . He is 31, and slowing down , still vey good for Club football, but NOT origin.\
Left side attack from NSW was very dangerous in the second half
NSW were the better team on the night, for at least 60 minutes of the game, but lost - Again.

Easily in top 3 or 4 players last night, did a mountain of work doing forwards' job, expecting the extra energy would enable them to dominate (not his fault that happened), and took a great catch and set up what was probably a perfectly legal try to Teddy (If not, then pass for Qld first try was just as sus).

And come on, that 2 on 1 he had to defend? That's what you call being burned for pace? Toops is still plenty fast in addition to his other assets.

He totally justified his selection in a side beaten not because of him.

[SupermanSupportsEasts4Eva]

Hooper gave Toops a 6 in his ratings to confirm yet again that he has absolutely no idea.. Toops carries were heroic from start to finish.

Hooper is just jealous that Toops has a full set of hair and he doesn't

[roostermcgregor]

"Originally posted by player 1

And come on, that 2 on 1 he had to defend? That's what you call being burned for pace? Toops is still plenty fast in addition to his other assets.


Don't get me wrong, I love Toops, and in my books he is a legendary Rooster, and one of our two greatest wingers ever.
I didn't watch last night's game on TV- I was at the ground, in the stands directly above where Holmes scored the try, so I got a bird's eye view of it.
There was a 2 on 1 that Toops faced, but when the ball was passed to Holmes, Toops got across to him, but Holmes broke the tackle and scored.
My gut feeling, at the time , was that if Toops had an extra yard of pace in him, he would have got closer to Holmes, and nailed him over the sideline.
That's what Origin is all about, big plays, big moments, having the extra yard of pace to pull them off.
Being burnt for pace in Origin is simply being 1 metre slower than the opposition attack - once you are beaten its all over, red rover.
If Toops is named for game 2 , I think Slater will target that side - and he has speedsters like Ponga, Holmes, Munster, Cobbo etc who I think are quicker that Toops.

IMO Toops is more suited to Club football, and probably still shines in Semi Finals , Finals, and GF's , where the opposition backlines aren't as hot for pace like the Origin sides.

My other takes from the game - Klien is an absolute c*nt - game management if I have ever seen it.
Qld players pushed over the sideline and he blows a Qld penalty, blowing the whistle for game over when the ball is still in play.
I am an absolute sucker for paying hundreds of dollars for tickets to watch this sh*t.
Anyone who thinks Luai had a bad game think again - he was involved in those left hand side raids, and looked dangerous, along with Wighton.

[Hawkeye]

Because of the loss, Freddy will have to make a change or two. Most likely they will make Toops the sacrificial lamb not because he deserves to be dropped, but because they must be seen to be making changes to a team that was disappointing & got beat, but it will be minimal changes ...don't want to be seen to be panicking.
Brandy is part of Freddy's brains trust so don't think they will touch the panfer players, so they'll make Toops the sacrificial lamb. Can't tell me that Addo Fox would've have made any improvement to what Toops did in Origin 1, in fact he wouldn't have done a quarter of the hard carries that Daniel did the other night. But afraid that Toops will unfairly shoulder the cost.

[player 1]

"Originally posted by player 1

And come on, that 2 on 1 he had to defend? That's what you call being burned for pace? Toops is still plenty fast in addition to his other assets.


Don't get me wrong, I love Toops, and in my books he is a legendary Rooster, and one of our two greatest wingers ever.
I didn't watch last night's game on TV- I was at the ground, in the stands directly above where Holmes scored the try, so I got a bird's eye view of it.
There was a 2 on 1 that Toops faced, but when the ball was passed to Holmes, Toops got across to him, but Holmes broke the tackle and scored.
My gut feeling, at the time , was that if Toops had an extra yard of pace in him, he would have got closer to Holmes, and nailed him over the sideline.
That's what Origin is all about, big plays, big moments, having the extra yard of pace to pull them off.
Being burnt for pace in Origin is simply being 1 metre slower than the opposition attack - once you are beaten its all over, red rover.
If Toops is named for game 2 , I think Slater will target that side - and he has speedsters like Ponga, Holmes, Munster, Cobbo etc who I think are quicker that Toops.

IMO Toops is more suited to Club football, and probably still shines in Semi Finals , Finals, and GF's , where the opposition backlines aren't as hot for pace like the Origin sides.

My other takes from the game - Klien is an absolute c*nt - game management if I have ever seen it.
Qld players pushed over the sideline and he blows a Qld penalty, blowing the whistle for game over when the ball is still in play.
I am an absolute sucker for paying hundreds of dollars for tickets to watch this sh*t.
Anyone who thinks Luai had a bad game think again - he was involved in those left hand side raids, and looked dangerous, along with Wighton.

The problem is, had JAC been there, he would still have faced the same overlap situation - and had he used his extra yard of pace to make the tackle on Holmes, Holmes would have simply passed back inside to an unmarked Capewell who would have scored anyway.

Using Toops as a scapegoat reeks of stupidity and injustice. But I can see there is a desperation in the air to get JAC (a fantastic player BTW) back into the side, and agree with Hawkeye it's on the cards Toops will be sacrificed (he never deserved to be dropped in the first place).

I personally care sweet FA about origin - I'd rather have Toops just with us, but he deserves more.

[Teddy]

Are these people serious. They just want JAC back in surely.

If Turbo plays instead of Staggs I dare say we win that game even with the powder puff forwards Fittler selected. I have been critical of Sitili over the past couple of years but **** me some of his kamakazi style hard runs right at DCE or Munster would have broken that game open (coming off the bench) I haven’t given him enough credit in that facet of his game. One tough man our Sitili.

[Johnny Brass]

The back 3 for the blues were phenomenal in coming out of our end with tough carries against slow play the balls and the fox would have got smashed and driven backwards if faced with the same scenario.
The try from Holmes was the result of Harry Grant identifying Haas being caught on the blindside and Ponga with his pace getting on his outside and creating the overlap and as quick as Addo-Carr is he wasn't stopping that one.
It was a tough game with a slow ruck which didnt suit Cook and i think Korisau is better suited with his sleight of hand and great defence.
Murray should have played longer minutes and Sims is past that level of football.
The maroons were superb and won the middle with their no name pack and Munster was the difference.

[milanja]

The problem is, had JAC been there, he would still have faced the same overlap situation - and had he used his extra yard of pace to make the tackle on Holmes, Holmes would have simply passed back inside to an unmarked Capewell who would have scored anyway.

Using Toops as a scapegoat reeks of stupidity and injustice. But I can see there is a desperation in the air to get JAC (a fantastic player BTW) back into the side, and agree with Hawkeye it's on the cards Toops will be sacrificed (he never deserved to be dropped in the first place).

I personally care sweet FA about origin - I'd rather have Toops just with us, but he deserves more.

there are plenty of scapegoats for Toops to be safe, and I would love to hear teddy’s excuse if this did happen.

Staags was rubbish, Sims had no impact, matterson and chrichton should all be up for the chop before Toops.

it was a massive decision to pick him over fox, I don’t think Freddy would risk looking that dumb unless he scores a few doubles in the next couple of games.