BY CURTIS WOODWARD
It is that time of the year that every New South Wales Blues fan starts to sweat – will we pick the right team for State of Origin, Game I at Accor Stadium on May 27.
Laurie Daley is in the hot seat again and has the easiest and hardest job in the world.
Picking a Blues squad to beat those bloody Queenslanders!
Here’s my team for Game I.
FULLBACK: JAMES TEDESDO
There was very serious consideration to go with Penrith champion Dylan Edwards. You could very easily pick Tedesco or Edwards for the Blues custodian role but went with Tedesco due to a shift in position in the forwards and tactics regarding Edwards’ fellow Panthers legend Isaah Yeo which we’ll get to in a minute.
WINGERS: BRIAN TO’O AND JOSH ADDO-CARR
Has been some chat about in the media about playing Latrell Mitchell or even Stephen Chrichton on the wing to make room for Kotoni Staggs but neither really makes much sense because the first thing a team is looking for is cohesion and aggressive kick-returns to begin those all-important sets in rotation – especially at State of Origin level. Forcing either big bloke to the back three would take too much juice out of them, anyway. To’o and Addo-Carr are in-form for their respective clubs. Even more reason to pick Tedesco with these two coming out of your own end.
CENTRES: LATRELL MITCHELL AND STEPHEN CRICHTON
They pick themselves.
FIVE-EIGHTH: MITCHELL MOSES
Was no consideration to pick Jarome Luai ahead of Mitchell Moses. While Moses’ style at club level may annoy opposition fan bases, he’s perfectly suited for State of Origin. Although I do worry about old Laurie and the proposition that he [defensively] goes back to the old Panthers spine with Yeo playing as an extra halfback and slowing the attack and it breaks down, especially on the left, if Luai loses his directness.
HALFBACK: NATHAN CLEARY
Is in career-best form in the NRL and if Daley can get Cleary to adapt to the team, rather than the team adapt to great halfback, the Blues could win the series 3-0.
HOOKERS: REECE ROBSON / BLAYKE BRAILEY
The new Chook to start the game with unsung Sharks hero Brailey getting the bench spot after Daley confirmed he was going with two hookers. Robson reminds of me a Steve Walters or a Danny Buderus. Big, strong, and explosive around the ruck and has been strong for the Roosters since returning from injury. Brailey can cause major havoc as the big men start to tire.
MIDDLES: JACKSON FORD / ISAAH YEO / CAMERON MURRAY
Jackson Ford is the form prop in the competition and demands a starting spot. I’m also going with Yeo in the number 10 jersey and doing away with the shifts to his halves on either side of the ruck. Run first and as he works into the game, let’s see Yeo playing short around the middle with Robson, Murray and Tedesco. That means Cam Murray is the Blues lock.
SECOND ROWERS: HUDSON YOUNG / HAUMOLE OLAKAU’ATU
A couple of weeks ago I called for Young to be named new Blues skipper. What a player. Has an insane appetite for physical football and is wasted on the bench. There was an urge to pick the giant Manly wrecking ball Olakau’atu on the bench for his impact, but I don’t know about that. He has been so destructive, his impact could come in the first ten minutes!
BENCH: BRAILEY [MENTIONED], ADDIN FONUA-BLAKE, JACOB PRESTON, ANGUS CHRICHTON, KOTONI STAGGS, TERRELL MAY
The only thing more dangerous than the NSW starting side is the NSW bench!
Big ‘Gus’ should be a straight interchange for Olakau’atu while AFB gets a run for Ford after twenty minutes. The rest depends on what happens during the game.
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