Farah won't change style for Origin

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tigersrule4life

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NEW South Wales hooker Robbie Farah says he has no intentions of changing his style of football despite critics declaring he is "not suited" to State of Origin.

Two weeks ago, Blues staff member Steve Roach, a former forward nicknamed 'Blocker', said Farah's game wasn't suited to the Origin style.

Despite the comments, the Wests Tigers captain was selected in the NSW side to face Queensland in Melbourne in just over a week's time.

He started the season behind Michael Ennis and Newcastle’s Danny Buderus, but 28-year-old Farah clawed his way back into contention while his club coach Tim Sheens exchanged a war of words with Blues coach Ricky Stuart.

Labelling himself as being "out of form" last year where he was overlooked in favour of Ennis, Farah believes he is now fitter than ever and doubts his game will change much - albeit a little more structured than at the Tigers.

“I think the fact that I’ve got a genuine No.7 outside me will help my game,” Farah said.

“To be able to play with a genuine seven like Mitchell (Pearce) allows me to concentrate on my game as a nine and do that job to the best of my ability.”

The hooker said he and Roach have buried the hatchet after remaining silent over the entire time he was being spoken about.

Farah denied there was any bad blood between him and the Balmain legend.

“We had a bit of a joke about it,” he said.

“It’s all good, we’re in camp now and we’re all here with the same objective and that to win.

“It’s fair to say I was pretty disappointed in it… but he’s entitled to his opinion.”

Having twice represented the Blues, his last game in the second game of the 2009 series, Farah came under scrutiny for playing with injured ribs.

However, the Tigers skipper denies he played injured.

“It’s an absolute myth,” Farah said.

“Everyone has said I shouldn’t have played but there was nothing wrong with me.

“It was just one of those games where I made a couple of mistakes and I got punished.”

Having built a combination with Pearce during City Origin camp, Farah said he and the halfback kept in contact and is now looking forward to linking with Todd Carney.

“I had the chance to play a Test with Toddy at Eden Park and we played really well that night and got a win against the Kiwis,” Farah said.

“He and 'Junior' have a combination there from the Roosters so hopefully between the three of us we can get this team moving in the right direction.”

That combination is something Carney is also looking forward to working on.

“Pearcey has a nice combination with Robbie from his time at City,” Carney said.

“Me and Pearcey’s combination was good when I was at the Roosters so hopefully that can gel straight away and we fit in together.”

http://www.sportsnewsfirst.com.au/articles/2012/05/14/farah-won-t-change-style-for-origin/
 
**“I think the fact that I’ve got a genuine No.7 outside me will help my game,” Farah said.\
\
“To be able to play with a genuine seven like Mitchell (Pearce) allows me to concentrate on my game as a nine and do that job to the best of my ability.”**
\
\
:astonished: Says it all really.
 
@Balmain Bobby said:
Don't know why some of you blokes bother being members here, so bloody negative. Obviously most never strapped on a boot.
Click to expand...

Mine were slip-ons. Still, better than strap-ons, I suppose!
\
\
_Posted using RoarFEED 2012_
 
Farah to make up for lost time for NSW
Steve Jancetic
May 14, 2012 - 6:04PM

AAP

Told by a NSW great that his game wasn't suited to State of Origin, recalled Blues hooker Robbie Farah says he's determined to prove he's capable of adapting to rugby league's toughest arena.

Three years after his Origin career stalled after just two games, Farah was welcomed back to the fold on Monday as part of yet another new look NSW side charged with ending Queensland's six-year dominance.

A Blues' comeback seemed at long odds a couple of weeks ago when former NSW prop Steve Roach - a member of the Blues backroom staff - suggested Farah's game wasn't suited to Origin.

That sparked a slanging match between Farah's club coach Tim Sheens and NSW coach Ricky Stuart - with Farah caught in the middle - but he has come out the other side determined to prove he belongs.

"There was nothing I could do about it other than to keep my mouth shut and play some good footy," Farah said of the controversy.

"It means a lot (to be picked), a lot of hard work, and sometimes you doubt whether you're going to get back here.

"Last year I struggled and was out of form and probably didn't deserve to get picked and I knew that."

Roach was the first person Farah bumped into when he arrived at the NSW camp in Penrith on Monday and he jokingly told the No.9 they would be room mates.

"We're okay," Roach said.

"All I said was that his style of play didn't suit Origin, he's got to change a couple of things.

"And he changed them against the Titans.

"Everyone saw the try he scored and the field goal at the end, but the play that won it was when he showed the desperation to charge the ball down - that's what wins games.

"I'm going to send him an invoice for motivating him."

Farah admitted he was disappointed the public criticism came from within his club: "He's a Tigers club legend, but he's entitled to his opinion - I'm sure there's a lot of other opinions out there about me good and bad."

Farah said the presence of Mitchell Pearce at halfback would allow him to play a more natural hooker's game compared to what he plays at the Tigers.

He also said he was determined to make up for his last effort for NSW, when an error-riddled performance in game two of the 2009 series led to claims he had played injured.

"That's an absolute myth … there was nothing wrong with me on the night.

"I made a couple of mistake that got punished.

"I backed up two nights later and played for the Tigers against the Dragons - if I was injured I wouldn't have done that."
 
@Balmain Bobby said:
Don't know why some of you blokes bother being members here, so bloody negative. Obviously most never strapped on a boot.
Click to expand...

Mine actually had laces like those of today….so they were strap ons once upon a time???

I hope he does change his style, hes much too lateral, drifting across field, he needs to play more direct...he was good for City.

Haha at a real 7
 
@Flippedy said:
**“I think the fact that I’ve got a genuine No.7 outside me will help my game,” Farah said.\
\
“To be able to play with a genuine seven like Mitchell (Pearce) allows me to concentrate on my game as a nine and do that job to the best of my ability.”**
\
\
:astonished: Says it all really.
Click to expand...

Touche….I hope he conveys this to Sheens!
 
@willow said:
@hybrid_tiger said:
A subtle dig at Sheens.

Or at the club with a view to buying a genuine halfback.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

We all know Sheens runs things. If Sheens wants to play with a halfback he will.

Some more comments from Robbie this morning:

**"It's a little different at the Tigers, so it was a change to play with Mitchell Pearce for City," Farah said.\
\
"With that combination I knew my job and stuck to it.\
\
"With respect to the guys who've played at the Tigers, we haven't had a genuine halfback for a while. We've chopped and changed and sometimes I've played first receiver in games."\
\
"Sticky (Stuart) was really honest and told me what I needed to do."**
 
Happy to be here, but Farah knows to make most of his opportunity May 15, 2012

WHETHER he is an Origin player, as it is termed, might still be up for debate. Not even Robbie Farah is sure whether he is, just as he isn't quite sure what an Origin player is. What he knows is he is more of an Origin player now than when he last represented his state, in 2009.

''The opportunities I got in Origin in the past, I let that slip,'' Farah said yesterday. ''Now, I've got this chance, but I haven't achieved anything. I've got to go out there [next] Wednesday night and prove that I deserve to be there, and that I belong there.''

Farah's message yesterday, after a long, draining lead-up to his selection, was that the hard work was just beginning. ''Last time, I was young, and I was probably just happy to be there,'' Farah said. ''This year, while I'm happy to be here, I know that there's a lot of work to be done. We're here for a reason. We've got to win.''

Farah has more reason than many of his teammates to make Wednesday week's opening clash of the series count. Just over a month ago, NSW coach Ricky Stuart phoned both Farah and his rival for the role, Canterbury's Michael Ennis, and told them they were behind Newcastle veteran Danny Buderus in the running for the hooking position.

Farah then said to Stuart: ''I've got a month to change your mind.''

Ultimately, Buderus was ruled out through injury, but Farah is aware he should be pressing for the position again by the time the team for game two is selected. Some might have responded poorly to Stuart's words, that he was running second or third in the race for a Blues jumper. The Wests Tigers hooker says now he appreciated the call.

''Since I got dropped [in '09], I hadn't heard from anyone,'' Farah said. ''You don't know where you stand. You feel as though you're on the outer, or you've been blacklisted. The fact that Ricky spoke to me, even though what he said at the time probably wasn't what I wanted to hear, I took a lot out of that.

''It gave me the confidence that I was still a chance as long as I worked hard. It was just a matter of showing him how much I wanted it, and how much I wanted to be a part of it.''

And showing others, too. Farah's selection always seems to be hotly debated. Many people consider his spark a worthy addition to Origin, but others say he is not built for the task. His suitability was even questioned by Steve Roach, a Balmain legend who is also on Stuart's staff.

While admitting he was disappointed at the time, Farah said he had no issue with Roach. ''We're all here with the same goal,'' Farah said. ''We'll all be working to achieve that.''

Roach, who broke the ice by bounding up to Farah yesterday morning with a room key, exclaiming that the pair were rooming together, was not backing down.

''I love him as a player,'' Roach said. ''If everyone had taken the time to listen to what I said . . . all I said is his style doesn't suit Origin, and he had to change a couple of things.''

And he did. On cue, Farah produced a performance against Gold Coast in round nine that proved to Roach the player had responded. ''Everyone would have looked at the try and the field goal he kicked in extra time, but the thing that impressed me was getting out and charging down a field goal with a minute to go,'' Roach said. ''That's what Origin is, doing something that takes an effort. Never be beaten, never lay down.''

Farah produces the same defiant tone when he speaks of the often-repeated jibe that he is not tough enough for Origin football. ''I've learnt to not take notice of what people that don't matter say,'' he said. ''The people that matter are my teammates, my coaches and myself.

''All my teammates that I've ever played with know the sort of player that I am. I'll go out there to do anything for them.''
 
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