Official NSW Team for Game I

tig_prmz

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http://www.nrl.com/nsw-team-announced–game-i/tabid/10874/newsid/72521/default.aspx

James Maloney has won the contentious NSW five-eighth position and will partner Mitchell Pearce in the halves for the opening game of the Holden State of Origin Series at ANZ Stadium on June 5.

The Roosters five-eighth won the hotly contested battle ahead of incumbent Todd Carney and other candidates John Sutton and Josh Reynolds when the side was read out at Rugby League Central on Sunday afternoon.

While Carney was the incumbent playing all three games in the 2012 Series where the Blues were beaten by a late Cooper Cronk field goal in the deciding game, the club combination of the high-flying Roosters pair proved too good for coach Laurie Daley to ignore.

Buy Tickets to Origin 1 here.

Maloney will start in the number six jersey with history against him, no debuting five-eighth has ever won a game for the Blues.

Maloney is one of there players making their debut in the NSW side with Andrew Fifita and Blake Ferguson.

Fifita's stellar form for the Sharks earned him a call-up and is the bolter on the bench, while former captain Kurt Gidley returns to the side after missing the entire 2012 series through injury and will re-ignite his utility position on the bench.

Blake Ferguson stormed into the team with some impressive recent performances to be named on the wing in front of Akuila Uate and Nathan Merritt. The size, skill and perceived x-factor ability of Ferguson earned him the position, with Australian winger Brett Morris named on the other flank.

Captain Paul Gallen will start at prop for NSW, with Daley opting to play the inspirational skipper in the middle of the field and not in his preferred lock position.

Daley has opted to go with an agile pack with only two recognised props, Andrew Fifita and James Tamou. Trent Merrin who will play from the bench is formerly a prop but has been playing lock for the Dragons this season.

The NSW team on paper looks a mobile and attacking side, a backline full of pace and strength, backed-up by an agile forward pack that will work hard to tire the big Maroons squad.

The question for the Blues will be how they handle the Queensland forward juggernaut. Even with the loss of Petero Civinoceva (retired) and Ben Hannant (injured) it is believed Queensland will stick with their formula of big forwards including Matt Scott, David Shillington, Sam Thaiday and Martin Kennedy.

With an almost all-Australian backline, the Maroons will look to their big men to pound NSW into submission before letting their outside men take advantage of their well-established combinations.

The concerns for Queensland is a possible injury to Darius Boyd, while forward David Shillington and halfback Cooper Cronk were placed on report for separate incidents at the weekend.

The Maroons will name their side on Monday night.

NSW State of Origin team named on Sunday at Rugby League Central.

1\. Jarryd Hayne (Eels)

2\. Brett Morris (Dragons)

3\. Michael Jennings (Roosters)

4\. Josh Morris (Bulldogs)

5\. Blake Ferguson (Raiders)

6\. James Maloney (Roosters)

7\. Mitchell Pearce (Roosters)

8\. Paul Gallen (Sharks, capt)

9\. Robbie Farah (Tigers)

10\. James Tamou (Cowboys)

11\. Ryan Hoffman (Storm)

12.Luke Lewis (Sharks)

13\. Greg Bird (Titans)

Interchange

14\. Kurt Gidley (Knights)

15\. Anthony Watmough (Manly)

16\. Andrew Fifita (Sharks)

17\. Trent Merrin (Dragons)

Likely Queensland side (to be named on Monday night at Suncorp Stadium).

Billy Slater

Ashley Graham

Greg Inglis

Justin Hodges

Brent Tate

Johnathan Thurston

Cooper Cronk

Matt Scott

Cameron Smith (c)

David Shillington

Nate Myles

Sam Thaiday

Ashley Harrison

Ben Te'o

Matt Gillett

Martin Kennedy

Corey Parker

SOOOO BLOODY STUPIDD..
grant, woods and carney. feel sorry for them. they deserved to be there.
 
Gidley is an absolute WASTE. Not only does his form this year not warrant selection, Game 1 last year proved NSW don't need a utility on the bench. If injury occurs, Lewis can cover the backs and Bird can cover the halves. I honestly can't see Daley's vision in picking him.

There's only two props in the 17 as well. Fifita deserves to be there. Woods should have started, Gallen in the backrow and either Hoffman or Lewis on the bench.
 
Congrats to FIfita. Disappointed we let him go but he seems in the right headspace to fulfil all the expectations we had on him through the 20s. Can definitely sense a massive culture issue in the club considering the talent we've let go in seasons gone
 
@alex said:
Congrats to FIfita. Disappointed we let him go but he seems in the right headspace to fulfil all the expectations we had on him through the 20s. Can definitely sense a massive culture issue in the club considering the talent we've let go in seasons gone

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Every club lets players go here and there. That's the rub of the green Fifita is gone guys et it go!
 
Daley's love affair with Gidley when he was a selector has carried on - he won't sit on the bench the whole game - he will be there if the halves are hopeless which is on the cards and if they are playing well he will come on for Robbie - unbelievable given last years series but Daley still remembers a few series ago i think.
 
rubbish team but what do you expect when the coach as the IQ of a mop.
Gidley is absolutely useless, he plays lots of positions but definitely none anywhere near an origin standard. Gallen should be in the backrow. We need an extra prop in there and we happen to have the form prop of the comp in Aaron Woods miss out. Absolutely disgraceful.

Gidley's contribution to the team is about the same as what I add by just by attending, i.e NOTHING.
 
move gallen back to 2nd row put a prop in (woods or grant) and get rid of gildley, then we have near our best
 
some good and some dumb selections there.

Didn't Gal say he didn't want to play prop?

Gidley is just a waste of space on the bench. I'm sure we could cover without him if injuries happen.

Woods and Grant very unlucky.
 
Eels last place = 1 NSW player
Tigers last place = 1 NSW player
Souths 1st place = 0 NSW players
Top 8 teams = 8/17 NSW players
Bottom 8 teams = 9/17 NSW players
 
Unbelievable.

Fergusson has 2 great games for Canberra and is in the Origin Team.

Merritt and Woods have had **_2 great years_** for their respective clubs, and miss out - heck I don't even LIKE MERRITT but he's been hard done by to have "fly by night Fergo" usurp him.

That. Will. Do. Me.
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Happy clear out the spare room, i'm moving up north for a few weeks, and barracking for QLD at this rate!!! :roll
 
@underdog said:
Fergusson has 2 great games for Canberra and is in the Origin Team.

Guaranteed Fergusson has a brain explosion and does something stupid.

I heard blocker say Merritt isn't big enough for origin, that you didn't need a finisher for origin but someone to cart it up. You'd think Blocker would have learn't after last year.

At least Mundine will be going for the blues
 
@clokan said:
@underdog said:
Fergusson has 2 great games for Canberra and is in the Origin Team.

Guaranteed Fergusson has a brain explosion and does something stupid.

I heard blocker say Merritt isn't big enough for origin, that you didn't need a finisher for origin but someone to cart it up. You'd think Blocker would have learn't after last year.

At least Mundine will be going for the blues

I reckon Merrit has deserved to play Origin for 5 years now. Blocker is a moron delux and every time he opens his gob I cringe that he used to be a Tiger. Shut up Steve you clown, your opinions are ridiculous.
 
Merritt is overrated. Weak defensively, ineffective hitups and doesn't break many tackles. Scoring tries does NOT make you a good footballer. Glad he didn't get picked.
 
8\. Grant
10\. Tamou
11\. Bird
12\. Watmough
13\. Gallen
14\. Lewis
15\. Merrin
16\. Fifita
17\. Woods

IMO, that is the best possible line-up, mix of youth and experience and Merrin could be used in the front row or back row.
 
unbelievable i will always love NSW but really Gidley ?? he will come on for Robbie if Laurie has his ways and thats where we will score 0 points because he has no spark/creativity and also concede a few tries because he is old and so bad in defence now. Merrit is so bad in defence its not funny got run over by Koroibete let alone if he made SOO marking up on the same side as Inglis. In a way i want him to get selected so he gets run over the top of and 4 tries scored on his side, that will stop people saying Merrit is great and deserves a selection. Also he has so X-factor to break tackles or make line-breaks like a Ferguson or Hayne.
 
Can't believe Daley's reasoning for picking Ferguson in the side

It was he wanted a big man to look after Inglis

What you expect Ferguson to be able to handle Inglis ?? Thats really funny LOL

Big risk playing Gallen without possibly no game time for 4 weeks at Prop in my opinion

If NSW really wanted to take advantage of having a spine they could work with who have played together they would of picked Mini at fullback and Hayne on the wing as the big body to handle Inglis
 
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