innsaneink
Well-known member
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/two-into-six-wont-go/story-e6frexnr-1225983211027" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
BENJI Marshall or Darren Lockyer? C'mon, who do you pick? And quick … the clock is ticking.
Well, it should be ticking. And would be if those in charge of the NRL All Stars realised the one serious flaw in their otherwise crackin' concept - the automatic selection of Marshall and Lockyer as rival Test captains.
See, of all the jerseys up for grabs in this Australian Idol for mungos, none is capable of causing more debate, controversy or internet traffic to NRL.com than that of the All Stars No. 6.
It's Australia versus New Zealand. Sydney versus Brisbane. The young buck up against the balding great.
Hell, throw reigning Dally M star Todd Carney into the mix and you've got the most gripping popularity contest since Big Brother went all turkey slappin'.
So why can't fans vote on it? Moreover, why would league officialdom not want us arguing over exactly who is the most popular playmaker - indeed, the most popular player - in the game?
Sure, Marshall may be the best footballer in the world right now.
A sidesteppin' superstar who owned the Four Nations final and then won the Golden Boot after a staggering 11 of 13 judges awarded him maximum points. But is Benji the most beloved?
Has he done enough to usurp the Brisbane boy who this year could surpass those record Origin appearances of Alfie Langer, record finals appearances of Kevvie Walters and record premiership games of Terry Lamb and Steve Menzies?
It's an important question because the All Stars concept, remember, is all about those who mean most to the man on the hill. For proof, check out workaholic Eel Nathan Hindmarsh - currently leading his back-row category some two years after Australian selectors discarded him.
The automatic selection of Lockyer and Marshall also robs fans of the chance to vote on undoubtedly the game's most popular players - halfbacks. Instead of NSW Origin star Mitchell Pearce pushing for selection, Marshall will assume the halfback role some 18 months after his own club Wests Tigers gave up the very same experiment.
It's madness. A glitch even Wayne Bennett hinted at this week when, blogging on the NRL website, a punter asked the All Stars coach what lessons he had taken from last year's fixture.
That I don't like talking to the TV at halftime, he wrote. And that Benji is more of a five-eighth than a halfback.
According to Fox Sports Statistics, Wests Tigers win a paltry 44 per cent of games with Marshall in the seven jersey. When he shifts a spot wider, however, that number lifts to a solid 63 per cent - the type of statistic Marshall fans should be using in their argument against Lockyer.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/two-into-six-wont-go/story-e6frexnr-1225983211027" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
BENJI Marshall or Darren Lockyer? C'mon, who do you pick? And quick … the clock is ticking.
Well, it should be ticking. And would be if those in charge of the NRL All Stars realised the one serious flaw in their otherwise crackin' concept - the automatic selection of Marshall and Lockyer as rival Test captains.
See, of all the jerseys up for grabs in this Australian Idol for mungos, none is capable of causing more debate, controversy or internet traffic to NRL.com than that of the All Stars No. 6.
It's Australia versus New Zealand. Sydney versus Brisbane. The young buck up against the balding great.
Hell, throw reigning Dally M star Todd Carney into the mix and you've got the most gripping popularity contest since Big Brother went all turkey slappin'.
So why can't fans vote on it? Moreover, why would league officialdom not want us arguing over exactly who is the most popular playmaker - indeed, the most popular player - in the game?
Sure, Marshall may be the best footballer in the world right now.
A sidesteppin' superstar who owned the Four Nations final and then won the Golden Boot after a staggering 11 of 13 judges awarded him maximum points. But is Benji the most beloved?
Has he done enough to usurp the Brisbane boy who this year could surpass those record Origin appearances of Alfie Langer, record finals appearances of Kevvie Walters and record premiership games of Terry Lamb and Steve Menzies?
It's an important question because the All Stars concept, remember, is all about those who mean most to the man on the hill. For proof, check out workaholic Eel Nathan Hindmarsh - currently leading his back-row category some two years after Australian selectors discarded him.
The automatic selection of Lockyer and Marshall also robs fans of the chance to vote on undoubtedly the game's most popular players - halfbacks. Instead of NSW Origin star Mitchell Pearce pushing for selection, Marshall will assume the halfback role some 18 months after his own club Wests Tigers gave up the very same experiment.
It's madness. A glitch even Wayne Bennett hinted at this week when, blogging on the NRL website, a punter asked the All Stars coach what lessons he had taken from last year's fixture.
That I don't like talking to the TV at halftime, he wrote. And that Benji is more of a five-eighth than a halfback.
According to Fox Sports Statistics, Wests Tigers win a paltry 44 per cent of games with Marshall in the seven jersey. When he shifts a spot wider, however, that number lifts to a solid 63 per cent - the type of statistic Marshall fans should be using in their argument against Lockyer.
