Corner of solitude

I have no doubt that NSW will take home the trophy this year. After the easy win they had last night, Queensland may as well have told NSW “it’s yours bitches we’re sick of it”.

Queensland had an abysmal night, with no creativity with the ball at all. This is largely due to the bad player selection. With regular captain and five eight Darren Lockyer out of the picture, Queensland selectors had chosen K. Hunt as make shift five eight. Sure Thurston might be rated as the best half back in the league, and most of the attacking decisions could be made by him, but when your playing in the State of Origin you need something to fall back on. Making K. Hunt the five eight made him a sitting duck, his defence was solid but he hardly had enough juice left for attack.

Thurston tried hard and did his best, but that was problem, he was trying to do too much. If he had someone who was a genuine attacking ballplayer like Darren Lockyer, to fall back on then some of his plays would have had a little more oomph. Queensland shoud have selected Titan half back and captain, Prince. Who not only is the form half back in the league but is not far behind Lockyer and Thurston as genuine ballplaying attacking generals.

I would have chosen Prince at half, and Thurston at five eight which is generally believed to be his preferred position. Slater would have remained as fullback leaving K. Hunt a spot on the bench, ready to be unleashed fresh later in the game. Leaving out a form player like Prince just so K. Hunt is in the team is just plain game suicide. Even master coach and mentor Wayne Bennett scoffed at the idea of leaving out Prince in favour of K. Hunt.

None of it would have have mattered anyhow, because NSW would still have won.