Colman’s call: Maroons missing Big Four injects intrigue into Origin

AT the risk of being hung in effigy outside the Caxton Hotel, I’m kind of glad Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater won’t be playing tomorrow night.

Greg Inglis. Photo: AAP.

AT the risk of being hung in effigy outside the Caxton Hotel, I’m kind of glad that Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater won’t be playing tomorrow night.

It adds a little bit of intrigue into what was starting to become a familiar plot.

Billy Slater. Photo: AAP.

It was like watching one of those old cowboy movies. The wagon train would be surrounded by Indians with no hope of survival. They were out of bullets, out of luck and almost out of time.

And then, to the sound of the bugle, charging in to save the day at the last possible moment, comes the cavalry.

Or, in the case of Queensland supporters: Smith, Thurston, Slater and Cronk.

I’d never say Origin was getting boring, but there was a certain sameness to it.

At the very least this year’s series is going to be a little different.

Eleven new Blues, three Maroons debutants and more questions to be answered than you get in a season of Millionaire Hot Seat.

The biggest, as far as Queensland hopes are concerned, is how the Ben Hunt-Cameron Munster partnership works out.

Cooper Cronk and JT were the best of mates. The amount of coffee they drank together over the years could have refloated the Titanic.

The last time Hunt and Munster were in camp together they tried to rip each other’s throats out.

Then there’s the matter of Hunt’s record in big matches.

It’s unfair to keep bringing up his infamous grand final faux pas, but you can be pretty sure someone in blue will mention it tomorrow night.

And how will Greg Inglis go as captain in his first Origin back after serious injury?

Greg Inglis. Photo: AAP.

I have absolutely no doubts over Andrew McCullough’s ability to play a blinder. He doesn’t have to do anything different to what he does week-in week-out, namely tackle, pass and back-up. Simple.

Less simple will be Nathan Cleary’s role. His predecessor, Mitchell Pearce, couldn’t get his head around it in 18 attempts so it will be a big ask for Cleary in his first game.

In his favour is the Blues’ selecting his club partner, James Maloney, outside him.

All they need now is to find someone to do Maloney’s tackling.

But I reckon the biggest question mark of all is over James Roberts.

We all know Jimmy the Jet is the fastest thing since the Millennium Falcon. Some of the tries he has had a hand in over the years have to be seen to be believed.

Trouble is, some of those tries are scored by the opposition.

Which brings us back to that question about Greg Inglis. From my dealings with him, GI isn’t your Winston Churchill type of speechmaker. He’ll lead the Maroons by example.

And that example will be running over the top of James Roberts.

Trevor Gillmeister tells the story of when he was Queensland’s on-field runner one year. During a break in play he gathered the team around and said, “Listen boys, what you have to do is …”

Before he could finish, GI sauntered over and said, “ … get the ball to me”.

They did, and he tore the Blues apart.

Could be a long night Jet.