Origin 2021: NSW players to be fired up by Paul Green’s ‘marshmallows’ taunt
Maroons coach Paul Green delivered a public pre-Origin barb and NSW officials weren’t happy. And they will be looking to use it against him on Sunday.
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You’re a bunch of marshmallows.
This was the pre-Origin taunt thrown at a bewildered NSW side by Queensland coach Paul Green.
While tongue-in-cheek, the NSW camp didn’t find the barb humorous ahead of Sunday’s big match at Suncorp Stadium.
Green was the voice-over man in a radio commercial for Sleeper Hut, a construction material wholesaler based in Beenleigh, Queensland.
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During the ad, Green referred to NSW as “marshmallows.”
NSW officials are now seeking a copy of the ad to play to their stars ahead of the match, in the same way as Queensland has used a picture of Jerome Luai to fire up their battling players.
“Yeah, you know what, that’s Greenie’s point of view,” said NSW adviser Greg Alexander. “That’s his choice to do something like that.”
It is understood Green is mates with a Sleeper Hut employee and did the commercial for free.
The dig has been airing on Queensland radio this week.
Former NSW forward Andrew Ryan watched the Blues train on Thursday at Cudgen and said: “I don’t think the Blues are marshmallows from what I have seen.
“In game one, NSW was pretty impressive – I didn’t see too many marshmallows out there. It’s a bit of fun I suppose and adds a bit of spice to Origin. How good is it?”
Even if said lightheartedly, some in the NSW camp were surprised Green would use the term “marshmallow” when describing NSW.
NSW players have been trying to avoid reading, watching and listening to any media distractions leading into the match.
“I’m not too focused on anything that is happening throughout the media,” said NSW prop Junior Paulo.
“From when we came into camp, Freddy (Fittler) addressed us and said to focus on our role and what we have to do to get it right for Sunday.
“I can tell you, there hasn’t been much news played on TV and there aren’t too many newspapers getting around camp. That’s been good for the boys.”
While just one game into his Origin tenure, Green already finds himself under some pressure after Queensland’s embarrassing 50-6 loss in game one.
The NSW team will leave their Kingscliff base on Friday morning for the short bus journey to Brisbane.
Blues players will complete their preparations with a captain’s run on Suncorp Stadium this Saturday afternoon.
Walsh to feel the wrath of Blues’ ‘dying breed’
It was the six-again asteroid that was meant to kill off rugby league’s dinosaurs.
A new, faster-paced game designed to allow the little men to flourish and the big boppers die out.
Instead, Blues giants Daniel Saifiti (121kg), Payne Haas (119kg) and Junior Paulo (123kg) have found a way to not only survive the new rugby league landscape, but thrive in it.
Now they are vowing to “punch holes through” Queensland’s defence and threaten the meteoric rise of the Maroons’ lightweight rookie, Reece Walsh.
At just 18 and weighing only 88kg, Walsh will be thrust into the cauldron of State of Origin after just seven NRL games, and will be confronted with a combined 363kg of raw power should the Maroons fullback attempt to venture through the NSW ruck.
“There was a stage in the game where they said the big boys were about to become extinct from the fast-paced footy,” Parramatta and NSW forward Junior Paulo said.
“But as it went on, everyone adapted and luckily for us it is playing into our hands.”
While all the plaudits went to the likes of Tom Trbojevic, Latrell Mitchell and James Tedesco following NSW’s 50-6 win over Queensland in Origin I, Paulo said it was the forwards’ physical work that allowed the backline to shine.
“As long as we’re setting up our game and laying the platform to start with then it gives the boys a chance to build off the back of that,” Paulo said.
“That way we can take our performance right to the edge, which is where we want to go.
“Sometimes in an arena like this, it’s going to get tough and you need guys to lay that platform. For us, we are very fortunate to have the three of us big boppers and a really mobile pack as well.
“We know the leg speed Payne brings when he comes on the field and when he does he will be looking to punch holes through them.”
Haas will resume his duties as an impact player off the bench as he did in game one, where he made 14 runs for 143m — the most of any forward on the night — along with two tackle busts, an offload and 28 tackles without a miss.
“They’re starting so when I come on they make it a bit easier for me,” Haas said of Paulo and Saifiti
“To have those kinds of players around me, it’s pretty good.
“Size is important and these guys have big engines. They work and know how to defend well.
“Having that size on our side is good. It’s been good that all the big blokes are staying in the game with all the new rules.”
As for their off-field partnership, Paulo said he and Haas “keep each other accountable but also make it a fun camp.”
Asked what was the state of their room at the five-star Salt Peppers Resort & Spa at Kingscliff, Paulo said: “We’re both pretty clean. Probably the messiest it gets is when the food comes around.
Haas added: “Yeah, when the food bill is being read out.”
Revealed: How Freddie gave Cleary the Blues
In a startling prediction, Nathan Cleary can be NSW halfback for an unprecedented 15 years – because he has completed a whopping 2000 hours of football preparation more than his nearest rival.
That is the confession of respected NSW head of performance, Hayden Knowles, who outlined why Cleary could represent the Blues until at least 34 years old.
Knowles, also Penrith head of performance, revealed Cleary does a minimum 10 hours a week in extras – including two hours a day studying video – to ward off his rival halfbacks. Knowles equates that to 500 hours a year and 2000 hours since Cleary broke into the NSW side four years ago.
“And he’s not going to slow down,” Knowles said.
Cleary has the strength, skill and work ethic to remain Blues’ number seven for another 11 years, according to Knowles, the right hand man of Blues coach Brad Fittler. Knowles even revealed Cleary has now been asked for daily input into NSW’s training program.
“Nathan could be NSW’s number seven for his whole career,” Knowles said. “The great halfbacks who were still playing Origin at 34 like ‘JT’ (Johnathan Thurston) and Cooper Cronk, there’s nothing stopping Nathan getting there. And he’s only 23 now.
“You could throw another ten, eleven years on Nathan’s Origin career. You hear all the famous and diligent training stories about Cooper Cronk. Well, Nathan is that at 23.
“If Cooper – through preparation, practice and all those hours – could last until 36 then what’s stopping Nathan going from 23 to 36. If anyone tries to catch Nathan, as far as how many hours he prepares, they are already years behind because it accumulates.
“Say that Nathan does ten hours a week more than anyone else. Multiple that by 50 weeks and that’s 500 hours in a year more in preparation hours than anyone else.
“All other aspiring number sevens, if you want to catch him, it’s going to take you a long time because you are a long way behind. It gives him such a clear mind and such strong belief for the big occasion.
“He’s 500 hours ahead and you can then multiply that over the last four years he’s been in Origin. That’s 2000 hours ahead of his nearest rival. It will take someone a lot to catch up in terms of how many hours he’s put in.”
With this being his 11th Origin game, Cleary looks set, if he can remain fit, to smash the NSW playing record of 31 games, held by Fittler.
Cleary is fast becoming the most dedicated player in the NRL.
He was once spotted completing game and training analysis at 9pm – the last man inside Penrith’s training academy.
“Nathan is the ultimate professional in the way he studies the game, the amount of time he invests in studying the game,” Knowles said.
“He would study the game more than any coach, media personality, no-one in the game would spend as much time. You know how coaches spend hours and hours studying footage, so does Nathan.
“Every time I pop my head into the Penrith study room I say: ‘This is where the magic happens’. He will study opponents, study himself, he will study his own training. He just loves the game, he loves it.
“There is drone filming training at Penrith and here with NSW. People will have left and gone home and he’s still there. They’re having dinner and he’s still at work, studying his own training performance.
“This is no exaggeration. I once left at 9pm and he was the only one left in the building. Nothing he is doing now has come through being lucky.”
While formulating a training plan is shared among the NSW coaching staff, Cleary has now been invited for his guidance.
“Nathan and Freddie have teamed up to run the attack. We basically run every training session by Nathan. He’s almost like an assistant coach,” Knowles said.
“Staff will outline what training will be in terms of detail and we will then make sure we go to Nathan. We will then show him which parts of training he has to own and run. That’s pretty unique. There are some parts of training where we say: “Right-oh Nat, the next ten or 20 minutes of training you own.’
“From the first meeting, Freddie asked him: ‘How do you want to play’. Running training by Nathan has been pretty cool and we often bounce things off (James) Tedesco too because he is captain.
“We’re all in this together but Nathan completely owned Origin I as far as preparation goes. Freddie has always had Nathan’s back – that is powerful. We all love being part of the coaching team but, to be fair, it’s Nathan and Freddie that are running the show.”
TURBO V CLEARY. WHO IS THE BEST PLAYER IN RUGBY LEAGUE?
It just may take the prestigious Dally M Medal to finally split them – because they can’t themselves.
Turbo v Cleary. Who is the best player in rugby league?
In a pre-Origin II tribute, NSW superstar Tom Trbojevic has nominated Blues teammate and Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary as the best player in rugby league.
When told of his accolade, Cleary promptly named Trbojevic as his finest in rugby league. Cleary even described Trbojevic’s form as “ridiculous”.
“He is a freak player,” Cleary said.
When Dally M voting went secret, Cleary was on 21 points, six clear of a rampant Trbojevic.
Both players starred for their club sides last round and would be candidates for the maximum three points. And given Trbojevic’s world class form, the gap could be well have been narrowed.
Cleary was expected to win the Dally M comfortably but ‘Turbo’ is coming to get him.
The Dally M winner may finally determine who is rugby league’s best player.
The pair will form half the Blues spine in Sunday night’s Origin match in Brisbane – a game where NSW can reclaim interstate supremacy with victory.
While debating rugby league’s best player can be difficult, Cleary and Trbojevic are both laying irresistible claims for the title.
“I think Turbo is definitely the best at the moment, just the influence he has on the Manly team. And then you saw the influence he had on our team in Origin I,” Cleary said.
“I haven’t seen too many players like him. Just his feel for the game as well – it’s the best I have ever seen. It’s ridiculous.
“You watch him every week and just wait for him to have a quiet game, but it just doesn’t happen. He comes up with the right play at the right time. Then when running the ball, bumping forwards off left right and centre, he’s the best.
“Turbo is a freak player. His feel for the game, it seems he’s in the right place at the right time. He just knows where the ball is going and gets himself there.”
While most agree Trbojevic is the NRL’s finest on recent form, Cleary has a long queue praising the elite level he has attained over the past two years.
“It’s a bit embarrassing at times but it’s definitely better than people bagging you. I don’t read too much into it. I still think there is a very long way to go for me as a footballer and leader. It’s tough at times but I’m enjoying the journey,” Cleary said.
“I’m definitely not content with where I’m at the moment. I feel like I’m just getting started and want to get to the stage where I’m playing consistently well at State of Origin level.”
Trbojevic fired the praise directly back at Cleary.
“I think Nathan Cleary is the best player (in rugby league) – what he does on a footy field is pretty special. He’d be my choice,” Trbojevic said.
Asked if he was the best player in rugby league, Trbojevic said: “Everyone has their opinions. I’m not embarrassed by it but I don’t read anything into it.
“Obviously it’s nice people are saying it but what they say doesn’t help you on a footy field. It’s your teammates and what you do during the week that gets you there.
“It doesn’t motivate me at all. I just want to be the best footy I can be and the best teammate; that’s what motivates them.”
Trbojevic’s performances this year have been off the charts.
Since returning from a month-long absence through a hamstring injury, Trbojevic has risen to a level rarely seen in rugby league.
“I’ve obviously got a lot of confidence and the speed of the game certainly helps me as well,” he said. “I wouldn’t say I’m on Cloud Nine but I’m definitely enjoying playing consistent footy.
“I still want to stay grounded and put in the hard work during the week to give myself confidence to play well on the weekend.”
Asked if he could possibly get better, Trbojevic said: “You definitely want to and you always want to get better. You never want to stop.”
The perfect antidote for NSW complacency
– Fatima Kdouh
Bring back the NSW bus ride down Caxton Street on Sunday night.
That is former Blues great Garry Jack’s antidote to any complacency that might have found its way into NSW camp after dismantling Queensland 50-6 in game one in Townsville.
Jack, who played 17 games for the Blues, remembers feeding off the hatred from Queenslanders as the he made his way up Caxton Street and into Lang Park in the 1980s.
“Absolutely they should take the bus through Caxton Street. It riles you, it probably went against the Maroons in 1985 and 1986, we wanted to teach them a lesson because they treated us with no respect,” Jacks said.
Riding the bus through Caxton Street as Maroons fans hurled abuse and beer became a right of passage for Blues players before Queensland police banned the ride in 2011 for safety reasons.
But before safety concerns, team security, police escorts and the creature comforts afforded to the modern player, the Blues had no choice but to face the Caxton Street and Lang Park gauntlet without any protection.
“It’s changed a lot from my days … we just got a hook on the wall, you got to Lang Park and put your bag on the hook. That’s all we got back then,” Jacks said with a laugh.
“Before you even got to the hook, you rode the bus to Lang Park and they had the beers lined up out the front of the Caxton Hotel ready to throw them at the bus.
“When you got to the ground you had to walk through the bar to get to the dressing room and they’d throw their pots of beer over the top of you as you walked through with your Blues blazer on.
“You could see the hatred. Being able to feel the hatred is a good way to get riled up.”
But Jacks’ greatest piece of advice for the Blues ahead of game two comes from former NSW captain Steve Mortimer, who captained the state to victory in 1985.
“Back in 1985, Steve Mortimer said to us ‘it’s great we won the first one boys in Queensland but until we win the second one in Sydney, we’ve won nothing’,” Jacks said.
“They haven’t won anything yet … that’s the mindset they have to go into it with.”
Former Blues great Luke Lewis, who played 17 games for NSW, told News Corp that an emphatic win, like in game one, is fraught with danger.
“After you have won game one, because it’s a three-game series you do get a little bit complacent, you’re not too stressed if something goes against you … you’re thinking you’ve got another game up your sleeve to go in the series,” Lewis said.
But Lewis believes the Blues are still carrying the hurt from losing last year’s series, one NSW were expected to win, and doesn’t hold that fear for Fittler’s men on Sunday night.
“This is the first year where I have not worried at all,” Lewis said.
“They scrambled across the field with a minute to go to save a try in game one when they were winning 50-6.
“It goes to show how much it meant to NSW and to those players in that jersey to stop that try … that replicated Origin. That is what Origin is all about.
“To me, it feels like they have that Origin mentality on that camp at the moment.”
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