Former Blues star Benny Elias says Robbie Farah has overtaken Cameron Smith as the world's best hooker

BENNY Elias has officially ignited the 2013 Origin series by suggesting Cameron Smith has lost his crown as the world's best hooker.

BENNY Elias, no stranger to being showered with XXXX beer cans, has officially ignited the 2013 Origin series by suggesting Cameron Smith has lost his crown as the world's best hooker.

In arguably the greatest Origin sledge since Walker's On, Elias says NSW rake Robbie Farah has assumed the tag of most dangerous No.9 in rugby league - and points to numbers provided by Fox Sports Statistics to prove it.

Of course, the suggestion is sure to outrage those league types from north of the Tweed who, despite seven consecutive Origin wins, still privately crave everything from our little town of Macksville to an Origin victory song with greater intellectual depth than singin' aye, yi, yippie, yippie yi.

NSW also boasts other priceless Origin treasures like Paul Gallen, Mark McGaw shoulder pads and that praying mantis stance Ray Price adopted whenever the Maroons shot for penalty goal. And now, according to Elias, we have a better dummy-half than a man already tagged with Immortality.

"Robbie Farah is the game's best hooker - no doubt," insists the veteran of 14 Tests and 22 Origins.

"I know it's a big call. That people will say because he plays for my old club, I'm biased.

"But if I were CEO of an NRL club and had an open chequebook, I'd buy Robbie Farah before Cam Smith. Robbie, he scares the shit out of any side he plays against. If I was Mal Meninga up there in Queensland, he's the one bloke I'd be worried about above all the rest."

While some commentators are already measuring Smith for a spot among the eight Immortals - which, by the way, boasts six New South Welshmen - Elias says they may want to hold fire.

He insists that while the Maroons may be on something of a tear, Farah is now outplaying him in almost every area bar goalkicking.

Surprisingly, numbers provided by Fox Sports Statistics support the 1980s Kangaroo.

In 11 games this season, Farah sits ahead of Smith in tackle busts, offloads and tackles. He also boasts four linebreaks and 12 try assists - twice that of the Storm skipper - and a third more line break assists (9).

"I remember a few years ago asking Keith Barnes, if you had to choose between Farah and Cam Smith who would it be?" Elias continues. "And Keith said to me, 'oh I think you'd have to toss a coin'.

"But now I think Robbie has got himself ahead. I've got the highest regard for Smith but I've been watching them both very, very closely this year and Robbie, he just doesn't have a bad game in him.

"I mean, two years ago he was sitting on his couch watching Mick Ennis play Origin. Now, he's the player Queensland needs to fear most."

Red and Green eyes on Sutton

Kimberlee Green

KIMBERLEE Green, like league fans everywhere, was last night glued to Twitter.

"I'm really hoping they go with John Sutton on the bench," the Australian netball star said. "Not just because I'm a mad Rabbitohs fan, but because John's sister Jo and I are great friends. We played netball together for years."

Sadly for Green, and those news organisations who went off early on social media announcing that Sutton was in the Blues side, the Souths playmaker was actually overlooked for Canterbury rival Josh Reynolds.

But still the NSW Swifts skipper has plenty to celebrate after being invited to do the coin toss before Origin I.

Green is an ambassador for Holden, which this year is sponsoring the Origin series.

"Couldn't believe it," she says. "My dad played for Souths and, when I was little, I'd sit around in his old jerseys watching games with him on Friday and Saturday nights. I've only been to one Origin game before, so having this opportunity to toss the coin ... I'm really excited."

GIVEN this column's appalling strike rate on the punt, we decided to ring Sportsbet.com.au last night and make the last play of a desperate man - demand new Origin markets.

Which is why from this morning you can get $26 on a "fully nude" streaker in the series opener and up to $7 on a stink occurring between players.

Obviously, given the high chance of an Origin barney, the fistic market had to be broken up - with $1.80 for the first 20 minutes, $2.75 between 20 and 40 minutes and a juicy seven bucks beyond the break. It should also be noted that, with the ANZ Stadium fine for disrupting play at $5500, one would need to drop $220 as well as their pants just to break square.

"But we'd also like to remind them they'll be banned from all NRL venues and could face a criminal conviction," a stadium spokesman said.

 "A few years ago Vodafone encouraged punters to invade the ground with that particular brand emblazoned across their backsides ... they've never been to a game since".

So remember to bet and streak responsibly.

Blues brothers forever linked through Thai ink

Blake Ferguson

BLAKE Ferguson has revealed a link with NSW skipper Paul Gallen.

"Both got our first tattoos done together in Thailand," he laughs.

"It was on an end-of-year trip when we were playing together. Gal got the name of his daughter Charly inked on to his bicep and I got Ferguson written along my forearm. I've kept it going a bit further than him though."

MICHAEL Jennings has found his mojo. Apart from firing with the Roosters, Jennings is No.1 on the FIFA PlayStation game set up in the home he shares with Jarryd Hayne. Asked how he goes against Hayne he said: "Got him easy ... easy."

TOMMY Raudonikis was more than a little disappointed the NSW Blues left a charity dinner on Wednesday night before he addressed the crowd.

"I wanted to let 'em know they've been an embarrassment for the past seven years," the inaugural Blues captain growled. "I wanna fire 'em up, remind them they're playing for an entire state. Back in the '70s I used to to prepare for my opponents by imagining they'd done something horribly wrong to my family.

"When Russell Fairfax played his first game of league, I told him I was gunna kill him. Russell shit himself. But that's how I approach a game of footy ... like losing is sinful."

Here endeth the lesson.

COULD new Blue Andrew Fifita be the quickest big man in the NRL? When Cronulla did their 1.6km time trial, the 116kg bopper finished behind only winger Beau Ryan. The tattooed tyro is also among the loudest players in the NRL. Sharks coaching staff have nicknamed him "Empty Vessels" because empty vessels make the most noise.

ARTIE Beetson may be gone, but the Queensland Origin legend is still shocking many league types, thanks to Wests Tigers commercial manager Grant Mayer. One of league's most popular administrators, Mayer took on Beetson's old number when he joined the joint-venture club - causing more than a few surprises ever since as Artie flashes up on mobile phones across league land.
 

FIVE TO THE FORE

5. TOMMY RAUDONIKIS

Drag him out, dust him off and make sure the kids are well out of earshot. It's time for the craziest Blue since Bikie Smurf to rain f-bombs on Queensland.

4. CLEANSKINS

After years of Origin newbies all inked skulls, surnames and koi fish, James Maloney emerges with the cleanest skin outside a Ponds Institute lecture. Beautiful.

3. ANZ STADIUM

If NSW winning 13 of 19 here isn't enough, remember they also have a prayer room - so be sure to visit and send some knee mail before State of Origin I.

2. THE COUGAR

What screams Origin success more than a moustache? Think King Wally, Slippery, even Slammin' Sam Backo. So now with trainer Ronnie Palmer back with the Blues - advantage NSW.

1. CELEBRITY TIPS

Still five days out from Origin and already we've heard from the witch doctor, the Premier, a Sydney Aquarium dugong and the entire cast of Home And Away. Which basically leaves Aussie UFC ring girl Kahili Blundell ... a Manly fan who is tipping the Blues for all three.
 

NOW AND THEN...APPLES THE HORSE

Robbie Kearns

CALL it the greatest Origin mystery since the selection of Phil Duke.

Exactly 14 years after causing the biggest scandal in NSW rugby league history, notorious horse "Apples" has either disappeared into the Blue Mountains scrub or gone the way of a Clag glue pot.

A playful nag from the Megalong Valley Heritage Centre, Apples bucked into Blues infamy when, back in 1999, the horse threw NSW prop Robbie Kearns during a team bonding exercise - breaking Kearns's collarbone and sidelining the Melbourne bookend for 10 weeks.

Blues coach Wayne Pearce was devastated. Fellow NSW forwards Brad Clyde and Bryan Fletcher also fell from their mounts - further proof the safest way to spend those few precious days before any Origin game is on a bender.

Yet this week, all efforts to track the horse down have failed.

After being involved in a dispute with the RSPCA this year, all contact points for the Megalong Centre have been disconnected. Blue Mountains Tourism said it had received no contact from the famed horseriding venue "in months".

Over at the RSPCA, a staffer explained there had been an "incident" in April involving 47 horses.

"As a result," they said, "we believe that centre is no longer in operation".

And what a shame.

For with Queensland arriving in Sydney this weekend, where better to send the likes of Greg Inglis and Billy Slater? Remembering how back in '99, it took just 90 minutes of riding before things went all Blazing Saddles.

While Kearns and Clyde, who would also be ruled out of the series opener, fell galloping, Fletcher was thrown when his foot caught in chicken wire.