State of Origin 2022: NSW coach Brad Fittler fires warning shot at Queensland Maroons
Blues coach Brad Fittler is counting on the kicking game of Nathan Cleary and high winds messing with the mind of one of the Maroons’ strike weapons in Origin I.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
NSW coach Brad Fittler was told by someone recently that gale-force winds are good for exposing two things — kicking games and weak minds.
Winds of up to 30km/h are expected at Accor Stadium on Wednesday night as the State of Origin series begins and Fittler is counting on the kicking game of halfback Nathan Cleary to expose some potentially weak Queensland minds.
Rookie winger Selwyn Cobbo can expect a searching examination. Fittler is a fan of the teenager and what he has done for Brisbane this season, but the sense is that the Blues can enjoy some success out of targeting the Maroons debutant.
Stream every game of every round of the 2022 NRL Telstra Premiership Season Live & Ad-Break Free During Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-days free now.
Cobbo leads the NRL in errors and handling errors through 13 rounds, a pair of statistics that are seemingly not lost on Fittler.
Asked whether they could potentially get some joy out of targeting Cobbo, Fittler said: “Absolutely. It is a tough position.
“It is a tough position these days. There is going to be wind — about 30ks. Someone told me it affects two things — how far you can kick a ball and weak minds.
“You have to deal with it. It is another thing to deal with. Both teams have good kickers. I think everyone is under the pump.”
That said, Fittler is a big fan of Cobbo. He has watched the Maroons teenager from afar this season and enjoyed every minute of it.
Cobbo has been fearless for a resurgent Brisbane, leaving Queensland coach Billy Slater with little choice other than to select him in the Maroons squad.
His debut will take place in front of a sellout crowd of about 80,000 at Accor Stadium, an experience unlike any other in his young career.
It has the potential to overwhelm Cobbo and he will get no rest from the Blues as they look to expose any chinks they can find in his armour.
“He is wild,” Fittler said. “He is strong and fast and energetic. It is a shame he is on the other side because he is so good to watch.
“It will be great to see him under pressure. They have had a pretty good season Brisbane, they have had some pretty good ball.
“The thing that is in his favour is he doesn’t mind bringing the ball out of trouble. We want to put them all under pressure. They are going through a moment Brisbane, they are playing pretty good footy.”
Blues won’t be fooled by Munster’s bag of tricks
-Brent Read
NSW five-eighth Jarome Luai insists that stopping Cameron Munster is more than a one-man job as the Blues prepare to launch their defence of the State of Origin shield on Wednesday with the Queensland superstar at the top of their tip sheet.
Munster has been in dynamic form for Melbourne this season and a thorn in NSW’s side in recent years. When Queensland wins, it is usually on the back of a starring performance from the Maroons No.6.
Little wonder that Munster is the player who has NSW on edge as they prepare to kick off their title defence at Accor Stadium.
“It is hard and it is not a one-man job — it is a 17-man job,” Luai said.
“We need to be together, be on the same page and be at our best. It is very important for us. He is a big part of their attack.
“We watched game three last year and how involved he was in that victory. He has that ability to do that. You need to step up in those big moments and he is probably one who can. His threat is his run. He can kick, he can pass, but his run is probably the biggest thing.”
NSW coach Brad Fittler added: “He is in great form. So he is going to play well — it is how well he plays.
“A lot goes into where he gets the ball. A lot of people have to be thinking that when the ball goes near him, we need to be urgent.
“He is a really good player, simple as that. Everyone has to do their job but I think we all understand he is in really good form, he is in career-best form.
“We have to close him down, without a doubt.”
Munster was largely kept quiet last year but fired up in the third game as the Maroons secured their lone win of the series. This season, he has been one of the best players in the NRL — he is among the premiership leaders in line breaks and try assists, having sworn off alcohol and rededicated himself to his craft.
He enters Origin at the peak of his powers.
“He’s important to our team, I don’t know how important this series is to him but he is in a really good space at the moment,” Queensland captain Daly Cherry-Evans said.
“He is really happy off the field with his partner and new baby. He is in a good spot off the field which has helped him on the field.
“The other thing Cam has done over the last six to eight months, he has worked really hard. He has got himself in good physical shape and he is seeing the game as well as he has ever seen it.
“I love when he has the footy in his hands. And when you have key players who make the best decisions with the footy in their hands more often, you are more chance of being dangerous.
“The more we get the ball to Munster, the better we go.”
The Blues are well aware of that and Fittler concedes there is only so much you can do.
Munster has the ability to create something out of nothing and even the best-laid plans can be undone by a moment of magic.
It is a quality that he shares with Luai, although the pair haven’t always seen eye-to-eye over the years. They have had their moments but Luai insists they will head into Origin on good terms.
“We’re cool man,” Luai said. “We’re at this level now where it is all about competing. We have been against each other in some pretty big matches.
“No friends on the field. There might be some confrontation so we will see how it goes.”
Slater’s career advice to Munster
-Peter Badel
Billy Slater has urged Cameron Munster not to walk out on Melbourne as the rookie Queensland coach outlined plans to unleash the Maroons maestro in Origin I this Wednesday night.
Munster was once groomed to succeed Slater in the No.1 jumper at Melbourne and the duo won a premiership together in 2017 before the legendary Storm fullback retired the following season as a proud one-club servant.
Munster’s future at the Storm has been up in the air for the past six months following his role in the white-powder scandal that infuriated Melbourne bosses and suggested the champion pivot was on borrowed time at the club.
Munster is off-contract at the end of next season and has been strongly linked with his former Origin mentor Wayne Bennett, who is armed with a four-year, $4 million deal to land the 27-year-old as the Dolphins’ marquee signing.
Slater shunned numerous big-money offers to stay loyal to Melbourne during his 319-game career and he believes the Storm is the perfect place for Munster to achieve greatness in the code.
“Cam is playing in a team that is winning and that is a huge consideration for anyone coming off-contract,” Slater said.
“Everyone goes through contract negotiations and he will do the best thing for himself and his family. We’ve all been there, I’ve been there myself, I understand it and I will respect whatever Cam decides.
“But the one thing with Cam is he is contracted to Melbourne for next year, he is not going anywhere soon and why would he want to leave with the way he is playing.
“The thing for all players, not just Cam, is that if you play well you will have options and everything will be OK.
“When you stop playing well, that’s when you have an issue.
“Players like to be in successful teams and you can build a great career in good teams.
“Without knowing all the specifics around Cam’s options with terms of contract and how much he is worth, he is contracted to Melbourne for the next 18 months, so I wouldn’t be focusing on signing anything else right now.”
Munster plays his 14th Origin game in the 2022 series opener at Sydney’s Accor Stadium. While he was below par in last year’s 2-1 series loss, Munster has hit back with some sublime club form this season. He is the one Maroon with the X-factor to unlock the Blues - and Slater will devise a game plan to ensure Munster is on the ball.
“He’s important to our team,” the coach said.
“The one thing Cam has done well over the past six months is prioritise his football.
“He has got himself in good physical shape and he is seeing the game as well as he has ever seen it.
“I love when he has the footy is in his hands. And when you have key players who make the best decisions with the footy in their hands more often, you are more chance of being dangerous.
“The more we get the ball to Munster in Origin I, the better we will go.”
‘Hard to make someone love you’: Flanagan opens up on Hunt exit
St George Illawarra coach Shane Flanagan has opened up on Ben Hunt’s exit, addressing reports of a toxic fallout with the former Dragons halfback.
Haas bombshell: Bronco confirms dad’s life-saving death penalty win
In an emotionally-charged interview, Broncos superstar Payne Haas provides a telling update on his father’s fight to avoid the death penalty after being arrested on alleged drug trafficking charges in the Philippines.