Brad Fittler’s selections for Origin II seem to ignore his winning ideas
After game one went so awry, Brad Fittler appears to have discarded all the ideas that worked for him last year. Now his job hangs on NSW beating the coach’s own confused preparations as well as Queensland, writes PAUL KENT.
Trying to work out Brad Fittler’s Origin strategy is like trying to solve a Rubik’s cube with 10 thumbs and a case of the hiccups.
The solution is in there somewhere, it is just hard to imagine and harder to find.
Fittler seems to have broken all the rules that worked last year.
Pick players on form. The jersey ahead of the individual. He said he wanted to see players put their hands up for Origin through their efforts for their clubs.
Don’t bring your personal issues into camp, was the last.
As simple as that Fittler helped a disillusioned NSW fall in love with their team again.
It is hard to see what Fittler is thinking with this current team.
What is the plan to win?
In Game I, Fittler chose Nathan Cleary to run the team and Cody Walker to be a running five-eighth.
Since the loss, Cleary has been reshaped as a competitor with strong defence, a good kicking game and capable support play. The trust in him to run a game is gone.
So for game two Mitchell Pearce was to be chosen at five-eighth but given full control of the team, which would be removed from Cleary.
Cleary would play second foil and yet, in a nod to this seeming hold he has over the Blues coaching staff, still wear the No.7.
The confusion gains momentum when you ask, if Pearce was being brought in to run the game, why pick Cleary instead of Walker? Or Jack Wighton, a bigger, more robust version of Cleary?
The answer we know is that Walker, according to Fittler, is now somewhere behind Braith Anasta in the NSW depth chart.
The selections continue to defy sound reason.
When Pearce withdrew through injury Fittler brought in James Maloney, who will play a different role to what Pearce was intended to play.
Instead of playing the width football that Pearce is driving at Newcastle, which would pull apart the Queensland forwards and explain the Blues’ forward policy, Fittler has now lobbed for the Penrith halves who have played a stilted, play-to-the-middle-and-reset style all season at Penrith.
Penrith, who are running 14th and have the scored the least amount of tries all season.
With one injury it seems NSW’s whole attacking philosophy suddenly changed.
Fittler needs halves that play width to justify his forwards’ selection, deliberately going one big man short in order to play fast and wear down the Maroons late.
But if the Blues don’t play with width and test the defence, how do they wear down the Maroons to gain the advantage?
The concerns are many.
With injuries to David Klemmer, Payne Haas and Jordan McLean Fittler had a front-row shortage.
The mail last week was that Daniel Saifiti was pencilled in after strong games against competition heavyweights Sydney Roosters and South Sydney. Both teams were weakened when Saifiti flexed his muscle but, forget that, he was just the kind of aggressive forward NSW needed.
Saturday, Saifiti was up against another premiership heavyweight, the battle-hardened Melbourne Storm, and they turned him into a lamb.
There was a time when the final game before selection was vital to impressing the coach. This time around it seems irrelevant.
Saifiti was picked, despite being tamed, while Latrell Mitchell took a step in a positive direction against Canterbury on Sunday and was brushed.
This, after Mitchell was told last week he was in the team.
It gets weirder.
Mitchell was overlooked for the fullback-come-five-eighth, Wighton. Wighton has played two games in seven seasons at centre and yet was not the craziest choice in the three-quarter line.
For Origin I Josh Morris answered the call from Fittler to come out of representative retirement and do a job.
If Morris was not NSW’s best in game one, he was next best. He was tough and selfless and responded to his strong performance after the game by saying he would love to play out the series.
Yet inexplicably Morris was sacked to bring in Tom Trbojevic.
Or was he?
Trbojevic played right wing last year. He could have easily slipped into the same position after right winger Nick Cotric was injured last Thursday.
Instead, Blake Ferguson — who embodied the rot that had set in for the Blues, the same rot Fittler was lauded for cleaning up last year — was recalled after a couple of average weeks to play right wing.
Trbojevic, whose experience in the centres amounts to two Tests for Australia last year and four games for Manly in 2016, was shifted to centre in place of Morris.
Fittler is doing what he most often does and is following his own trail.
Last year it was fresh and successful.
This year it has been confusing and contradictory and can be saved only by a win on Sunday.
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