Origin 2020: Will Maroons monster NSW through the middle?
They may be overwhelming favourites with the bookies, but NSW look to be lacking in arguably the most important area of the game.
Phil Rothfield
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There is one critical concern for the NSW Blues going into the opening game of the State of Origin series.
We’re talking about the barnstorming form of the Queensland front-rowers.
Josh Papalii has been the No. 1 prop in the game all year.
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Christian Welch was the best front-rower on the field in last Sunday night’s NRL grand final. He is a machine.
The Blues might be $1.25 favourites to win the series but more often than not these big games are won and lost in the middle of the field.
On form the Maroons have a definite edge over the Blues.
Junior Paulo and Daniel Saifiti have had good seasons but Jake Trbojevic, by his own high standards, has been below his best.
The Blues also have only one front-rower on the bench in Payne Haas, who played in the wooden-spoon pack at Brisbane.
WALLABIES FLOP WHEN IT MATTERS MOST
The Wallabies missed out on a golden opportunity on Saturday night at ANZ Stadium.
With no rugby league, AFL, cricket, soccer or anything decent on TV, hungry sporting fans that don’t often watch the rah-rahs tuned in.
We’d heard all about new coach Dave Rennie and the magnificent recent performance in Wellington in the gripping 18-all draw.
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New faces, new era and new hope when we switched on the TV on Saturday night.
A crowd of 25,689 at the stadium. We wanted to get behind them.
But the All Blacks won by a record score, 43-5. It was their 18th straight year of lifting the trophy.
No one minds Australia getting beaten in any international sport as long as they compete.
This game was a shocker. In the opening 15 minutes there was as much time spent on video referrals as there was in general play.
After such an exciting year of rugby league it was boring, dull and dreary.
Australia had nothing. They were terrible.
Not surprisingly the TV ratings on Fox Sports were as poor as the contest — an average audience of 179,000. That’s worse than any rugby league game, even the Friday 6pm match.
In fairness, Rennie says the Wallabies are just six weeks into a four-year campaign.
There were a host of youngsters wearing the jersey for the first time.
This side just couldn’t cope with the relentless professionalism and power of the All Blacks.
Our team had no respect for possession.
It was such a blow for Rugby Australia for the team to perform so poorly.
On Wednesday night the same casual sporting fans who switched on the Bledisloe Cup will tune into State of Origin in Adelaide.
It doesn’t matter who wins, you can bet they will enjoy it more than rubbish that was dished up on Saturday night.
HIGHLIGHT
Aussie boxer Jason Moloney somehow survived seven brutal rounds against Japanese bantamweight world champion Nauyo Inoue in Las Vegas. He was clearly outclassed but showed incredible toughness and courage.
LOWLIGHT
A weekend without Rugba League.
LOWLIGHT II
Yet another rugby league scandal — this time at the North Queensland Cowboys — and explosive claims the NRL integrity unit failed to act on it 12 months ago.
SHOOSH
The NRL spin doctors are saying Bernard Sutton was “stood down” as referees’ boss last week. This is not exactly the case. We have reported in this column for weeks that Sutton was facing the chop. Head of Football Graham Annesley faced a revolt among the referees if he didn’t act.
SHOOSH 2
Which New Zealand Warriors utility player, although not a huge name, has been in talks with the Sydney Roosters in recent weeks?
SPOTTED 1
Big Sports Breakfast host Laurie Daley enjoying a beer and punt with publican and Bulldogs sponsor Arthur Laundy at the Horse & Jockey hotel in Homebush. Arthur even talked Loz into wearing a Canterbury jersey.
SPOTTED 2
Brisbane Broncos front-rower Matt Lodge at Panthers Leagues Club. No, he’s not talking to Ivan Cleary. Lodge is in town to visit his family and friends who still live in the Penrith area.
SPOTTED 3
Big ‘Blocker’ Roach demolishing a seafood smorgasbord at the Golden Eagle on Saturday at Rosehill as a guest of his old Wollongong mate Peter V’landys in the corporate suites.