Queensland’s ‘Blue-ban’ is utter bunkum

When it comes to beating our traditional rivals in next week's State of Origin opener, Queensland fans are open to any tactic. We're just not sure the coach's latest trick will work, writes Greg Davis.  

WHEN it comes to beating you-know-who in Origin, the end justifies the means. Mostly.

Whatever works for the Maroons to emerge victorious over thing-a-ma-jig next Wednesday will be more than acceptable for the Queensland faithful stretching from Coolangatta to Cape York.

Because wiping the smug grin off the faces of what’s-his-name is always priceless.

It’s the very best part of the age-old rivalry between Queensland and Whosie-whatsit.

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Kids who will be at Suncorp Stadium for the series opener will be able to tell their children one day about the night they saw the Mighty Maroons upset good old bugalugs.

Maroons coach Kevin Waletrs watches on at training in Charleville on Tuesday ahead of the Origin series opener against whosie-whatsit

Because not publicly talking about your opponent is only just behind completing your attacking sets and minimising missed tackles as a key pillar of any rugby league game plan.

The no-talkies tactic certainly did the trick for the Wallabies when the same coach whisperer who advised Kevvie Walters told Australian coach Michael Cheika not to call New Zealand the “All Blacks”.

How did that work out for us?

Did it make any conceivable difference?

Umm, no. The Bledisloe Cup still resides in NZ.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika (right) speaks to New Zealand coach Steve Hansen before a Test match in Japan last year. Just don’t call them the “All Blacks” though.

Did the silent treatment have an impact on English fast bowler Stuart Broad when he was the subject of a “Broad-ban” by The Courier-Mail in 2013 when it referred to the Pom as the “27-year-old English medium pace bowler” and cut his image out of photos?

Broad bagged a five-wicket haul the first day of the Ashes series at the Gabba.

So … no.

The 27-year-old English medium pace bowler dismisses David Warner on day one of the 2013-14 Ashes series at the Gabba.

The concept of focusing on your own performance or as they say in the classics – getting your own house in order – is totally fair enough.

It’s what should happen at this level.

Being positive about your chances, instilling confidence and belief into your players and setting the bar high is also more than reasonable.

But refusing to publicly discuss the Blues comes across as a little childish and amateurish.

It’s like the Maroons are a toddler throwing a temper tantrum - arms crossed, head shaking, lips zipped together (bottom lip out further than the top one), feet stamping with the occasional “no! I don’t want to!”.

You can’t make me talk about the Blues!

Asking media not to ask players about the Blues is just bloody ridiculous.

What’s next? Maroons players and coaches with their fingers in their ears and shouting, “can’t hear you, not listening!”.

Surely, the players and coaching staff can handle a question or two about the opposition. Surely.

Just throw out something like, “they’ve picked a strong side as always, but we are more than confident about giving them a run for their money and our complete focus is on how we do that”. Simple. How hard was that?

Then nobody is talking about how the Maroons aren’t talking about the Blues.

But hey, it’s Origin week. The sillier, the better.

If Queensland win next Wednesday, it will have nothing to do with this ridiculous Blue-ban.

It will be because the Maroons minimised missed tackles and completed their attacking sets against old mate.

Originally published as Queensland’s ‘Blue-ban’ is utter bunkum