Brad Fittler says Boyd Cordner is the first man picked for NSW and will lead the Blues new era
BRAD Fittler has backed Boyd Cordner to lead NSW into a new Origin era by declaring the 25-year-old will be the first player chosen for the Blues.
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BRAD Fittler has backed Boyd Cordner to lead NSW into a new Origin era by declaring the 25-year-old will be the first player chosen for the Blues.
In the wake of stinging claims from Phil Gould that Cordner’s form has stagnated and he should be overlooked, Fittler has proven he’s his own man by singling out Cordner as the only player he’s willing to declare a certain selection for NSW.
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“Boyd will be in the team,’’ Fittler said.
“If I could pen anyone in at the moment bar injury, it would be Boyd Cordner.
“Obviously Gus (Gould) and I have a great relationship. He does things in different ways.
“He knows the way I am thinking and he would be trying to get the players at their best.
“If he thinks Boyd has another gear, then he is most probably giving Boyd a prod. If anyone is penned it, I would say it would be Boyd.’’
It’s also expected Cordner only needs to survive the Roosters clash with the Gold Coast unscathed on Saturday to be selected NSW captain on Monday ahead of Origin I on June 6 at the MCG.
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Fittler’s admission will feature during a wideranging interview on Nine’s Footy Show on Thursday night where the 46-year-old will also revealed:
* James Maloney risks losing his NSW jumper with a poor defensive display for Penrith against ladder-leaders St George-Illawarra on Saturday night
* Admitted complacency within his side was a concern following the representative retirements of QLD legends Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Johnathan Thurston
* That he’s considering on taking a punt on damaging centre-pairing James Roberts and Latrell Mitchell despite their suspect defence
Fittler said he is yet to decide on his halves paring with Penrith’s Nathan Cleary and Maloney and the Roosters Luke Keary all in the reckoning.
Of concern for Fittler is Cleary’s fitness levels after one week back from a knee injury and Maloney’s startling competition-high missed tackle count (75).
It’s why Fittler explained that for him, there was no more important game this weekend than Penrith’s clash with St George-Illawarra on Saturday night.
“The big game really is the Panthers-Dragons game,’’ Fittler said.
“I will make sure I get out and watch that.
“They (Cleary and Maloney) haven’t had that many games together and the games earlier, they got behind early and they most probably didn’t click as well as they could.
“But they are winning games and they are driving their teams forward.
“What he (Maloney) has shown for Penrith is fantastic.
“Glaringly though nearly all the tries (conceded by Penrith) have come down past James.
“He is going to go into Origin as one of the most senior players, possibly the most senior player.
“I don’t think you can have someone making those glaring defensive errors week-in, week-out, and putting the states ambitions on that.
“I just thought it was necessary to have a yarn to him.
“Last week it was very good. I don’t think the Wests Tigers threw much at them.
“That’s why the St George game is going to be fantastic.’’
Gifted athletically with blistering speed and balance, the attacking prowess of both Mitchell and Roberts is impossible for Fittler to ignore.
However, he conceded the duo’s poor defensive reads is an area of concern.
“I have never seen a greater catch-22 where they both scored or set up two tries, but they both let in a couple,’’ Fittler said.
“The thing we have to hope is that they learn from letting them in.
“They are both flat out attackers. I think they’re defence has picked up a great deal from where they have been.
“I can see why they came out (of the line) because of the fear of the other player.
“You just hope they learn....and don’t want to make those mistakes again.’’
Fittler smiled when pressed that the Blues had been gifted an “unlosable series” as a result of Queensland’s own selection overhaul and departure of greats Thurston, Cronk and Smith.
“I have to say when I first got told about Smith, my first instinct was that just made things harder,’’ Fittler said.
“You have to convince people more now that the attention to detail stuff is so, so important.
“We have been favourites every year. We could go in with anywhere between six and 12 people making their debut and we will still be favourites.
“You wouldn’t think a team with our record at the moment could find any way to be complacent.
“But it is just human nature, if they’re reading papers and listening to people, and they have heard Cameron Smith is not playing, they all know Cooper Cronk isn’t there and they all know Johnathan Thurston isn’t there.
“If you actually go through their team it is quite startling how many good players there are.’’
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