Brad Fittler’s NSW Blues youngest State of Origin side in 24 years
SCANNING the New South Wales Blues team there is a striking similarity between all the players picked to end Queensland’s era of dominance.
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VIBRANT, young and exciting … but the most inexperienced New South Wales side in almost 35 years.
Blues coach Brad Fittler has taken one of the greatest gambles in State of Origin history by naming a side that has played a combined total of just 39 matches for NSW.
Newly named Queensland captain Greg Inglis has 30 Origin appearances on his own.
Not one Blues player has reached double figures for NSW.
Fittler’s team has played the fewest games since the side that contested game three way back in 1984, when coach Frank Stanton blooded six debutants featuring the likes of Chris Mortimer, Brian Johnston, Peter Wynn and Michael Potter.
The Blues’ most experienced players, Boyd Cordner, James Maloney and David Klemmer, have each contested nine Origins.
Only Cordner has played in a series-winning team, when he came off the bench in game three of the triumphant 2014 series, which the Blues had already sealed after the opening two games.
Even with the loss of Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk, Queensland still have a combined tally of 112 Origin games. While it’s down on the 246 games they had for Origin I last year, it’s still an experience gap of 73 games over the Blues this time around.
Certainly this NSW side — with 11 players on debut — won’t be carrying the mental scars of the past 12 years.
“This is certainly a youthful side but one that has been picked on form,” former NSW coach and captain Laurie Daley said.
“Eleven debutants is amazing. It is certainly a new era for NSW.
“There will be pressure on the young blokes but there’s still players in the side that have played in big games — Boyd Cordner, David Klemmer, James Maloney, James Tedesco and Tyson Frizell.
“I don’t think they will be overawed. Certainly the debutants will play with freedom.”
Tom Trbojevic, Latrell Mitchell, James Roberts, Josh Addo-Carr, Nathan Cleary, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Damian Cook, Paul Vaughan, Jack de Belin, Tyrone Peachey and Angus Crichton have all been named to make their debuts.
Young Canberra winger Nick Cotric was last night named as 19th man.
Back in 1984, Stanton’s Blues had just 26 games experience and included rising stars like Wynn, Potter, Johnston, Mortimer, Chris Walsh, Steve Morris and Peter Tunks.
State Origin had started just five years earlier — and was just one game per series for the first two years.
Former Canberra and NSW star Bradley Clyde, who was only 19 when he debuted for the Blues, likes what he sees for NSW’s future.
“I was 19 and I think there were nine debutants in game one of 1989,” Clyde said. “There were plenty of fresh faces in that group and we got beaten 3-0 in that series.
“But from then on, through until the mid-1990s, we had four, five, six years of winning.
“You want to provide some faith in some young guys, to give them an opportunity and provide a decent platform for success.
“We need to show faith in the young guys and show them the right direction to be at their best, to prepare them the best way possible.”
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