NSW Origin coach Laurie Daley should reward form at dummy half

IF Robbie Farah isn’t good enough to start for Souths how can he be good enough to play for New South Wales?

Rabbitoh's Robbie Farah during the round 4 NRL game between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Sydney Roosters at ANZ Stadium . Picture : Gregg Porteous

IF Robbie Farah gets injured between now and Origin I, Benny Elias better have his boots ready. Or NSW better change the way they think.

Maybe I’m missing what those in the know are really saying.

It seems, to be considered for NSW hooker, you have to have played there before.

At hooker, in Origin.

So forget moving Mitchell Pearce, or playing someone else out of position.

I mentioned Jack Bird ­recently and everyone laughed. I’m still convinced it could work. But if we are picking a hooker, let’s look at who we can choose from.

Laurie Daley brought it up again this week on NRL 360.

Who will Daley choose at dummy half?

Daley was put in a hypothetical debate, pretending he was the Blues’ new selection adviser Peter Sterling, have a discussion with Daley about the merits of Farah.

“What we have tended to do is say that we will pick the best nine,” Daley said.

“But you also have to take into account people who have been there before in an environment like it will be in game one at Suncorp Stadium.”

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It sounds to me like Farah will have to fall over to lose his spot.

And if he does, I can’t see ­Michael Ennis jumping off the couch at Fox Sports to have another crack.

Danny Buderus surely wouldn’t be that silly, not after all his injuries. Geoff Toovey is coaching in England.

So that leaves Farah, and Benny next available.

Peter Wallace has played four Origin matches, all at halfback.

Or perhaps NSW should go in a different direction, start picking teams on form.

With seven weeks before the Origin opener, surely it is time to start discussing all options.

Tomorrow night Farah has been named on the bench with Damien Cook again starting for the Rabbitohs against Penrith.

Peter Wallace has been spoken about, but again it seems no one is taking his credentials seriously (because Wallace has only ever played halfback at Origin level).

Not that Anthony Griffin thinks Wallace isn’t up to it.

“He has obviously played at that level before and he will do a job if he gets an opportunity,” Griffin told me this week.

And can someone explain why the hookers that will be running around on Saturday at Lottoland aren’t also in the frame?

I’m talking Cameron McInnes and Api Koroisau.

McInnes has been playing the house down for St George Illawarra this year.

For years he has been touted as an Origin player in the making.

It’s true, until now McInnes hasn’t looked close. But this year his confidence has soared.

As for Koroisau, I haven’t heard his name mentioned once.

But did you watch Manly’s win over the Roosters last Friday night? Koroisau ran for 102 metres. That included a line break, a line break assist and chalked up 37 tackles in his 63 minutes.

Remember, this was against one of the biggest and most feared packs in the comp. Manly’s third straight win.

Could Apisai Koroisau be the answer?

I called Trent Barrett to ask if I was seeing things. “He’d handle it on his head,” Barrett said, without hesitation.

Remember, Barrett played for NSW, so knows what he’s talking about. Then Barrett told me a few other things, and the respect Koroisau has earned among his teammates.

During a period when his personal life has been to hell and back, after his former partner died and Koroisau found new love that recently delivered him and his new partner a baby, he has also rediscovered himself on the field.

Barrett reckons the players at Manly rate their little hooker as the toughest bloke in the club. “The heart and soul of the team,” he said.

It’s worth remembering ­Koroisau has answered every challenge throughout his life.

Playing junior footy for the Berala Bears in the Canterbury juniors, he never made a rep side because they always considered him too small.

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Then at the age of 19 he was playing in the NRL for the Rabbitohs, won a grand final in only his 14th top grade game.

There were doubts over him back then, too. But Koroisau didn’t let anyone down.

I hope over the next seven weeks Daley keeps an open mind.

If Farah is playing well, by all means give him the jumper.

If it is Wallace, give him a go.

But if it is someone else, like McInnes or Koroisau, why not?

What has NSW got to lose, aside from another series?

I seem to remember writing that same line last year. Let’s hope it’s not the case next year.