NSW utility Tyrone Peachey given hooking crash course by Blues legend Danny Buderus
TYRONE Peachey is the Blues Swiss Army knife and a crash course in dummy half play from Danny Buderus has him poised to fill whatever role coach Brad Fittler needs in Game I.
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TYRONE Peachey has been given a crash course into the dummy half role by arguably the best Blues No. 9 of all time in Danny Buderus ahead of Peachey’s Origin debut.
Peachey has started just two of his 104 NRL games at hooker but the Panthers utility is preparing to relive Blues dummy half Damien Cook at some stage during Wednesday’s opening Origin. He has spent the past few days in Blues camp picking the brains of NSW assistant coach Buderus as he comes to terms with the new role.
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“I’ve asked Freddy (coach Brad Fittler about my role and) he said he didn’t know what I’ll be playing,” Peachey said. “Maybe nine, maybe lock, maybe centre. He said just be ready and I said ‘no worries mate’.
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“Once I found out I was playing nine I asked (Buderus) if he had any pointers. He has helped out a lot. He has a lot of little things that I wouldn’t have thought of. I’ve been working with him and Cooky on little things like my passing technique.”
The Blues have taken a gamble by only picking one recognised dummy half in Cook. While Cook has played all but 10 minutes in his 12 matches for the Rabbitohs this year, producing an 80 minute performance in Origin on debut may be too tough of an ask.
Buderus said Peachey would have no problems filling in at dummy half.
“He is the sort of player that has the natural ability,” Buderus said. “I’ve tipped him into some of the finer points but I’ve been impressed with his personality. It’s nice and easy. He takes everything on board and he is a good, fun guy to have in the camp.
“You can tweak a few things pretty quickly. Staying down on your pass and the direction of your hands which are some things you don’t think about.
“You don’t want to change too much about how he plays. He is someone that will play a role.
“That’s the great thing about him. He could play front-row. He has the ability to make the most of any position.
“He could pop up anywhere. His mindset is to run. If the game is ebbing and flowing and the ball is in play it brings players like him in play.
“(With Cook and Peachey) you don’t want to fall into too much structure. These boys have to understand that they want to run a lot and they have to support that.”
Attack has not been the only focus for Buderus. The former Blues captain who played 21 Origin’s said the Blues had also come up with a plan should Peachey be forced to defend in the middle of the field.
“We’ve spoken about that,” Buderus said. “I’m sure he knows what’s coming. We can make sure we come up with a few things to make sure he is not in the firing line too much. It’s one thing about his game — no one speaks about his defence because he just get his job done.”
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