State of Origin: NSW coach Laurie Daley has named a side that can finally end Queensland’s dominance
BUZZ: The NSW team can end QLD’s dominance. Laurie Daley has picked his side on form, meaning 17 Blues will turn up ready to go.
NSW
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THIS is the team that can finally end the Queensland monopoly on State of Origin football.
The fact Laurie Daley has picked his side on premiership form means 17 Blues players will turn up to Suncorp Stadium ready to go.
It would have been easy to say it was too big a risk to blood a new halves combination at Suncorp in game one.
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It would have been easy to say Mitchell Pearce and James Maloney won last year’s grand final and deserved another shot.
The fact is they are both out of form and have struggled since the start of the season.
Going with Trent Hodkinson and Josh Reynolds is the right thing to do.
They have been the form combination since round one. They are great competitors.
Reynolds will harass Johnathan Thurston from the opening whistle until the full-time siren. Hodkinson will steadily steer the backline and make great metres with his kicking game.
This side, even without Greg Bird and Boyd Cordner, is as strong as any we have fielded in the last five years.
The forwards are well balanced with hard workers, powerful edge-runners and skilful ball players.
In the backline, Jarryd Hayne is in 2009 Dally M form.
The Morris brothers showed in the Test match against New Zealand they are in great form.
So too is Michael Jennings in a struggling Roosters side.
I love the selection of Daniel Tupou. He is a freakish talent with the football in his hands and has the skill of an AFL player in the air.
The only player who can consider himself lucky to be selected is Trent Merrin.
The Dragons have been dreadful since the Anzac Day game against the Roosters
and he has struggled in an ordinary pack.
Packing down in better company around elite players will hopefully make a difference.
The entire reserves bench has plenty of strike power.
Tony “T-Rex” Williams is an inspired choice and could bust open a tight game. He is playing like he did at Manly two years ago when he played for Australia.
Both Anthony Watmough and Luke Lewis have excelled at the highest level and will no doubt get plenty of game time.
Overall, this is a great football side. A team that can score points.
A team that has the potential to rattle the champions.
Bring on game one. Let’s go Blues.
BUZZ CALLED IT:
13 hours before Laurie Daley confirmed his team for Game I, our man Phil Rothfield had the squad named.
NSW TEAM:
Jarryd Hayne — Parramatta Eels
Brett Morris — St George Illawarra Dragons
Josh Morris — Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs
Michael Jennings — Sydney Roosters
Daniel Tupou — Sydney Roosters
Josh Reynolds — Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs
Trent Hodkinson — Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs
Aaron Woods — Wests Tigers
Robbie Farah — Wests Tigers
James Tamou — North Queensland Cowboys
Ryan Hoffman — Melbourne Storm
Beau Scott — Newcastle Knights
Paul Gallen — Cronulla Sutherland Sharks (c)
BENCH:
Trent Merrin — St George Illawarra Dragons
Anthony Watmough — Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
Luke Lewis — Cronulla Sutherland Sharks
Tony Williams — Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs
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