2013 State Of Origin III - Sydney

Oh true. Couldn't really make out the first bit. That would make more sense.

 

Aren't you glad as a NSW supporter that he got even less time this match than last given how dreadful he was?

 

Well, I think your thoughts in the post show why he didn't get time he perhaps needed to show what he can do. He was just so out of his depth in the first 20 that I think, as Magic said, Daley was better off resolving to take him off and use the others. Woods, as you said, is a player who relies on work rate over long stints. The only time Woods has looked half decent was when he came back off the bench for his second stint late in Game II. I think he could make a decent bench prop in Origin but yeah starting him is just not the go at this stage. Same goes for Merrin and Fifita to varying extents. Fifita made less than 6 metres per hit-up. You can't start with props like that.

 

Cunt should be banned for life.

 

NSW have a weird thing with props. It's obviously borne of club form mentality from year to year. Perhaps injury and maybe a drop in club form does hinder retention but still. When you find a cunt who stands up amongst a swath of nuffies, you ought to remain loyal to them. Justin Poore stood up in Game 3, 2009 when the revolving door policy of Bellamy struggled to find a single decent prop. He didn't see 2010. Tom Learoyd-Lahrs stood up in Game 3, 2010 and didn't see 2011 (only Game 2). Tim Grant stood up in Game 2 last year, he was nowhere to be found in 2013.

 

I don't think we've seen the last of Paul Gallen. Perhaps if he'd risen to the podium with Farah and held the shield aloft he may turn his attentions to the Sharks for 2014. Then again, not being part of the game yet winning, may have intensified the fire in him. He will be 33 next year, and I think NSW may be on a bit of a hiding to nothing with two games in QLD so we'll see. I thought Farah did a good job of deputising for him. He's obviously the long-term option given he's only 29.

 

Our long kicking game was pretty fucking ordinary last night. I cannot fathom why on earth Smith only kicked twice. He didn't kick anywhere near enough all series. The two kicks he did put in averaged over 50m each whereas Cronk was picking out NSW's back three all night. Smith has the best long kicking game in the world IMO and we totally failed to utilise it.

 

Unbelievable effort from QLD to complete at 88%. It was going to take something like that to beat NSW at home for the first time in 3 years.