I cant believe Hayne hasn't even made the squad on the wing either but the headbutting didn't do him any favours although he couldn't have done much more against the Cowboys. He'll be in there for game 2.
Luke Lewis is the best backrower NSW have apart from Gallen, i know he's been injured but so has Soward and Gasnier etc. Lewis played brilliant against the Broncos the other day and is better than Bird and Scott and also offers more from the bench than Creagh, infact Creagh is not a bench player IMO. If he plays he should start because he offers little impact from the bench.
Jason King played in game 3 last year so shouldn't be that much of a surprise and he's experienced but i wouldn't say he's been in great form this year either. Weyman and Hunt from the Dragons would be ahead of him IMO, Tolman, Douglas, and one player i thought would be there is TLL. He went well didn't he in the City-Country game.
Why Jennings is there i dont know, he's been terrible this year. He must of played well up against Hodges the other night and in City-Country because i gave him no chance although him being a left centre at club level will have had something to do with it. I thought Idris but he doesn't play left side for the Dogs and that may have gone against him. I thought Josh Morris may have got a run just for the fact he's one of the only options who plays left side for his club after Lawrence got injured but he's been injured himself.
I bet Mullen cant believe it, he's been in better form than Pearce this year although niether have been great and he played alongside Soward in the halves for Country yet he still gets overlooked for Pearce. And what happened to Ricky Stuart being impressed with Hinchcliffe at hooker, he got MOM in that game and yet Ennis and Young get named although that was hardly surprising.

No team has ever made everyone happy. Most NSW fans have been consistently unhappy during this losing streak. I've always been a lot more optimistic than the majority and apart from a selection here and there, i've been ok with with our sides. This side is too much though, it's very hard to be optimistic now.

I was staunchly against Jennings all year (and last), but with Gordon's injury and the decent performance he produced in City/Country, i'm not completely against his selection. I would've gone Idris myself, but i'm willing to give Jennings one last chance.

BMoz had better show some ticker for once and get himself involved at dummy-half as much as Uate is guarenteed to do. He failed on his last chance with me for the Four Nations Final. Him playing ok against a typically out of sync Kiwi for the ANZAC Test is no guage. Since Dugan is fullback, Hayne should absolutely be in the team somewhere and it should be at wing for BMoz. No Hayne anywhere is unbelievable, I don't care how he's been playing this year (which hasn't been bad). It's just dumb. Even more retarded than no Gallen for Game I last year.

I would've picked Mullen over Pearce, but it was much of a muchness from my standpoint, so I won't complain. Halfway relieving to see Soward has finally got a chance though. We desperately need a top kicking game and he's one of the best in the comp.

The forwards and bench have left me completely perplexed. There I was thinking about the right prop rotation for the last 6 months, never did King enter my mind. He didn't play City/Country, and his name wasn't even tossed up by anybody I heard. Yet *TADA*, there he is in the starting pack. You can in full confidence blame this totally on that senile dumbsh*t Bob Fulton. Everybody knows it.

For the foreigners, besides being an Immortal, Bob Fulton the guy who has a commentary gig on Sydney radio station 2GB. He takes 2 minutes, talking in circles, to make a basic point that could've been communicated in 10 seconds, that was obvious to everyone anyway. Give it a few more years and he'll be stuttering as well like that other fossil Warren Ryan on ABC radio. Those two, who have accomplished a lot in the game respectively (decades ago), should simply have no say in the modern game today. Deadset retards.

This is Ennis' last chance with me. I won't protest his selection, but I will starting May 26 if he doesn't deliver the night before.

I watched Luke Lewis closely in his comeback on the weekend and thought he had his Origin jersey in the bag. Ben Creagh, Beau Scott, I don't care which one (one's there for attack, the other's there for defence), but one of them out for Lewis for sure. Him and Gallen are our best backrowers by a long, long way. Arguably Australia's top two. I just don't get it.

I had gotten sick of Creagh after last year. Wrote him off for the rep scene, i'm sure I said as much on here. But somehow he's flown in under the radar of my consciousness and has found a little favour again. It was never his embarrasing moment of retreating from Hodges that put him out for me, he just never cut the mustard in Origin. I'll go along with this one though.

They can't use the excuse that Tolman is too raw for a prop in Origin, as Merrin is even younger and less experienced. Tolman has been racking up epic stats all season (and last, when not out injured), and has yet to make a single error. He is fail-safe, but he doesn't play for the Dragons. There's no other reason why he's been omitted. It's bull. I hope TLL just wasn't considered because he's currently injured. I know he's been out of form almost all season, but he was the best prop on the field in his last (City/Country) and incumbent after a good showing last year. Would be an infinitely better selection than King at any rate. And by now, I can only say i'm relieved Mannah is there. I just hope he gets a lot more than the 10 minutes he has been previously afforded.

Dean Young? Whatever, I don't really think it's going to make much difference who comes on for the final 20 minutes as is the usual redundant tactic with our "bench utility".

The 17 have my full support when they run out on May 25, but this has definitely been an excitement killer.

Go the Blues.

Queensland to good to strong,6 nil coming up.

I've got no problem with Hayne dropped.

How can you be good enough for Australia but not NSW?

Remember Queensland in 1995?

As I said. I always think we'll win. If you don't, then don't bother playing.

Queensland...currently best sports team in Australia. 6 zip approaches.

I agree with you on a few points there CGD.
Lewis for sure is the best in the game and had a blinder the other day. Sticky cant say he's left him out because he's been injured because Jennings and Gasnier didn't play at the weekend because both are injured. Dean Young can hardly train because of some sort of injury and he's been picked. Jason King has been injured i think aswell and hasn't been any great shakes anyway this year or any other year for that matter, he's not even the best prop at the Sea Eagles and there's probably 10 props who are better than him i could name. Tolman has unbelievable stats every single week, near on 20 carries and 40 tackles a week playing 70 odd minutes and he doesn't get picked, he cant do anymore. There's not a prop in the game do what he does every week. Snowden seems to be in favour with all the selectors, getting in the Test side and Origin starter this year and last but i dont think he's all that great TBH. He's good but not that good to be demanding selection. He wouldn't make the QLD side IMO either.
Ricky Stuart is saying now that he thinks Hayne should move from FB and start playing at No.6 as he's better in that position. Anderson did it and it was a disaster although he does play like another half at times anyway.
Ben Creagh from the bench is pointless, Lewis should be starting with Gallen and Bird and someone coming from the bench who will offer some impact. Creagh wont and neither would Scott and Dean Young is only there because Gidley is injured and they want someone to come on at hooker for a bit.
It's not a bad side but it could be better and they'll change the side when they get injured players back anyway after they lose the first game. Gidley and Lewis are certain to come back in for game 2 unless NSW get a win which i cant see. Jennings doesn't deserve a place in the side either, he's only there because Matt Cooper wouldn't play, i'd rather see Josh Morris but he's been injured aswell lately.

I am waiting to see what the bookies ahve to offer....NSW need a bit of luck.....and a winning mentality. QLD should win.......but I thought the Storm would hammer the green machine at the weekend........stranger things have happened.

I would also say that a 1-1 situation with a winner takes all third game would do the TV negotiations no harm at all

Just kill it off already and play internationals instead.

WTF


Origin is friggin brilliant..........I don't care if QLD win 20 on the trot.....at some stage NSW will get it right (even if it's with a team full of tongans

)

Internationals will eventually kill it off and relegate it back to where it belongs.

If the ARL put even half the amount of promotion into International RL that they do for the SO poaching, in a few seasons the crowds and ratings would belt it.(ratings for the ANZAC test shown on a Friday up against other sports show it really isn't that far behind SOO already which has no sporting competition on a Wednesday)

Nearly every tri nations and 4 nations (outside France and Png) since 2005 have shiit on SOO from a great height and have been far more competitive.

The last ashes series was absolutely brilliant footy that went down to the wire in each game, these matches deserve to be put in their rightful place on the sporting calendar, ie, the TOP.

origin is the highest rating sport on australian tv,how can u kill that off.