I dont see the point in having Corey Parker coming from the bench for QLD, it's like going with Dallas Johnson on the bench, would be pointless. They are starting players that can get through a mountain of work and put in 80 minutes if needed but coming from the bench they dont offer much IMO. They've got Ash Harrison who can do what Parker does and he does it for 80 minutes. They'd be better off with someone like Shillington, Taylor, both are out i know but they offer more impact from the bench. They might aswell start with Parker and put Thaiday on the bench and then bring him on after 20 minutes.
Dane Neilsen has done a steady job and will be disappointed to miss out but that's what QLD do, bring one of the regulars straight back in when fit.
Should be a cracking game, it's just a shame that NSW have so many injury doubts heading into camp and even if they do come through and play they will have missed most of the training which is a disadvantage straight away. Soward, Gidley, Scott, Jennings, aswell as having lost Dugan, Snowden, Morris and Hopoate during the series. I know QLD lost Inglis for a game and Hodges for two along with Taylor for this one but imagine QLD losing Slater, Boyd, Matt Scott and then going into game 3 with injury's to Lockyer, Cronk, Thaiday and Inglis.
I really hope Soward comes through okay along with Jennings and Gidley. Beau Scott has played well but he wouldn't be missed as much as Luke Lewis would come straight into the staring side with either Glenn Stewart or Galloway going onto the bench. Lewis did a job on Thurston for the Panthers the other day and ripped it up in attack aswell. If Soward doesn't make it i bet Gidley will go in the halves with a forward going on the bench but the kicking game will drop massively without Soward, Pearce is up and down with his kicking and alot of the time he's poor, never finds the grass and Gidley i cant really comment as i haven't seen enough of him kicking consistently, Mullen usually does it at the Knights but they need Soward playing and to get his running game going, especially late in each half when the big men around the middle are tiring.
I'm going for NSW by 8 with Gallen crashing over for the match sealer and another real captain's knock aswell as being named player of the series.

Apparently Beau Scott and Jennings are no chance of playing so the team will be.
1. Mini
2. B Moz
3. Hayne
4. Gasnier
5. Uate
6. Soward
7. Pearce
8. Gallen(c)
9. Ennis
10. Mannah
11. Creagh
12. G Stewart
13. Bird
14. Gidley
15. Lewis
16. Watmough
17. Galloway
I cannot believe Morris is in on the wing with Hayne at centre, what happened to not playing players out of position? Why not keep Hayne on the wing and play Josh Morris at left centre, the position he plays for his club. Or even Idris who played there for the Aussies in the Test match in May. B Moz should not play again, he never does anything of note in Origin apart from the stuff ups like Game I when he let Yow Yeh in for a try that ended up being a match winner as the game finished 16-12.

Queensland

1. Slater
2. Boyd
3. Hodges
4. Inglis
5. Yow Yeh
6. Lockyer
7. Thurston
8. Scott
9. Smith
10. Civoniceva
11. Myles
12. Thaiday
13. Harrison

14. Cronk
15. Parker
16. Lillyman
17. Hannant

NSW

1. Minichiello
2. Morris
3. Gasnier
4. Hayne
5. Uate
6. Soward
7. Pearce
8. Mannah
9. Ennis
10. Gallen
12. Creagh
18. Stewart
13. Bird

14. Gidley
16. Watmough
17. Lewis
20. Galloway

Another embarrasing performance by NSW, too easy for Q'land.

you can see the best highlights from the link below www.rlnetwork.tk

you can see the best highlights from the link below www.rlnetwork.tk

Far too many mistakes on the few times NSW did have the ball in the first 30 minutes and QLD took full advantage of that. Possession was soemthing like 70-30 at one point.
Mini had a shocker at the back, i just hate seeing B Moz in a Blues jumper as he doesn't deserve one. Ennis went off after about 20 minutes injured but the first set he kicked down the throat of a QLD player on the third tackle, he does dumb things guarenteed every game. Gidley came on and had a shocker, making errors and basic ones you just cant do at that level. Mitch Pearce kicked out on the full early on, Soward was kicking down the throat of Slater every single time. When they have a chance to attack the kicks were dire, QLD build pressure, if they dont score they get a repeat set. NSW dont, look clueless and then put a poor kick in that QLD clean up with ease and get out.
Some of the tries were poor from NSW point of view, how many times has Slater scored off that inside ball play? Inglis had 3 tacklers on him and still brushed them off to score, Smith from dummy half was soft, Watmough was moaning but he went the wrong side of the play the ball, Miniletting the ball bonce off his knees at that speed and then Yow Yeh scoring, Yow Yeh has scored twice this series and they've both been gifted to him on a plate. NSW get a few decent tries once it was game over but it's no good then. The spine of the team is there biggest problem IMO, they have some of the best backrowers in the game. The props never stay in the side long enough to get a good crack but next year they need to pick some props and stick with them. I dont think Gasnier has done anything this series and isn't knowhere near the player he once was, got ripped by Inglis and even in game 2 when they won he did nothing. Time for Idris or someone to get a crack along with Jennings or Lawrence. Uate and Hayne will be there on the wings but the rest needs sorting out badly as that's where QLD dominate, at least Lockyer wont be there.
Dugan hopefully can stay fit or Brett Stewart will be in great form for FB. Soward will be the 6 and Pearce the 7 but only because there's nobody else unless Mullen plays well at the Knights when Bennett gets there. It's the best of a bad bunch. Hooker is a real problem aswell, Cam Smith gets them rolling forward and can put quality kicks in from DH. Ennis cant lace Smiths boots and his kicks always find a player, i'd sack him off Ennis and give someone else a crack.

I'd agree with most of that.

If your leaving Ennis out Farrah would be the obvious choice.

B****rds cost me a slab of Bluetongue. Still at least I dont have to drink XXXX which I would have had to endure from my workmates in Qld if the Blues had won. Small mercies I suppose.

Agree on Mini, Gidley and Gasnier. Three experienced Origin players we needed to step up to the mark and all three failed. For me Pearce doesnt cut it at Origin level either. Although his defence is good he doesnt take control when NSW have the ball and is far too anonymous. Trouble is there are very few other options

Personally I would have put Hayne at fullback for the last 20 mins as there was nothing to lose and he seemed to be making a few metres when he got the ball. Also I mentioned to my mates that NSW were clueless in the last 10 and only looked dangerous 30-50 metres from the line. When you run at Qld and move the ball around they look very flat footed. When they defend the line though, very organised and composed.

Ah well, theres always next year (again !)

Pearce is only young and will get better, the sad truth is there's no one else.

Another disappointing game quality wise - the PTB was shambolic, too slow, too much messing around. Virtually every tackle involved some contact above the neck.

Defences were pretty poor - with almost 60 points scored - the Queensland tries were a laughable in the main - how many times do Qld have to put the inside ball to Slater before NSW find a way to stop a very simple and obvious play? Smith's run from dummy half!! Thaiday untouched run to the line, Minichello's attempt at a trap, Inglis running through 3 defenders, all basic defensive stuff you expect players of this quality to be able to stop.

Sad to see Thurston get such a serious injury, but this has been his worst Origin series, his kick for the Inglis apart he had a shocker.

The Qld forwards were superb to a man, Thaiday was my MOM, NSW have some thinking to do the likes of Gasnier, Gidley, Ennis, Morris and Minichello should never play for the Blues again.

One positive from the game Gould hardly said a word during commentary - fantastic.

He hasn't developed in the last two years how is he suddenly going to get any better?

Your right he won't, not at his age.

All half backs peak at 22/23.

I honestly don't know why you bother watching the NRL.

lol, I see mr happy is at it again.

One wonders if his girlfriend or mum ran away with an Aussie some time in the past.

They'll stick with Pearce and Soward again for next year but Pearce is terrible, he looked good last year for the Roosters but that's because Todd Carney was making him look good. Origin 2 people said he was good but Soward was kicking well and set up the match sealer. Pearce needs a quality 6 alongside him and that's not good enough at Origin, imagine Thurston not being any good unless he had a great 6 with him? He got a poor 6 at the Cowboys in Ray Thompson but still wins games for the Cowboys on his own and was well on his way to another Dally M.
I really hope Mullen gets a good run under Bennett at the Knights where he's injury free, look what Bennett has done to Soward so hopefully he can do the same with Mullen.
Ennis isn't the right man for the job at hooker either, he's had about 7 games now and he never looks great, always does dumb stuff every game and always puts some poor kicks in when he should be giving to Soward to kick. I dont think Farah took his chance in his 2 Origin's but surely he's got to get another crack next year, Cam Smith is getting his forwards steamrolling the Blues pack, a great hooker can make an average pack look great. Gidley is a tryer and does his best but he had an absolute shocker and will lose his utility spot in the Test side to Cronk or someone.
The FB will be Dugan but he's injured too much, i'd keep Hayne on the wing with Uate and play Brett Stewart if he keeps fit as he's one of the only ones who can rival Slater for being great and gamebreakers over the past 5 years, just a shame he got injured for 2 years or Slater might not even have been Test FB all this time as K Hunt knocked him out of the side at times.
QLD are a great side but it always seems like NSW gift them the series with dumb errors, game one Yow Yeh scored when B Moz left it, NSW lost by 4. Game 3 they lost by 10, a Mini error when it hit his kness, 3 men couldn't rap Inglis up over the line, Slater scoring off the same play as he does every Origin. Cam Smith scoring from DH is a joke, kids learn to watch for that but Watmough moans as he'd gone the wrong side of the PTB and missed it.

Are you for real ?

In over 30 years of watching the game the first half hour from Qld was the most intense and skilful period of rugby league I have ever seen. Their kicking was outstanding, the intensity of their tackling was frightening, the ball movement was superb. The fact that NSW kept it to 24 points was credit to their organisation and defence. Tell you what if GB or any SL team had been under that sort of pressure they would have gone into half time 60 points behind. Only the Smith try for me was soft. The others were from skill and yes even Inglis's try. Pure brute strength and skill, the man is an animal and many forget just how good he is because of an average time since he went to Souths. As for the rest of the game, sure there were too many errors from NSW, but that first 30 was always going to tell on them.

The Origin series this year has been the best in my 6 years in Aus and tickets for next year will be like rocking horse ...you just wont be able to get them. Roll on Origin 2012