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NormThis is not a Sam Newman Article...
May 3rd 2008 03:39
Whilst racking my brain for a genuinely unique blog topic that doesn't somehow involve Sam Newman, my mind shifted this week from AFL ramblings to an NRL focus. More importantly, to the decision awaiting the NSW selectors when it comes time to pick their team for Origin 1.
The City/Country match was billed as a half-back showdown, although we frankly all know that Kurt Gidley has the position in the bag. Gidley is a deserved no 7, he is tailor made for origin - and will inspire his backs and forwards through his sense of organisation and his own individual abilities.
However i turn my attention to the 5/8 position. Never before has there been a more overrated 5/8 than Braith Anasta. A beneficiary of countless undeserved origin caps, primarily due to the fact that the 5/8 position in rugby league is almost dead, Anasta is a one trick pony. For a big man he is weak in defence, he is also injury prone and "soft", his passing game is questionable, and he doesn't possess a step. Clearly while he idolises his coach at club level, Brad Fittler, he is not even half the player Freddy was. Whilst Fittler could go missing in defence, he had a great left foot step that Anaasta could only dream about. All Anasta possesses is a "bomb", and this is unlikely to worry Billy Slater, or indeed any of the other tall wingers that Queensland are likely to pick.
The selectors will inevitably pick Anasta, although i would like to throw one 1/2, 5/8 combination out there as a chance for Origin 2. That is - Kurt Gidley and Todd Carney. Carney had a good game at 5/8 last night for Country, and showed that his kicking game is long and powerful. His ability to run the ball from the 5/8 position would be invaluable, and would make Darren Lockyer work hard in defence. He has the ability to find the try line, he has a big physique and a good tackling technique - and as his near-miss 50 metre drop goal attempt indicated, he can pull off the acts of individual brilliance required in Origin contests.
Brett Finch was lucky to be given the no. 7 position last night ahead of Carney. Finch appears slow and unfit, and his only attribute is his short kicking game. As we saw last night, his inability to find touch in the last minute showed that he falters under pressure, as he has done often at club level (a notable example being his attempt against Newcastle as a youngster to find touch from the 20 metre restart, only to kick it out on the full and allow Andrew Johns an easy penalty goal to seal the game on the siren).
While i am positive that the NSW selectors will again go with their preferred method of incumbency and pick Anasta, Carney seems like he has potential to be a ball-playing, running Origin 5/8, in an era where such a 5/8 has almost become non-existent - except for Lockyer. To negate Queensland's dangerous halves and fast backs, NSW need to counter with some exciting halves of their own. To keep Anasta would be a vote for an uninspired backline, and an emphasis on the "bomb".
The City/Country match was billed as a half-back showdown, although we frankly all know that Kurt Gidley has the position in the bag. Gidley is a deserved no 7, he is tailor made for origin - and will inspire his backs and forwards through his sense of organisation and his own individual abilities.
However i turn my attention to the 5/8 position. Never before has there been a more overrated 5/8 than Braith Anasta. A beneficiary of countless undeserved origin caps, primarily due to the fact that the 5/8 position in rugby league is almost dead, Anasta is a one trick pony. For a big man he is weak in defence, he is also injury prone and "soft", his passing game is questionable, and he doesn't possess a step. Clearly while he idolises his coach at club level, Brad Fittler, he is not even half the player Freddy was. Whilst Fittler could go missing in defence, he had a great left foot step that Anaasta could only dream about. All Anasta possesses is a "bomb", and this is unlikely to worry Billy Slater, or indeed any of the other tall wingers that Queensland are likely to pick.
The selectors will inevitably pick Anasta, although i would like to throw one 1/2, 5/8 combination out there as a chance for Origin 2. That is - Kurt Gidley and Todd Carney. Carney had a good game at 5/8 last night for Country, and showed that his kicking game is long and powerful. His ability to run the ball from the 5/8 position would be invaluable, and would make Darren Lockyer work hard in defence. He has the ability to find the try line, he has a big physique and a good tackling technique - and as his near-miss 50 metre drop goal attempt indicated, he can pull off the acts of individual brilliance required in Origin contests.
Brett Finch was lucky to be given the no. 7 position last night ahead of Carney. Finch appears slow and unfit, and his only attribute is his short kicking game. As we saw last night, his inability to find touch in the last minute showed that he falters under pressure, as he has done often at club level (a notable example being his attempt against Newcastle as a youngster to find touch from the 20 metre restart, only to kick it out on the full and allow Andrew Johns an easy penalty goal to seal the game on the siren).
While i am positive that the NSW selectors will again go with their preferred method of incumbency and pick Anasta, Carney seems like he has potential to be a ball-playing, running Origin 5/8, in an era where such a 5/8 has almost become non-existent - except for Lockyer. To negate Queensland's dangerous halves and fast backs, NSW need to counter with some exciting halves of their own. To keep Anasta would be a vote for an uninspired backline, and an emphasis on the "bomb".
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Comment by Mick D
The Gidley-Carney combo is a mouth-watering prospect from an excitement perspective, although all the talk after the weekend's games has been Jarrod Mullen.
If Brett Stewart doesn't recover well from this injury he supposedly has, Gidley could always go back to his preferred fullback spot with Mullen coming in at half alondside Carney. This is of course pure fantasy football and won't happen for a number of reasons, not least (in)experience. A potential combination for the future though.