NSW Selection Debacle, Chapter Who Knows, Part 2: The NSWRL seemingly had two issues to deal with over the weekend: Michael Maguires naming of the Origin II team and a junior Cronulla player who had highly offensive tattoos written on his legs. It is hard to know what proved more offensive: those horrid tatts or another embarrassing team offered by Maguire.
Let’s start with the positive. Dylan Edwards deserved to reclaim the No.1 jersey. He was picked for the opener. James Tedesco didn’t do nearly enough to keep Edwards out. Latrell Mitchell should have been there for the opener and would have been were it not for Maguire’s ego but desperate, he seemingly put that to one side begrudgingly at the Souths 10-year premiership reunion. Nobody can be upset with the inclusion of Cameron Murray over Cameron McInnes.
The No.7 debate was seemingly down to two decisions with Nicho Hynes certain to be dropped. It was either Mitch Moses at halfback and Jarome Luai at five-eighth or Matt Burton at five-eighth and Luai at halfback. Now it was utterly stupid to make this a two-option decision and once again completely ignored what the Blues always ignore: kicking. Jarome Luai did little wrong in the opener but he has won just one of his last six Origins. A halves combination of Moses and Burton would have been far more effective.
The treatment of Matt Burton is laughable. Burton is having an outstanding season. He has shone at Origin level. He has the versatility to be the perfect bench player. Yet he has been ignored, embarrassingly rejected by the last unattractive battleaxe of the last nightclub in town.
Once again Maguire has ignored the need for a back on the bench. He has also ignored the need for genuine props, instead preferring to pick a team of hardworking locks that will be overpowered and generally misused in a cluttered and shambolic rotation. For reasons known only to Maguire, Jake Trbojevic was retained as captain despite playing only 25 effective minutes in the opener before being tossed on for a charity final four minutes.
In the NRL this season, 49 players have started a game at lock. Approximately 14 are available and fit for Blues selection. Maguire picked a ridiculous five in his squad. If Origin was won on workrate, the Blues would stand some chance. Playing Murray, Isaiah Yeo, Jake Trbojevic and Connor Watson – with Cam McInnes in the extended squad – is the behaviour of an out-and-out lunatic, particularly after the tactic failed so horrifically in the opener.
While Watson is unquestionably a better option on the bench than Hudson Young given the preponderance of edge players, he is not a back and he is not the second best hooker and he is not even close to an elite lock. Like trying to force an all-rounder into a team, Maguire thinks Watson will solve his problems. Watson is absolutely an option in the halves but if Moses goes down he is essentially the same style of player as Luai with no long kicking game. He has not played fullback since 2019 and is 1-5 in his last six starts in the No.1 jumper. He has never played in the three-quarter line. Watson being a better choice than Burton is like declaring Fritzl’s basement a better place to be than above ground.
The persistence with Trbojevic is just as crazy. It is clear he is a holding captain with Nathan Cleary to take the reins next year but a captain cannot play 29 minutes, as he did in the opener. Playing him at prop is as bright as a lobotomised donkey addicted to bucket bongs. He has topped 86 metres just twice this season – and once was in a game that played the full golden point. He has made 10 tackle breaks – across the last three seasons, averaging one tackle bust every 5.1 games. He can tackle – and he does tackle his heart out – but offers nothing else. No speed. No oomph. Nothing.
He was picked over Stefano Utoikamanu (59 tackle breaks in 2024, four 100-plus metre games in his last five), Tom Hazelton (5 tries, 25 tackle breaks, only two sub-86 metre games in 2024), Mitch Barnett (no game less than 118 metres per game in 2024), Terrell May (5x 140-plus metre games, 31 tackle breaks and 19 offloads in 2024) and Junior Paulo (126-plus metres in all six games Moses has played).
Maguire is, simply, an idiot. The dumbest bloke in the room is trying to outsmart everyone else. Billy Slater is a highly intelligent coach but he does not have to be to win game two. Run down the middle, kick to corners and the game will be Queensland’s.
Chris Butler Needs To Be Removed From The Game Immediately: Chris Butler has done so much damage to the game with his complete incompetence that it is not only enough for him to be removed from the game, he should be physically dropped on Bouvet Island and never allowed off, forced to fend for himself Robinson Crusoe style. Over the weekend, he not only awarded the Eels Kelma Tuilagi a head high penalty for acting that wouldn’t have cut it on a South American soccer field and was closer to his bollocks than his head and then awarded Manly a try for one of the most obvious obstructions ever seen on a field. They were two disgraceful decisions. A wombat in the bush would be less likely to not find a gum leaf than an official making those two calls.
2024 Field Goal Update – 17: No field goals this week though we at least saw some shots.
- Fun Fact #1: The Warriors were down to 11 men at one stage and were surely the first team in NRL history to lose both wingers to the sin bin at once.
- Fun Fact #2: The Gold Coast Titans signed a rugby union play from a team called the Wallabies for a ridiculous amount of money one can only assume was a banking error.
- Fun Fact #3: Number of non-league Wallabies who played NRL in the NRL era is zero v 15 NRL players to go on and play for the Wallabies including league legends Eto Nabuli, Joseph Tomane and Tom Wright.
- Willie M Team of the Week: This week’s team of the unreliable, the unstable and the untrustworthy:
1.Tristan Sailor (Bri) 2.Zac Lomax (Dra) 3.Selwyn Cobbo (Bri) 4.Daejarn Asi (Par)
5.Xavier Savage (Can) 6.Ethan Strange (Can) 7.Jock Madden (Bri) 8.Jack De Belin (Dra) 9.Phoenix Crossland (New) 10.Leo Thompson (New) 11.Brendan Piakura (Bri) 12.Kelma Tuilagi (Par) 13.Joe Ofahengaue (Par)
————————– 14.Tom Starling (Can) 15.Keenan Palasia (GC) 16.Jazz Tevaga (NZ) 17.Ata Mariota (Can) ———————— Coach: Shane Flanagan (Dra)
Betting Market of the Week: Most likely scenario for Carter Gordon:
- $5001: Stars for the Titans, goes on to represent Queensland and Australia. $2.50: Survives a year in first grade because Des is too embarrassed to admit he is not up to the NRL.
- $1.50: Struggles with the Tweed Seagulls, can’t beat out Tanah Boyd, scurries back in the dead of night to rugby union.
Rumour Mill: Lachlan Galvin wants out of the Tigers with the Roosters believed to be ready to swoop if he ever does get a release. David Armstrong is set to knock back the Knights and head to England to play with Leigh. Damien Cook is set to join the Dragons in 2025. Jack De Belin will be at the Rabbitohs in 2025.
The Coaching Crosshairs: Trent Barrett is firming to be appointed as the Parramatta coach on a full-time basis on the back of some adequate results and a major media push from his mates at both the SMH and News. Being the perceived front-runner is a huge advantage in the race for a coaching job, particularly at a club that has no idea what it is doing. The club clearly seems willing to listen to the players, who unsurprisingly want the assistant coach/drinking buddy. Barrett has now won 13 of his last 61 games as a head coach. He was given every chance at his last two clubs and sent those clubs backwards. Personally, nothing would make me happier than to see Barrett do that to the Eels. Choosing him over the likes of McNamara, Briers, Holbrook or even Demetriou would be moronic but here is to hoping that is the rein they pull.
Moronic Coaching Decision of the Week: Adam O’Brien just never learns his lesson. His persistence with Jackson Hastings at halfback is nothing short of moronic. He never looked like running against the Panthers. He is nothing but an outdated robot who only knows how to hit lead runners and put up mid-size drop punts. The exciting Will Pryce is going very well in the NSW Cup yet cannot get a look in over arguably the worst No.1 halfback in the competition.
Watch It: Alan Jones coaching a professional Rugby League team is all-time wild and his delusion about his ability is shown in all its glory in this video. Watch Jones defend a 44-4 loss to Cronulla. Watch it here.