NSW- So Close, Yet So Far...

So close yet so far. The cliché which haunts the New South Wales Blues once again. 3 games and it all came down to a 72^nd minute field goal by Cooper Cronk, standing up and claiming the moment as his own.

NSW had their chances, but once again, failed when it counted. Where did it all go wrong once again for the Blues. It’s not like Queensland where the invincible outfit of yester-year as arguably, the Blues were the stronger over the 3 game series.  Queensland though, have that knack of winning, being the first to the bouncing ball and earning every bit of luck which may come their way.

Some would say this was the series we lost, rather than the series which Queensland won. Personally, I believe the odd’s were against us from the outset. Whoever made the ridiculous decision to move game 1 to Melbourne needs a firm talking to. We saw 80000 passionate Blues fans carry NSW over in game 2, to give up such an advantage is absolutely outrageous. You will not see Queensland give up their advantage at the Cauldron next year, it just wont happen, It’s “Un-Queenslander Like”. Origin is a game of margins and missed opportunities, NSW gave away their opportunity before the series started.

On paper, Queensland fielded the strongest 17 on all 3 occasions. However, football games are not won on paper. There is no questioning that the squad of players chosen for the Blues aren’t good enough to win an Origin series, we just were not able to see the full potential of our squad.

The Backs

An inconsistent bunch of players who showed a lack of cohesion, especially in defence.  The problem is, what to do with Jarryd Hayne. By trade, he is not a winger, and was caught out in defence sliding in too often. Brett Stewart did little wrong to lose the custodians jersey, but do you make the sacrifice and move Hayne into fullback?  Akuila Uate was rightly dropped after a series of blunders, with Brett Morris taking his opportunity in game 3, a blistering performance which gave NSW every chance of taking the series.

Josh Morris by far was the pick of the bunch. Single handedly shut out Greg Inglis in Game 1 and 2, before showing his incredible attacking talent in Game 3. The Morris twins are here to stay. The explosive Michael Jennings showed glimpses of what he can do in attack, however he does remain a defensive liability, poor reads allowing the Queensland attack to make easy metres down our left side.

The Forwards

When Mal Meninga comes out and says our forward pack has been dominated, you know you are onto something special. James Tamou and Tim Grant have put their hands up and cemented their positions as Origin Forwards. Robbie Farah took firm hold of the number 9 jersey whilst Glen Stewart, Anthony Watmough and Greg Bird toiled away in typical fashion. Ben Creagh showed over 3 games that he is only in the team for his performances 3-4 years ago, a real disappointing series with minimal impact. Beau Scott should never have been selected. A poor season at St George Illawarra filled with injuries and errors did not deserve a call up, whilst Tony Williams showed the big difference between NRL and Origin footy. Luke Lewis was the best of the reserves, his versatility something the Blues could rely on.

The Halves

We say it every year, our halves just did not step up to the plate. Todd Carney and Mitchell Pearce were given 3 games to create history, however failed to live up to expectations. A lack of flair created too much predictability, with points coming from brilliant work from the outside backs or the foot of Robbie Farah. Do we persist with this halves combination or do NSW yet again change their 6 and 7.

The Captain

Go back 3-4 years and if you were not a Cronulla Sharks supporter, you hated Paul Gallen. How times change. Paul Gallen is now an icon of the game, well in NSW at the least. His 80 minute performances are not just game changing, but also inspiring to anyone who dons the Blue Jersey. He will carry the team to victory, and that might just be around the corner.

The Coach

Credit must go to Ricky Stuart for persisting with what he set out to do. Beat the Maroons at their own game by monstering their forwards before using the outside backs to counter. Tactically, he had the game covered. Moving Josh Morris to right centre completely shut out Greg Inglis, whilst bringing in Origin Rookies Tamou and Grant showed he was not afraid to take a gamble. NSW needs Ricky Stuart to continue on.

The odd’s are now stacked against the Blues for 2013, with 2 games up in Queensland giving the Maroons every chance to continue on their merry run.

Until next year… Again.