State of Origin 2017 NSW vs QLD SoO Discussion Thread - QLD win 2-1
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- Sep 7, 2008
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Yep. Which I think would have been wrong.
Pearce is always playing good football - until he gets in to the Origin arena and then stinks it up.
If he plays a bad game up in QLD, would you keep him in for the decider?
Depends on what defines bad.
If he just has no influence I'd probably give him one more chance. If he's actually a liability - giving up 7 tackle sets, throwing mistimed passes etc, it would be worth having a look at Austin or even Keary who's playing good footy at the moment.
Pearce's problem, aside from the fact that he hasn't played his best at Origin level, is that he is a Cronk and not a Thurston.
Cronk is the best organising half in the game. It means that when you put him in a side with Slater, Inglis, Hodges, Chambers, Vunavalu etc, he organises the show, sets up the chess board, then the blokes with flair do the business. He has a great kicking game.
Pearce is a similar player. Not as good but similar. And it has worked well at the Roosters where for most of his career, Pearce has been surrounded by gun backs and second towers who can take advantage of his organising.
Come origin, NSW aside from Hayne haven't had that sort of quality to play off Pearce. So his style doesn't work - he doesn't have the miracle plays that Thurston can produce, or a Milford or someone like that. It has cost him big time.
royboy2
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If Pearce's last name was Smith or Jones or anything else he wouldn't get a game.
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As a Balmain boy myself, He disgraces that name in how he acts and how he plays.
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That's garbage mate.
Doubtless it's helped but he's been the halfback for a side that won 3 straight minor premierships, he's played in a premiership, steered them to the 2010 grand final and he's got us in the top 4 so far this year.
He's not in the league of Thurston, Cronk, Johnson or Foran but along with Maloney (who attacks better but defends worse) he's the best NSW eligible half in the game
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The talent is there. I dont think the training ethics are. He is the reverse of his old man.
Junior had no natural talent really but his work ethic was 2nd to none.
Junior junior has natural ability but doesnt have his old mans work ethic.
Premierships? Dont go there
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All that means squat in origin. We can compare how he's gone in this format before and it's not in his favour.
I really hope I'm wrong and he plays a blinder but I just cannot see it.
The talent is there. I dont think the training ethics are. He is the reverse of his old man.
Junior had no natural talent really but his work ethic was 2nd to none.
Junior junior has natural ability but doesnt have his old mans work ethic.
Premierships? Dont go there
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Don't go there?
Mate he plays the most important position on the field and has taken his side to 3 grand finals, won one, finished top 3 times. How on earth can you possibly say he disgraced his old man's onfield name when he's achieved more at club level? It's not like he's a front-rower. And it's not like Wayne played in ordinary company. Freeman, Roach, Elias, Sironen, Hanley, Gregory, Brasher etc.
You've just said quite correctly that Wayne had arguably the best work ethic in the game. So his son not matching it is hardly something to crucify him over.
He's been a dickhead a couple of times (though in comparison to some of his line-snorting and spouse-bashing contemporaries he's been relatively tame) but I actually think he's a guy who's put a lot of work into his game.
Of course it means squat in Origin - I think you've missed my point though.
Put him around flashy players and he's the perfect guy to steer them around. Hes shown that in club footy. He's never really had that luxury in Origin. So to succeed he has to 1. Hope that Maloney is his usual flashy self. It worked perfectly at the Roosters. 2. Do all the little stuff brilliantly. Find touch, get repeat sets, run the ball a lot off the back of players like Cordner, be aware of guys like Graham and their ability to offload etc.
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Are you suggesting he's around better players at club level rather than in origin? That seems a little bit backwards.
Point 2 is normally where he fails at this level. Either way, we should definitely know whether he's up to it in just over a week's time.
Aucklander
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Poll added.
Not saying he's around better players. Flashier players.
Jennings, Mitchell, Kenny-Dowall, Tupou, Tuivasa-Scheck, Ferguson, Sonny Bill Williams (for starters 3 of them aren't Origin eligible anyway and another will probably play 20 of them by the time he retires). As long as they're playing reasonable footy, Pearce's job has been to guide them. and usually against teams with less spark.
Come Origin time, he sometimes has a couple of guys like that but not a full compliment.
Compare that to Queensland who've usually had Inglis, Hodges, Slater, Chambers, Boyd in their backline - all of whom can create something from nothing. Put Pearce in a side like that he'd be in heaven (not for a second suggesting he's as good as the Queensland halves by the way)
Fully agree with PhatBoy on Pearce. I was never his biggest fan, but seems to me much of the criticism of him is way OTT.
Someone said upthread that QLD select on merit, and NSW on 'politics'.
Seems to me that QLD select pretty much, the same old guys as last time. And why not, with their record?
I don't know what this 'politics' is, but I say again, if not Pearce, then who? And is there really anyone in other positions knocking on the Blues door who should be given a shirt and has been neglected?
Anyway, I'm sure we all know what will happen: QLD will run and run at Maloney all night long until he's battered to a pulp, and/or has conceded enough penalties...
Someone said upthread that QLD select on merit, and NSW on 'politics'.
Seems to me that QLD select pretty much, the same old guys as last time. And why not, with their record?
I don't know what this 'politics' is, but I say again, if not Pearce, then who? And is there really anyone in other positions knocking on the Blues door who should be given a shirt and has been neglected?
Anyway, I'm sure we all know what will happen: QLD will run and run at Maloney all night long until he's battered to a pulp, and/or has conceded enough penalties...
if not pearce
then
maloney / reynolds
maloney / moylan
maloney / hayne
Pearces major problem is that he doesnt play wide very well, he has a very strong direct game and short ball game. But if QLD do there home work and run a tight defensive line leaving space on the edges pearce is too much of a * to take advantage of it unless its through his kicking game. But even then he doesnt appear to see numbers and play outballs, get inside runners to just be decoys and either put it out the back after straightning up or throwing a good cut out to his winger.
Moylan on the other hand can do all these things.
I hope he has a blinder and he hope he has improved in these areas... but i doubt it.
then
maloney / reynolds
maloney / moylan
maloney / hayne
Pearces major problem is that he doesnt play wide very well, he has a very strong direct game and short ball game. But if QLD do there home work and run a tight defensive line leaving space on the edges pearce is too much of a * to take advantage of it unless its through his kicking game. But even then he doesnt appear to see numbers and play outballs, get inside runners to just be decoys and either put it out the back after straightning up or throwing a good cut out to his winger.
Moylan on the other hand can do all these things.
I hope he has a blinder and he hope he has improved in these areas... but i doubt it.
Moylan is a good player. Hayne: when did he last play in the halves? He always strikes me as one of those players who can do no wrong as far as TV commentators are concerned; they all seem to love him. He has talent, of course, but he *never* seems to be fully fit, and I always wonder whether he's really made of the right stuff. Daniel Tupou is scoring a few, isn't he? So the Roosters do seem to be able to get the ball out their wingers OK.
I know a lot of them come through kicks but this is a man who has helped Daniel Tupou and Shaun Kenny-Dowall become prolific try-scorers despite having the combined ball-handling skills of a truck driving lesbian. That would suggest that he's not as ordinary at using width as what you think. Moylan is a fullback who is capable of playing half. In an extremely talented side he's never managed to help them achieve anything significant. So it's not like he's beating the door down.
Hayne is lucky to be there at all, let alone playing in the halves where he's never been anything more than an extra three-quarter anyway. I don't know which Reynolds you're referring to but neither of them have done anything to demand a shot.
Pearce's own halves partner is literally the next best credentialed to get a go.
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Gosh I hate this Blues team. Every year I tell myself "this is the year" - but I didn't even make it past selection night on Monday before thinking "well we're ****ed again." And that's without Slater and Thurston.
The Blues had such good options in the forwards this year. And yet again we go back to picking on reputation or potential instead of picking them on form.
And don't even get me started on Dugan and Hayne...
Can we assume that Bird has been picked as a back rower? Cos that seems pretty ******* strange to me as well.
The Blues had such good options in the forwards this year. And yet again we go back to picking on reputation or potential instead of picking them on form.
And don't even get me started on Dugan and Hayne...
Can we assume that Bird has been picked as a back rower? Cos that seems pretty ******* strange to me as well.
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I can't believe NSW are favs. I know there's no Thurston but come on.
Are you an easts fan?
I think you hit the nail on the head with Tupou and most teams will have at the very least one or two backs with some good strike rates. Given how strong the chooks record has been over the past 6 or 7 years with a few GFs , minor premierships and premiership, probably winning 60% plus of their games and a forward pack that has been able to get opposition defensive lines retreating you would expect them to be high whether it was pearce at half or you playing half.
If you watch moylan play he was elite vision and passing skills, imo that combined with maloneys short and running game works better.
IMO pearce is a poor mans maloney with marginally better defence.
Dont get me wrong I think pearce playing outside either cronk, or a latter stage organising thurston would look great, but its just not how I would have gone and I think the comments about his last name that have upset you actually have some merit.
In any event, I hope hes improved a shitload from last time around and he cuts QLD up!!! Proving me 1000 percent wrong winning a series.
You make some decent points but I can assure you it has nothing to do with being offended at such a suggestion. It's just that it's not true.
Both Reynolds boys, Austen and Maloney, of NSW eligible halfbacks, have had periods where they were arguably the best performing of the group. Maloney aside, none of them have ever had that sort of mantle for more than a season. Pearce has either been number 1 or 2, at worst 3, for the best part of 8 years. Whether he's good enough at Origin level or not is irrelevant - he's sure as hell not getting picked on name when he's continually performing well for his club.
You forgot Moylan, Phatboy, so allow me: 
Clearly a talented player, but has mostly been playing full-back lately, would stepping up to the halves at Origin be a bit too much of an ask. I don't know that his 'elite passing' is really any better than Pearce's or Maloney's; I've always seen his main aspect as his running game. And I do wonder, re Moylan, in the memorable words of one Wigan fan regarding Stefan Latchford of Warrington, whether he's "more sizzle than steak". I just don't remember seeing him really bossing games.
Adam Reynolds is bang ordinary. And Josh R is a souped-up park player who tries to makeup for his lack of finesse with 110% effort. Put it this way: I wouldn't swap either for either of our halves at Wigan (George Williams and Tommy Leuluai). I'd have Pearce (or, please God, Maloney!) in a heart-beat.
Clearly a talented player, but has mostly been playing full-back lately, would stepping up to the halves at Origin be a bit too much of an ask. I don't know that his 'elite passing' is really any better than Pearce's or Maloney's; I've always seen his main aspect as his running game. And I do wonder, re Moylan, in the memorable words of one Wigan fan regarding Stefan Latchford of Warrington, whether he's "more sizzle than steak".
I just don't remember seeing him really bossing games.Adam Reynolds is bang ordinary. And Josh R is a souped-up park player who tries to makeup for his lack of finesse with 110% effort. Put it this way: I wouldn't swap either for either of our halves at Wigan (George Williams and Tommy Leuluai). I'd have Pearce (or, please God, Maloney!) in a heart-beat.
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I just don't see how you can say Adam Reynolds is bang ordinary but then talk up Mitchell Pearce. It's one and the same really. Pearce is a proven failure at this level - I'm very convinced that will come through again tomorrow night.
