NSW selectors this week MUST make changes to the NSW forward pack.
In the first game forwards Jason Ryles and Luke Bailey were completely dominated by QLD. This wasn’t helped by a poor bench that saw second rower Steve Simpson having to fill in as a prop when either Ryles or Bailey left the field.
This time around I think selectors need to pick a pack with a bit more grunt. I’d bring Clinton onto the bench in place of Simpson. Clinton is a big, hard running prop who will keep running hard no matter what punishment is dished out.
I’d also be temped to bring in Trent Waterhouse. While Waterhouse isn’t playing all that well at club level, I think thats more to do with the poor way Penrith use him. I think at rep level he would be used more as a wide running second rower, and with Waterhouse running off the like of Barrett, Johns or Kimmorley, he could cause nightmares for Queensland.
On the Queensland side of the border, there is talk that Brad Thorn may not be available because of injury and they could look to Dane Carlaw to step in as a replacement. Carlaw has spent most of this season in the Queensland Cup and I’d be surprised if they called him up ahead of other more worth candidates.
Queensland will also be left short at prop where Steven Price will be unavailable for the rest of the series. I expect Ben Ross to step up into the vacant starting position but that has been talk that Shane Webcke will come out of representative retirement for one last game. I’d be very surprised if that happened….but you can never count out strange moves like that by the Queenslanders.
