The Queensland Rugby League has announced the Maroons side for game one of the State Of Origin series and there were basically no surprises what so ever.
The Queenslanders have a big production around the announcement of their side and its pretty funny if only for the fact that you have so many journo’s who are “hearing things” and “have mail”, and yet the entire Queensland side is flown to Brisbane for this function.
Its hardly a state secret!
Anyway, take a look at the banana benders side:
The Official Queensland Maroons Team
1. Billy Slater
2. Darius Boyd
3. Greg Inglis
4. Juston Hodges
5. Brent Tate
6. Jonathan Thurston
7. Cooper Cronk
8. Matt Scott
9. Cameron Smith (C)
10. Petero Civoniceva
11. Nate Myles
12. Sam Thaiday
13. Ashley Harrison
14. Matt Gillett
15. Dave Taylor
16. Ben Hannant
17. Dave Shillington
18. Daly Cherry-Evans
19. Dane Nielsen
Its a pretty good looking side.
I’m surprised they decided to select Petero Civoniceva. I think he weakens their pack. I’m also a little surprised they picked Brent Tate, if only for the possibly injury concern that has to always surround him.
I like the NSW pack over the Queensland pack by quite a long way but as always, the Queenslanders strength is their backline.
Hodges will be coming into this first game of the series a little under done. He should handle the game alright but then again, he isn’t normally the type of player that comes back from injury and hit the ground running. He normally needs a run or two under his belt.
I would expect the Maroons to go with the four forwards on the bench.
So there we have it now, both sides have finally been named and we can stop with all the stupid rumours and conjecture!
