Australian Rugby League selectors have once again turned their back on form and reason by selecting a number of players that simply do not deserve to wear the Green and Gold jersey in Friday nights ANZAC Day Test match.
While it is understandable some players have been selected based on experience, other selections, such as those of Jamie Lyon and Anthony Tupou are nothing short of farcicle.
It makes you wonder why selectors make some of the dumb decisions they do. Sometimes you have to wonder if they go out of their way to try and outsmart the opposition, only to outsmart themselves!
Official Australian Test Team
1 Karmichael Hunt (Brisbane Broncos)
2 Brent Tate (Brisbane Broncos)
3 Jamie Lyon (Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles)
4 Justin Hodges (Brisbane Broncos)
5 Matt King (Melbourne Storm)
6 Darren Lockyer (captain, Brisbane Broncos)
7 Johnathan Thurston (North Queensland Cowboys)
8 Brent Kite (Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles)
9 Cameron Smith (Melbourne Storm)
10 Petero Civoniceva (Brisbane Broncos)
11 Willie Mason (The Bulldogs)
12 Nathan Hindmarsh (Parramatta Eels)
13 Andrew Ryan (The Bulldogs)
Subs:
14 Luke Bailey (Gold Coast Titans)
15 Shaun Berrigan (Brisbane Broncos)
16 Steve Simpson (Newcastle Knights)
17 Anthony Tupou (Sydney Roosters)
Hunt was always going to be selected at fullback. His form was pretty good and the much talked about “combination with Darren Lockyer” would have got him over the line.
Brent Tate has never let Australia down on the wing or in the centers so his selection is understandable, as too is Matt Kings.
Steven Bell, Juston Hodges, Mathew King, Luke Lewis, Matthew Cooper, Timana Tahu, Michael Jennings…the list of centers in better form than Jamie Lyon reads as long as your arm. Why he has been selection is anyones guess.
The halves are as expected Lockyer and Thurston.
The forward pack wasnt a huge surprised however the omission of Mark O’Meley was surprising.
On the bench, Steve Simpson once again finds his way into the side on the back of so-so form.
For the life of me I can not think of a single reason why Anthony Tupou was selected. He has not even been the best forward is a Roosters pack that has been badly beaten in every single game they have played this season.
All in all its a good side, some great, in form players, a bit of experience, a bit of loyalty shown and a couple of terrible blunders.
It will be interesting to see what the Kiwi’s come up with in responce.
