Underdogs. They have won 8 straight series in a row and yet here we are and the bloody Queenslanders are once again underdogs to win a State Of Origin game. Yes they are carrying a few injuries. Sure they are playing in New South Wales. Still, I feel like we have been here before. It…
New South Wales forward Greg Bird has called Queensland centre Brent Tate a hypocrite over comments the Maroons star made after State Of Origin one. Bird referred to a famous incident a few years ago in which Bird, as he was being held down by another player, was then punched in the face by Tate….
It seems that each and every year, an NRL side is decimated during the Origin period, and loses the momentum they had built over the opening ten or so rounds. Usually it is the Melbourne Storm, Brisbane Broncos or Sydney Roosters, however this year, the boys from Belmore are the ones most affected. The table…
If there is one thing I love writing about, it is referees… Paul Gallen and Greg Bird have called for a return to one referee for State Of Origin football. They believe one referee, one voice, would help ease confusion over decisions and make it easier for players who have to deal with just one…
The hopes of Queensland supporters took a blow today when halfback Daly Cherry-Evans failed to train with his Queensland team mates today. Cherry-Evans had targeted today as his deadline to be fit, and with Ben Hunt training in his place, things aren’t looking good for the Maroons halfback. Of course Laurie Daley has been telling…
In one of those “What the hell are they thinking?” moments, the Daily Telegraph is reporting that is New South Wales win State Of Origin two, they will have to wait until game three of the State Of Origin series to receive the Origin shield. You would think it makes sense to hand the trophy…
Yesterday it was confirmed that Will Hopoate and Josh Dugan will replace the injured Morris brothers in the squad for the second State of Origin squad, with Dugan set to take up the centre position. Josh Dugan has always lifted in the Origin arena, and was amongst the state’s best in last years series, however…
This is very clearly an unpopular opinion that I am about to put forward, but I love the idea of having a State of Origin game in Melbourne every three years. I am originally from New South Wales, but have grown up in AFL-mad Melbourne. I will not deny that above all else, Melburnians love…
Game one of the 2014 State Of origin series was a classic contest. Now it is time to rate each players performance. Be warned, I rate players harshly no matter which side they play for. I rate all players on a scale of 1-10 and I’m not afraid to use the entire scare to show…
First of all let me say thank you to the 34 footballers that put on one of the best sporting contests I have ever seen. The 100th game of State Of Origin football will long be remembered as a war of attrition. A game that was as physically taxing as any sporting contest I have…
After almost a year of hearing Queenslanders gloating, then whinging, then working themselves into a lather over Paul Gallen telling them they have two heads, it is now time for the New South Wales to belt Queensland on their own home soil. It doesn’t matter that Queensland have won 8 series in a row, they…
Today the struggling Canberra Raiders have announced a massive player signing. That of the in demand and exciting James Tedesco. After a horror start to the 2014 competition, the Raiders have targeted new blood to give them the shot in the arm needed for a successful 2015 and beyond. They were also thought to have…
This weekend we saw half a round, played out between half sides, in front of half a crowd, so why shouldn’t games played during Origin be worth half the competition points? Of course this is something that will never happen however if you want a snapshot of just how mixed up Origin affected NRL games…
Wally Lewis has launched an extraordinary attack on Paul Gallen and New South Wales, claiming Gallen should be embarrassed for losing 8 straight series and that New South Wales will never “get” State Of Origin football. Gallen, who is hated in Queensland, made a joke last week about the two headed supporters of Queensland. That…
Forget passion, talent wins State Of Origin games. While some selections are already leaking out for NSW I’m going to ignore them and post the team I would select. A few players are injured and some are suspended. That means that no NSW team anyone selects is going to be ideal. That being said, this…
State of Origin footy is almost upon us once again, accompanied by the speculation, or lack thereof, in regards to who will be picked. With the squad selections being announced next week, I’ve decided to take this opportunity to put my twenty cents in. The Maroons’ dominance has stretched to eight straight years and, as…
This is a really strange one… The Sydney Daily Telegraph is reporting that Laurie Daley has accused Ray Hadley of trying to get NSW assistant coach Matt Parish sacked because Parish is having a relationship with Ray Hadleys estranged wife. Ray Hadley has denied he tried to pressure NSWRL types to sack Parish but it…
For the first time in recent memory, a Suncorp Stadium hosted State of Origin game has not sold out within mere hours of tickets going on sale. As of 8:00 pm on Wednesday night, 9,000 seats remained unsold for Game One of the Origin series, with the majority of fans agreeing that tickets are just…
I know State Of Origin is the crown jewel of Rugby League and I am an avid New South Welshman myself, but I do feel that it is killing the international game of Rugby League. Say for example you give Anthony Milford a choice to play for Samoa or QLD and Australia, there are so…
I would stop writing about this sort of thing if Mal Meninga would just chill out, look how many series he has won as the Queensland Maroons coach, and started enjoying life a little rather than being so angry about things. In the latest round of “Things Mal Said” Mal Meninga has claimed that New…
Money is the reason that State Of Origin eligibility rules were slowly undermined by both states since the inception of the State Of Origin concept in the early 1980’s. people can talk about passion until they are Blue or Maroon in the face. The fact is that from day one coaches and officials looked at…
Luke Keary has had his appeal against his State Of Origin eligibility denied by the National Rugby League. Keary qualified for New South Wales under the current rules but decided he wanted to play for Queensland. He was the first big test of the current rules and it’s seems the NRL was not willing to…
With State of Origin one rapidly approaching, and every man and his dog predicting the NSW line up, I’ve decided to produce the side I would choose to take on the red hot favourite home side come Origin One. As with last year, this is not the side I expect to be chosen, or the…
With Robbie Farah set to miss at least State Of Origin one with an arm injury, attention had turned to the players who might replace him at hooker for the Blues. Michael Ennis’ name has been put forward, although I tend to think he is not the player he once was. Nathan Peats has been…
Do you know how many times New South Wales have changed their halves combination since Queensland started their record breaking run in the State Of Origin series? Yeah…I don’t care either! I am sick to death of hearing people say that the reason New South Wales loses State Of Origin series comes down to the…
Yes, this is still dragging on… After being told numerous times that Luke Keary qualifies for New South Wales and not for Queensland under the new State Of Origin rules, the Queensland Rugby League have decided to take a new approach. They want the rules to be broken so they can have Luke Keary anyway….
Another day, another Queensland whinge! This time its Wally Lewis having a cry over the State Of Origin eligibility rules that use many different factors to determine that Luke Keary should play for New South Wales and not Queensland. Lewis told New Limited that the NRL’s ruling, based on what Luke Keary has told them…
It is pretty clear that people with Queensland Rugby League want to have their cake and eat it too. This time around it is Queensland Rugby League chairman Peter Betros and Queensland selection boss Des Morris who have had a nice long whinge to News Limited about South Sydney youngster Luke Keary not being eligible…
Even the most one eyed Penrith Panthers supporter would tell you that Jamie Soward has played, at best, OK so far in 2014. That hasn’t stopped his name being tossed up as a possible State Of Origin bolter though! In this article written by Daily Telegraph writers Nathan Ryan and Ben Glover Soward’s name it…
Gorden Tallis has weighed into the State Of Origin eligibility debate by claiming that the current rules are a farce and designed to allow both New South Wales and Queensland to keep selecting New Zealanders. Tallis made the claims in his News Limited column and I tends to agree with what he has had to…