Maroons squad announced: Our take
The XXXX Queensland Maroons have announced their squad for Game One, with just the one forced change from the group that secured the 2013 series in Game Three last year.
With Sam Thaiday’s ongoing calf issues forcing his withdrawal, in-form Roosters back rower Aidan Guerra has been rewarded for his recent displays, earning a spot on the bench.
Debutant: New Maroon Aidan Guerra crosses for the Roosters. Source: The Daily Telegraph
Here’s our look at how the Queensland squad is shaping up as we approach Game One.
1. Billy Slater, Melbourne Storm: Slater had a slightly slow start to the season as he battled to overcome a knee injury suffered at last year’s World Cup. His early struggles had some questioning whether his time in the sun was over, however he has improved significantly in recent weeks and had by far his best showing of the season in Friday’s triumph over the Rabbitohs.
2. Darius Boyd, Newcastle Knights: Boyd hasn’t exactly set the competition alight in recent weeks, with his performances being publicly called into question by Panthers great Greg Alexander last week. While his attacking game has perhaps left a little to be desired, he remains a dependable player and will no doubt be looking to benefit from being Greg Inglis’s outside man yet again.
3. Greg Inglis, South Sydney Rabbitohs: Inglis remains at the peak of his powers, with a series of powerful displays for the Rabbitohs so far this season. He’ll no doubt play a big part once again in this year’s series, and while stopping him is all but impossible, one of Blues coach Laurie Daley’s top priorities will be devising a game plan that can limit Inglis’s output.
4. Justin Hodges, Brisbane Broncos: When Hodges went down with a snapped Achilles in late 2013 his career looked to be all but over, but he has shown tremendous courage and determination to fight his way back on to the paddock and perform at a high level once again. His incredible pass to send Dale Copley over against the Titans on Friday not only turned the game in Brisbane’s favour but proved he still has the skills to be a major threat in this year’s series.
Still got it: Justin Hodges is back in Maroon Source: The Courier Mail
5. Brent Tate, North Queensland Cowboys: Another of the Maroons’ old guard, Tate was seriously contemplating retirement last year before a chat with some Maroons teammates convinced him otherwise, and it has proven a wise decision as he is playing some of his best football in year at the moment. While the likes of Gorden Tallis may be calling for a changing of the guard, Tate is still more than capable of holding his own and carry on his legacy as a Maroons legend.
6. Johnathan Thurston, North Queensland Cowboys: Prior to the Anzac Test there were suggestions in the media that Thurston didn’t deserve to be there on form, with his Cowboys struggling and the likes of Daly Cherry-Evans impressing judges. Fast-forward three weeks and such claims seem preposterous, and anyone who saw his performance against the reigning premiers on Saturday night will tell you that the Blues are in for a torrid time in this year’s series.
7. Cooper Cronk, Melbourne Storm: A model of consistency, Cronk’s play has been crucial in arresting the Storm’s early-season form woes, and like the majority of his Maroons teammates he appears to be hitting form at the right time of the year. His steady and intelligent play is an ideal complement to Thurston’s off-the-cuff brilliance, and the Maroons will no doubt once again hold a massive advantage in the halves this year.
8. Matthew Scott, North Queensland Cowboys: Scott has regained his mantle as the game’s best front rower with several barnstorming performances this season, and with his main rival for that tag Andrew Fifita likely to miss the entire series, Queensland should be well-set in the go-forward stakes. While Scott’s been superb all season, his performance against the Broncos last weekend was one of the best ever witnessed from a prop and if he can replicate that against New South Wales the Maroons will be very hard to beat.
Dominant: Matt Scott is in career-best form Source: news.com.au
9. Cameron Smith, Melbourne Storm: Tremendous service from dummy-half, a massive work-rate in defence and a very handy kicking game combine to make Smith the game’s pre-eminent hooker, and with likely opposite number Robbie Farah only one game into a return from a dislocated elbow this appears to be yet another area where the Maroons will have the edge in Game One. Smith has continued to display his usual stellar form at club level this season and there’s no reason to expect anything different in the Origin arena.
10. Nate Myles, Gold Coast Titans: Myles is not the sort of player who will attract headlines for flashy plays or athletic feats, but he is a tough, uncompromising force in the Maroons forward pack who will never let anyone down. With a shortage of genuine props in the Queensland squad he is likely to spend plenty of time in the engine room and will love every minute of it.
18. Chris McQueen, South Sydney Rabbitohs: McQueen is one of the few Queenslanders whose spot was in question but the selectors have shown faith in him despite a slightly underwhelming start to the season. McQueen spent the early rounds of the year battling an ankle injury but he looks to have fully recovered and will be hoping to grow another leg in the Maroon jumper like so many before him.
12. Matt Gillett, Brisbane Broncos: Gillett has arguably emerged as the Broncos’ best back-rower this season – no mean feat when your contemporaries include Sam Thaiday, Corey Parker and Alex Glenn. Interestingly, Gillett is set to play on the edge as opposed to the middle where he has been stationed for the Broncos this year, however he is a dangerous customer wherever he lines up and will be looking to join the game’s elite with a big Origin series.
13. Corey Parker, Brisbane Broncos: A surprise move to the front row at club level this year has done little to slow the Broncos veteran down, as he remains amongst the competition leaders in work-rate each week and is an underrated weapon in attack with his clever offloading. With the likes of McQueen, Te’o and Papalii struggling a little at club level it would be no surprise to see Parker play the whole 80 minutes.
Veteran: Corey Parker is still one of the game’s best Source: The Courier Mail
14. Daly Cherry-Evans, Manly Sea Eagles: Cherry-Evans’s selection in the Australian test side proved controversial, as he only saw the final seven minutes of action and picked up a minor injury in the process. As a specialist half in the same side as Thurston and Cronk, it will be interesting to see if he gets any more game time in the Origin series, but one thing Queensland can count on is that either of their starters succumbs to injury this bloke can step in without missing a beat.
15. Ben Te’o, South Sydney Rabbitohs: It would be fair to say Te’o has not quite lived up to expectations in 2014 and his spot was thought to be one of the few in jeopardy. The Maroons selectors, however, are famously loyal to those who have done the job in the past, and along with Rabbitohs teammate Chris McQueen he’ll be looking to prove the doubters wrong in the Origin arena.
16. Aidan Guerra, Sydney Roosters: Guerra’s rise to prominence has been so rapid that many casual fans will go into Game One knowing very little about him. Guerra is a tall, athletic back rower with a knack for finding the try line, and his competitive nature will stand him in good stead for what is sure to be a fiery contest. A good performance may ensure he holds his spot even when Sam Thaiday returns.
17. Josh Papalii: Perhaps the most fortunate player to be picked in the squad, Papalii is likely the beneficiary of incumbency given his struggles with the Raiders this season. It’s worth remembering that Papalii has battled ankle syndesmosis for much of the year, and his performance against Penrith on the weekend was his best in some time, so perhaps he has turned the corner just in time.
So there you have it – once again the Queensland selectors have placed their faith in the guys who have done the job in years past, and with so many supremely talented players all hitting form around the same time they will be an imposing unit once again. With that said, there are a few guys in the squad who have been slightly short of their best this season, and New South Wales will be sure to target those players at every opportunity.
While there are rumours out there that the Blues squad is set in stone, we’ll wait for the official announcement tomorrow afternoon before running the rule over their lineup.
Nick Fray, Over the Line Sports
