Queensland Origin contenders 2015: The Forwards

Last week we ran the rule over Queensland’s backline contenders, and now it’s time to give the big fellas the same treatment. With Game One now just a month away, here are the men in the frame for a coveted maroon jumper in the engine room.

Front Row

Matt Scott is a certainty, and despite a slow start to the year Nate Myles should hang on to the other starting spot. Jacob Lillyman has incumbency in his favour and is a strong chance for a bench spot, however he’ll have to hold off strong challenges from the likes of Bronco Josh McGuire and Roosters all-rounder Dylan Napa, who are both pushing hard for an Origin debut. They may only run with one prop on the bench as they like to carry an additional half/utility and most of their back rowers can pinch-hit for a few minutes here and there.

Quiet achiever Jacob Lillyman never lets his state down
Source: www.couriermail.com.au

Hooker

Cam Smith is a certainty, but like the halves the battle for heir apparent is an interesting one. Jake Friend was the man last year but Andrew McCullough can’t be too far behind, especially given Friend’s injury problems this year. Matt Ballin has done the job before as well. But the real ace up Queensland’s sleeve, and a definite contender for a spot on the bench, is Panthers livewire James Segeyaro, who possesses the ability to drastically change the complexion of a game with his quickness and creativity.

Cam Smith is set to lead his beloved Maroons once again in 2015
Source: www.heraldsun.com.au

Second Row

The incumbent starting trio of Corey Parker, Sam Thaiday and Aidan Guerra is likely to be retained, although Guerra is racing the clock to recover from a facial injury. Matt Gillett leads a large pack of players fighting for a bench spot, including Josh Papalii, Chris McQueen and uncapped Cowboy Gavin Cooper. Cooper’s teammate Ethan Lowe could be in with a shot after a strong start to the year, with the inconsistent Dave Taylor probably on the outer. Corey Oates is a bolter for the bench given he can cover for the backline, but it be a bit early for him as he’s yet to play big minutes up front on a regular basis.

Sam Thaiday will be a key cog in the Maroon machine
Source: www.couriermail.com.au

Cover Image Source: www.roundeight.com

Nick Fray, Origin Online

Where to now for Queensland?

Nick Fray, Origin Online and Over the Line Sports

Eight in a row – it’s a good run in any competitive arena, and anyone who accomplishes such a feat has earned the right to reflet proudly upon such an achievement when the end finally comes. Unfortunately, whilst history is nice, the present, and indeed the future, are always more important – take the South Sydney Rabbitohs for example. Sure, they’ve won 20 premierships, but the last of them was so long ago (1971) that the majority of their fans probably weren’t around to see it.

With this in mind, the time for Maroon reflection is already over as they look to reassert their dominance in the Origin arena after New South Wales finally ended their golden era. However, whilst the bulk of their players should be available next year, it’s no secret there are a number of key players getting up there in years, and it may not be long before we see a considerably different Queensland side to the one we’ve come to know in recent years. The Maroons have done a good job of slowly integrating players of the future into the setup in recent years, but they’ll need to hope those players are up to the task as the vast majority of emerging NRL stars at the moment bleed blue.

At fullback, Billy Slater has obviously been an integral part of Queensland’s success in recent time, but at 31 he’s not exactly ‘Billy the Kid’ anymore. While he still possesses incredible quickness and vision, he’s become increasingly injury=prone over the last couple of years and may be a candidate for retirement in the next couple of years. Fortunately, the Maroons are likely to enjoy several more years of Greg Inglis and he appears set to take over at the back once Slater calls it a day.

Not going anywhere: Greg Inglis Source: The Cairns Post

In the backs, Brent Tate may well have played his last game after the devastating injury suffered in Game Two, whilst running mate Justin Hodges is 32 and no stranger to serious injury himself. Also, with Inglis likely to move to fullback in the near future, Queensland are likely to need 3 new faces in the backline within a couple of years. One of those spots seems destined to go to Will Chambers, who will debut on the wing tonight as Tate’s replacement. Newcastle’s Dane Gagai has enjoyed another solid season and will surely come into calculations if forgiven for his transgression in a pre-season camp, whilst Bronco Dale Copley has enjoyed his best year of first grade after coming back from a serious injury and has been touted as a candidate for Origin football. Melbourne’s Justin O’Neill has become something of a forgotten man due to injuries and inconsistent form, but at 23 he still has plenty of time to get his career back on track. Also, given that Queensland’s success began with giving talented youngsters a shot, Canberra cousins Edrick and Brenko Lee might get their shot sooner rather than later.

Young gun: Brenko Lee Source: The Courier Mail

First choice halves Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk probably still have another three or four years in them, but the Maroons have already shown their hands here with Daly Cherry-Evans already a regular part of the squad and Bronco Ben Hunt almost debuting in Game Two this year due to injuries. Watch also for Anthony Milford, who is likely to play five-eighth when he moves to Brisbane next year but can also cover fullback, although at the moment it seems that Luke Keary will be forced to represent the Blues if he develops into an Origin footballer.

Biding his time: Ben Hunt Source: The Courier Mail

Front row is an interesting position for Queensland, as they’ve moved away from the traditional four-man prop rotation over the last couple of years to rely more on backrowers pinch-hitting for short spells. Some claim that this tactic is part of the reason Queensland have been off the pace his year, however despite seemingly irresistible claims Josh McGuire was only able to snare 19th man duties for tonight’s game. While he’s the obvious next cab off the rank at the position, there’s little else coming through at the position for Queensland, with only Rooster Dylan Napa getting a mention. Martin Kennedy looked a likely candidate a couple of years ago but his career has regressed significantly this season. At 29, Ben Hannant and Brenton Lawrence may be called upon over the next few years as Queensland wait for the likes of Bulldogs youngster Lloyd Perrett to develop. Fortunately, starting trio Matt Scott, Nate Myles and Jacob Lillyman still have some good years left in them.

Knocking on the door: Josh McGuire Source: The Courier Mail

At hooker, captain Cameron Smith is now 31, but he is the sort of player who could conceivably play on until his mid-30s. Still, the Maroons have started integrating Rooster Jake Friend into the Origin setup, whilst Bronco Andrew McCullough has had a hugely impressive year, so Queensland look well-stocked at the position regardless of how long Smith plays on.

The heir apparent: Jake Friend Source: The Courier Mail

And finally, whilst the back row position looked extremely healthy not so long ago, the advanced age of Corey Parker will open a starting spot, whilst Ben Te’o also looks likely to be unavailable due to a rumoured move to European rugby. Also, whilst hardly an established Origin star, Dave Taylor is also rumoured to be a target for the 15-a-side game and may be another one to scratch from the list. Still, with Aidan Guerra impressing in his first couple of Origin games and the likes of Matt Gillett, Chris McQueen, Josh Papalii available they have a good young nucleus around Sam Thaiday, but ideally they’d love it if guys like Corey Oates and Ethan Lowe can step up and establish themselves as Origin-calibre players.

Promising signs: Ethan Lowe Source: The Daily Telegraph

We’ve become so accustomed to seeing the same players turn out for the Maroons over the last few years that the thought of a new-look side within the next couple of years may seem a scary one for Queensland fans. While the names listed above suggests that there is still enough talent to ensure the Maroons stay competitive for years to come, the majority of them still have much to prove before they can be considered Origin-calibre, and if even a few of them fail to live up to expectations it’s entirely possible that the Blues may be about to embark on a golden era of their own.