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How Queensland shapes up for Origin I
HOW QUEENSLAND SHAPE UP FOR STATE OF ORIGIN I:
Fullback – Kalyn Ponga
Age: 24
Origins: 4
Tries: 0
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The elusive fullback will look to repay coach Billy Slater after his call-up despite Newcastle’s indifferent NRL form. Still to see his best for the Maroons.
Winger – Selwyn Cobbo
Age: 20
Origins: 0
Tries: 0
His power, speed and fend have drawn comparisons to a young Greg Inglis. Cobbo will be out to prove he’s not too young for Origin football as some pundits have predicted.
Centre – Valentine Holmes
Age: 26
Origins: 10
Tries: 9
Holmes has reinvented himself as a centre this season but the Maroons will be hoping his try-scoring strike-rate doesn’t take a hit with his shift off the wing.
Centre – Dane Gagai
Age: 31
Origins: 19
Tries: 11
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With a debutant and five-eighth lining up in the NSW centres, veteran Gagai needs to use his game smarts to get the better of the Blues.
Winger – Xavier Coates
Age: 21
Origins: 5
Tries: 2
Has shown maturity beyond his years in his five Origin appearances. His aerial prowess has prompted the Blues to select Daniel Tupou ahead of Josh Addo-Carr.
Five-eighth – Cameron Munster
Age: 27
Origins: 13
Tries: 1
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Munster is back in career-best shape and playing an exciting, confident brand after nearly losing his Melbourne contract.
Halfback – Daly Cherry-Evans (captain)
Age: 33
Origins: 17
Tries: 1
The captain’s crowning moment in a 2020 series win was tarnished by last year’s trouncing, but Cherry-Evans believes he has the team to orchestrate another Maroons triumph.
Prop – Tino Fa’asuamaleau
Age: 22
Origins: 6
Tries: 0
In rampaging form despite Gold Coast’s struggles, the move to prop will mean plenty of ball and some spicy clashes with rival Payne Haas.
Hooker – Ben Hunt
Age: 32
Origins: 11
Tries: 2
Retained at hooker after starring there in a face-saving Game III win for Queensland last season, Hunt is a proven performer at this level.
Prop – Josh Papalii
Age: 30
Origins: 20
Tries: 3
The spiritual leader of the Maroons’ pack now has some fresh faces around him to help turn the tables in a forward battle won well by the Blues last year.
Back-rower – Kurt Capewell
Age: 28
Origins: 6
Tries: 1
Has helped turn the Broncos’ fortunes around, particularly defensively, since a move from Penrith and will be an important part of that process again for Queensland.
Back-rower – Felise Kaufusi
Age: 30
Origins: 12
Tries: 1
A familiar face in a Queensland back row that will be stinging after last year’s series loss and will be keen to prove himself ahead of a 2023 move to the Dolphins.
Lock – Reuben Cotter
Age: 23
Origins: 0
Tries: 0
Handed a massive task up against Blues lock Isaah Yeo, but given the ultimate vote of confidence as one of coach Slater’s “first picked” based on his storming 2022 form.
Interchange:
Harry Grant
Age: 24
Origins: 3
Tries: 1
Starting on the bench with Ben Hunt preferred at hooker, Grant says he’s over a groin concern and will be keen to poke his nose through a tiring Blues defence.
Lindsay Collins
Age: 26
Origins: 4
Tries: 0
A blue-collar worker who debuted in the successful 2020 Queensland series win, back from an ACL injury and won’t shirk his task in the middle.
Patrick Carrigan
Age: 24
Origins: 0
Tries: 0
A terrific return to form with Brisbane since last year’s ACL tear has seen the middle forward beat a host of contenders to the bench for his Origin debut.
Jeremiah Nanai
Age: 19
Origins: 0
Tries: 0
The teenager has caught the eye with his aerial prowess as a try-scoring backrower, but has been a workhorse defensively too for the Cowboys.
18th man:
Tom Dearden
Age: 21
Origins: 0
Tries: 0
Superb form for North Queensland has earned the halfback a stay with the squad in a feel-good story for a talent who has sparkled since moving on from Brisbane.
Comments on RugbyPass
Don’t worry Sonny bill Williams leave that awkward situation about the curfew in the pass whoever it was it doesn’t matter its no big deal we back our All Blacks through the storm and the thunder until we see the Sun light again.
41 Go to commentsWho listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
41 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
41 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
39 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
1 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
41 Go to comments