Gotta love how Marshall out-queenslanded what was almost an all Maroon outfit. Funny how when it was more a mix of NSW and Qld the week before they made easy work of NZ.
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Kiwis Win Four Nations.
- Thread starter Radman
- Start date
Gotta love how Marshall out-queenslanded what was almost an all Maroon outfit. Funny how when it was more a mix of NSW and Qld the week before they made easy work of NZ.
Radman
Academy Player
Origin isn't the pinnacle of Rugby League any more.
Wally
Academy Player
Would have to disagree with you there. State of Origin very much is the pinacle of rugby league. In terms of finance, media coverage, attendance, passion and quality. It is in the middle of the year when players are relatively fresh. Ask any Queensland or New South Wales player what they would rather win, the Four Nations or Origin, and Origin would win every time. Unfortunately that is just how it is. I doubt very much that New Zealand would get close to any Queensland side over the last five years playing at the peak of their powers.
7. Thurston
6. Lockyer
5. Slater
4. Tonga
3. Inglis
2. Folau
1. Hunt
The greatest back line in rugby league history.
Tonga is the most Overrated player in Rugby League history. He does NOTHING. Besides, Lockyer is well past it and was a passenger against NZ... he has to have had his last day in the Green and Gold.
As for "best of all time". Rubbish. Not even at peak would I agree with that...
In the early '00s NSW had a back-line of
6. Fittler
7. Johns
5. King
4. Cooper
3. Gasnier
2. Tahu
1. Minichello
Hardly something to sneeze at. That's not even taking into account the NSW Origin pairing of Stuart and Daley in the 90s... or the Raiders backline of the late 80s! That backline had Daley, Stuart and Maninga in it FFS and it was a club side!
It does bring up an interesting point though: how would NZ do if they made SOO a Tri Series?
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Sam Owen
First XV
They did once in the Super League Origin and the Kiwis were robbed with a disallowed try against NSW in the last minutes of the game. On the replay it showed a clean legitimate try but the reffs wernt having any of it. The try would have won the Kiwis an Origin final with Queensland.
Heres my modern day Origin backline...
7. Thurston
6. Lockyer
5. Hayne
4. Hodges
3. Inglis
2. Folau
1. Slater
Another thing is I have heard Kangaroos made reference to playing the Kiwis as just as tough as the Origin, some even say its harder. I have heard this from many Kangaroo players, just cant remember which ones they were. Anyway I personally love Origin, although Ive never been to Australia (yet) Queensland is my team.
Heres my modern day Origin backline...
7. Thurston
6. Lockyer
5. Hayne
4. Hodges
3. Inglis
2. Folau
1. Slater
Another thing is I have heard Kangaroos made reference to playing the Kiwis as just as tough as the Origin, some even say its harder. I have heard this from many Kangaroo players, just cant remember which ones they were. Anyway I personally love Origin, although Ive never been to Australia (yet) Queensland is my team.
What could be interesting is if they got the kiwis to play NSW and Qld before playing the kangaroos at the end of the year. Maybe make the 4N something for every second year and then do that in between. I'd say GB should do the same, but I some how think it would just be embarrassing for them.
As for your backline. I personally think both Scott Prince and Todd Carney would make a more dynamic halves pairing than Thurston and Lockyer atm. Lockyer is just too old and Thurston just wasn't performing this year...
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Sam Owen
First XV
Yeah true about Darren and Jonathan, they're out of form. Darrens problem could be his age, hes been a champion for years but since Im a Lockyer fan Im just gonna say hes out of form and hope that he can return to good form as he leaves the game. Jonathan should come to the Warriors, he's had quite a heavy form slump. A combination of the Cowboys not doing so well and injuries is what I feel has made Thurston sink but he's still young and he has adequate time.
Todd Carney is in great form at the moment, whether he is the future of the Kangaroos no.6 remains to be seen. Campese, Soward and Mullen are not far behind waiting to pounce if Todd gets injured or whatever. Scott 'Running Things' Prince does just that, he runs things smoothly. The way he plays you'd think he could run the NRL, just dictates attack so well. Oh Im about to go on and on theres that many good League players in Aus to go on about.
Wally
Academy Player
Sorry I meant Hodges not Tonga. Sanzar mate the fact that you don't believe Queensland has had the best back line, let alone team, is amusing. No side has come close to five series in a row. I guess you are making a statement about just how bad NSW has been over the last half a decade, but really from unbiased eyes you can see QLD really has just been that good. The best ever in fact.
Yeah... ok. Unfortunately the fact has been that there just hasn't been much talent in NSW for the past 5 years, and even then we've come pretty damned close. That fact, along with the fact that this supposedly "best ever backline" has been present during the Kangaroos most humiliating period in 50 years pretty much kills any notion of this being "the best ever back line".
If the Roos hadn't lost so many titles, and your boys had to compete against the likes of Johns and Fittler, then I might give you some credit, but not given the current track record of national defeats and marginal wins against new comers.
The best ever? I seriously doubt it. Class and the best going around for combinations in the world under international level? Yes. By a long margin? No. Most consistent? Yes. Great at beating NSW in series over the last 5 years? Yes. Great at beating an international side that has beaten the national side more often over the last 5 years than it has before? No, as that is unproven.
The combinations that have been putting NSW through series losses, is not necessarily going to do the same to New Zealand. Who's to say that the style wouldn't be significantly different enough to prove confusing to the defensive patterns that have worked so well over a struggling NSW? NSW is having a hard time re-building and is just not pulling off the close ones it needs to to turn this legacy of losses around.
Saints1
Straight Edge
I'll put it out there boys, I struggle to see how Origin matches can be declared the standard when it's largely been so utterly one sided for the last three years. I used to love the unpredictability of an Origin series where anyone could beat anyone but that's long gone.
Absolutely. The fact is that when Johns retired there was just no halves in NSW of quite the same quality as Thurston and Lockyer. Hell, the next best was another Qlder - Scott Prince! So the NSW side has had nigh on no creativity and to make matters worse, the numb scull selectors have continuously picked big sides aimed at trying to bash Qld into submission...
5 losses in a row is still unforgivable though, and the NSW selectors are right to have resigned with such pointless conservative tactics.
Saints1
Straight Edge
Are there no bright backs coming through now?
This year there was, but they didn't bloody pick him. Todd Carney has been a revelation at the Roosters, and was better at 6 for the Kangaroos than Lockyer I thought. He's still young and a little inexperienced, but ever since he's cleaned himself up he's been absolutely brilliant. What's even better is that Mitchell Pearce has really benefitted from the combination and really started coming into his own. If they keep it up next year, those 2 and Braith Anasta could all form part of what will be a formidable Blues line up.
Anasta was actually in Brilliant form this year himself, and really added to the effectiveness of Pearce and Carney by coming in to steady things every now and then form Lock. He was also responsible for an extra time 45 metre drop goal to sink Benji's Tigers in the Finals this year - which was absolutely beautiful lol.
Sam Owen
First XV
Thats absolutely correct. Also Roosters got themselves a good coach in Brian Smith and it was him that went and got Todd Carney. Smith turned the steering wheel around for the Roosters IMO, they've always had good players but they needed Smith and Carney to show the way.
Wally
Academy Player
Well looks like Ricky Stuart will be coaching NSW for the next few years, adding to the difficulty of a NSW revival anytime soon. Queensland has already built, and will continue to build, the greatest Origin team/dynasty in history.
Sam Owen
First XV
I think thats a good move bringing back Ricky. He is a good coach, despite his struggling Sharks I think Ricky knows how to make a team (with good players in it) click. He'd definately check all bases are covered after that he'll check it again, this guy will do everything he can to win and if he loses.....ohhh boy, watch out.
Shame NSW don't have benji Marshall, then it would be 5-0 to NSW these past few years
It'll be interesting if he was playing, I doubt he could've stopped the Queensland reign but we'll never know. Although I support Queensland Ive always admired a lot of NSW players, I use to wish some of them were Queenslanders i.e Daley, Johns and Fittler.
Johns has easily been the most prolific player of the last 30 years. He just got better and better until he retired. I still remember him coming back for that 2005 Origin series after barely any game time in the preceding 18 months due to a massive injury. They threw him straight in the Origin set up, and not only did he handle the pressure, he set up 3 tries and kicked three straight conversions pin-point from the side-line. No half-back has been as dominant as he has...
Sam Owen
First XV
Yeah Andrew loves that stuff. Just like we like sugar or milk in our tea or coffee, Andrew likes his games with 5 tablespoons of pressure, only then will he rise to the occasion. If he wasnt playing League he'd probably be out with the bomb squad snipping the correct wires. The only thing that I felt was missing from Andrews game was speed, I think if he had a bit more we would have seen a lot more long distance tries from the great but he didnt need that in the end did he. Champion.
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