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NSW & QLD State Of Origin Teams 2008 - Game 1NSW State Of Origin Side AnnouncedMay 13, 2008 Former Panther, now Bronco Peter Wallace and the Dragons Ben Hornby are the bolter choices in New South Wales’s team for State of Origin I, which has seen Brent Kite dropped from the NSW Origin Side and Kurt Gidley unfortunately missing out due to his fractured cheek bone, selectors fearing that Gidley may be targetted by the Maroons in the open-ware of State of Origin. Sea Eagles big man Brent Kite missed a spot, even though he was selected for Australia last Friday night, and the luckless Gidley was ruled out after his horror injury last night when playing against the Melbourne Storm. Knights Prop and former Storm man Ben Cross also injured last night with a heavy head knock, but has got the spot ahead of Kite in the front row. It seems both Cross and White’s ties with NSW State of Origin coach Craig Bellamy – his old coach at the Storm – has helped these players get into the side, as they have both been in only average form and haven’t played a lot of NRL in 2008. Former Panthers and now Broncos no.7 Peter Wallace has been handed the key role of halfback in the wake of Kurt Gidley’s injury, with Dragons utility Ben Hornby the bolter - but giving good value from the bench. The Roosters while not getting Braith Anasta into the side, still have 3 players in the line-up with Willie Mason and Anthony Tupou being joined by veteran Craig Fitzgibbon who is recalled. With State of Origin being played under domestic rules and the interchange numbers reduced, Fitzgibbon is a smart choice and will add plenty of starch and defence to the NSW Blues State of Origin pack. The full team 1. Brett Stewart - Sea Eagles 2. Jarryd Hayne - Eels 3. Mark Gasnier - Dragons 4. Matt Cooper - Dragons 5. Anthony Quinn - Storm 6. Greg Bird - Sharks 7. Peter Wallace - Broncos 8. Brett White - Storm 9. Danny Buderus - Knights 10. Ben Cross - Knights 11. Ryan Hoffman - Storm 12. Willie Mason - Roosters 13 Paul Gallen - Sharks 14. Anthony Laffranchi - Titans 15. Anthony Tupou - Roosters 16. Craig Fitzgibbon - Roosters 17. Ben Hornby - Dragons Queensland State Of Origin Side Announced May 13, 2008 Queensland Rugby League boss John McDonald was the man to unveil the XXXX Queensland Maroons team to meet New South Wales in the first game of the Harvey Norman State of Origin Series in Sydney, 2008 The Maroons team includes two debutants – Israel Folau (Storm) and Ben Hannant (Broncos). Much of the talk centred around Scott Prince missing out, the Gold Coast Titans halfback looked set to take the vacant role left by Darren Lockyer but somehow the form no.7 missed the cut and Karmichael Hunt got the nod in the unfamiliar position of the halves. Bronocs coach and Queensland legend Wayne Bennett has already crucified selectors for not picking the two form halves in Prince and Thurston together, Bennett feeling that the Maroons have played into NSW hands. Cameron Smith is the new captain and Queensland have shown faith in Jacob Lillyman the Cowboys utility who gets another run in Origin 2008. The opening match of series is at ANZ Stadium on May 21. XXXX Maroons Queensland Team v NSW Blues 1. Billy Slater - Storm 2. Brent Tate - Warriors 3. Greg Inglis - Storm 4. Justin Hodges - Broncos 5. Israel Folau - Storm 6. Karmichael Hunt - Broncos 7. Johnathan Thurston - Cowboys 8. Carl Webb - Cowboys 9. Cameron Smith (c) - Storm 10. Petero Civoniceva - Panthers 11. Michael Crocker - Storm 12. Sam Thaiday - Broncos 13. Dallas Johnson - Storm 14. Peter J Marsh - Broncos 15. Ben Hannant - Broncos 16. Nate Myles - Roosters 17. Jacob Lillyman - Cowboys http://www.nrlnews.com/index.php?s=state+of+origin+2008 |
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Baby Blues hold tight to draw first blood
League of gentlemen … teammates hug Brett Stewart after the Blues fullback scored a try against Queensland in the first half of last night's State of Origin match at ANZ Stadium. Photo: Tim Clayton Glenn Jackson | May 22, 2008 THEY came, they saw, and quite remarkably, their team conquered. Facing the prospect of being stripped of State of Origin matches, NSW fans largely responded, and facing the prospect of a third series defeat, the Blues returned the favour. And better still, the 18-10 victory was very Queensland-like. With the Maroons having won four of the past five Origin matches, and boasting a backline already receiving "best ever" calls despite its relative youth, the Blues were underdogs both to win the match and the series, however as generally happens in this type of rugby league, favouritism means very little. It used to be the Maroons who thrived on this scenario, however after their era of dominance it was the Blues forced into blooding newcomers. And how they responded. It was truly a debutant's ball. Halfback Peter Wallace had a hand in two of the Blues' tries, and his kicking game was almost faultless, while winger Anthony Quinn scored two himself and came up with a wonderful tackle on his Melbourne teammate Billy Slater to deny the Maroons. Interchange forward Anthony Laffranchi was a key man in the third try with an offload from his first touch and scored the fourth. It all came after a match-eve call from the ARL for NSW fans to swarm to ANZ Stadium or see games handed to Melbourne or - worse - Brisbane. A crowd of 67,620, not a sellout but better than feared, turned up. The Blues didn't have it all their own way. Queensland produced a piece of play in the second half which brought back memories of Maroons centre Mark Coyne's famous try in 1994. The only difference was the result. The play started with fullback Billy Slater fielding the ball inside his own quarter, and ended with another centre in Justin Hodges being brought down just a few metres from the NSW line. It was tough and willing. Queensland five-eighth Karmichael Hunt smashed Blues second-rower Ryan Hoffman with three hits that would have been felt in the next postcode. Hunt made it look like a scene from Underbelly. But it ended in Blue Murder. http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/n...ood/2008/05/21/1211182899710.html |