LeagueUnlimited

BLUES, BLUES AND MORE BLUES

New South Wales continue to get it wrong everywhere - in team selection, in the tactics employed, in the structure of the coaching line-up, in the appointment of support staff. So where to you start in re-building the Blues? From the ground up and don't stop until you have completed an utter overhaul of the entire operation.

First task is to do what I have "banging away for years" for the Blues to do – adopt the Queensland coaching model. An icon of the game as the counterpart to Mal Meninga and a proven coach as his assistant to devise the game plans in the manner that Neil Henry has done so brilliantly for Queensland.

My choices would be a Brett Kenny or a Brad Fittler (but only if Freddie loses his gig at the Roosters) and a Brian Smith or as I stated on this site around ten weeks ago - Wayne Bennett. Bring in Origin heroes to inspire the team. Steve Mortimer, Ray Price, Benny Elias and the like would be ideal candidates. Imagine a legend like Price - who took on the All Black forwards by himself - getting in your ear? If that didn't "fire you up" nothing will.

Whilst the current selectors cannot be solely to blame for the demise of the Blues during their watch, they are seen like the coach, as "damaged goods" and a complete change of personnel in the selection room is required as part of the healing process.

BLUES NEED BENNY-FACTOR

When I went public all those weeks ago with my call for Wayne Bennett to be appointed by the New South Wales hierarchy to fill the role that Neil Henry does for the Maroons, everyone "boo-hooed" the idea - dismissing it as pipe dream. This despite the fact I put forward a compelling argument none more valid than the fact Bennett had switched allegiances to assist New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney at last year's World Cup.

How the tune has changed now that the Blues have lost a fourth successive series and staring down the barrel of - incredibly as it sounds - seeing that number double. Calls for Bennett to join the Blues for next year and beyond is gaining momentum by the day. Even the Daily Telegraph's Andrew Webster is "jumping on the bandwagon" devoting a blog to that very subject in today's (Friday June 26) edition. No doubt it will get plenty of response from irate Blues supporters.

Bellamy has to go regardless, especially after completing a rare hat-trick, one that no coach would want to be link to. For the third successive Origin, Bellamy demonstrated an inept understanding of the use of the interchange by making decisions which cruelled his own team's chances whilst enhances the opposition's. The hat-trick was a bit like in cricket whereby the bowler takes a wicket with the last ball of his previous over and two wickets with the first two balls of his subsequent over.

It started with Game III in 2008. In the series decider, inexplicably Belllamy not only benched arguably the game's most lethal attacking weapon in Brett Stewart but left him there for an hour or so. Queensland snuck home 16-10. Game I this series, in another puzzling decision waits till the 55th minute to introduce noted game-breaker in Craig Wing who makes an immediate impact by setting up the first try and backs it up with several incisive runs from dummy-half. Then amazingly and much to Mal Meninga's delight no doubt, picks the unsuitable Josh Morris as a replacement for Wing. So with the game "crying out" for a brilliant dummy-half runner in the shape of a Michael Ennis or an Isaac De Gois, they could only turn to a young outside back.

SAY GOODBYE TO HOLLYWOOD

Bill Harrigan, great whistle-blower that he was, perhaps the best ever, has to be relieved of the video referee duties for the final Origin match after two "clangers" in Game II. Replays clearly showed that the man they call "Hollywood" (not the great Greg Hartley whom shared the nickname) along with his partner in crime Tim Mander, got it horribly wrong.

Whether they were sub-consciously regretting their decision to deny New South Wales a try in Game I after ruling that Jarryd Hayne had stepped on the sideline, and this was
some sort of recompense I don't know, but there is no question that Harrigan and his co-accused Mander were the only people on the planet that felt Queensland centre Willie Tonga had thrown a forward pass in the lead-up to the disallowed try by Ashley Harrison. A try that would have finished New South Wales off…

Then the pair compound that error of judgement by awarding Jarryd Hayne his second try despite the marker Israel Folau being impeded by the man playing the ball in Luke O'Donnell. The two ex-refs and soon-to-be ex-video refs, if justice is to be served, add to the calamity by declaring it a "benefit of the doubt" decision. What doubt? The only doubt that exists now is in the minds of all rugby league supporters when the match referees throws it up to Messrs Harrigan and Mander for another spin of the chocolate wheel.

Granted Israel Folau may have failed to stop Hayne but the fact he was denied the chance should have meant that the try simply could not be awarded, disappointing though it would have been for Hayne - whom has been the Blues' best in both games. But no, Silly not Billy and Dim not Tim, just go ahead on their merry little way and commit another crime against sanity.

Sorry gentlemen, but their is no defence, so I'd like to bid you both a fond farewell and to show you that I bear no animosity, invite you to a barbecue that I'm holding at my abode on Origin night for Game III.

Imagine the hilarious entertainment that you could provide when my invited guests throw it to you for another of your outrageous video-ref decisions.

TO GET CHANGE YOU NEED CHANGE

It is imperative that New South Wales does not approach the final Origin match at Suncorp as a trial for next year's series. They have to treat each game in isolation and do everything humanly possible to win Game III to prevent a clean sweep and importantly, take some momentum into 2010.

With that in mind, selections are crucial, preparation vital and the tactics taken into the match and plays to be implemented during the 80 minutes, critical to the overall performance delivered by the Blues. First and foremost, coach Craig Bellamy must lift his game substantially, because thus far Neil Henry has pulverised the Blues coach in terms of tactical ploys in particular the rotation of the interchange where the Maroons have held the biggest advantage.

The New South Wales side subject to injury which I believe gives the Bues its best chance of averting a shut-out would be 1) Luke Patten 2) Jarryd Hayne 3) Josh Morris 4) Matt Cooper 5) Brett Morris 6) Jamie Soward 7) Brett Kimmorley (captain) 8) Luke Douglas 9) Michael Ennis 10) Michael Weyman 11) Anthony Watmough 12) Ben Creagh 13) Luke O'Donnell 14) Chris Houston 15) Thom Learoyd-Lahrs 16) Beau Scott 17) Craig Wing.

If Wing isn't fit you'd have Kurt Gidley on the bench. If a prop goes down you'd stick with Justin Poore. If one of the selected halves is unavailable you'd go with Jarrod Mullen.

That side would give the game an almighty shake. For starters you'd have two accurate goal-kickers in Soward and Ennis. Turning four points into six is a big boost to a team and Thurston would have "nailed" every kick that Gidley missed.

I've got workers in the pack in Douglas, Weyman and O'Donnell. Power runners in Watmough, Creagh and Learoyd-Lahrs. Versatility in Houston, Scott and Wing. And combinations in the key positions of nine, seven and one and Cooper and Brett Morris with club teammate Soward inside them.

Queensland won't change their side unless they have to but as a staunch Maroons supporter the side I'd like to see for Game III is:- 1) Hunt 2) Folau 3) Hodges 4) Inglis 5) Boyd 6) Thurston (captain) 7) Prince 8) Civoniceva 9) Smith 10) Price 11) Thaiday 12) Meyers 13) Stagg 14) Slater 15) Scott 16) Myles 17) Crocker.