What’s Freddy doing?

Freddy Fittler has made a number of changes to the NSW 1-17, and to be completely honest, I’m not a fan. Down a game, in a three game series means the Blues have to be at the top of their game, and team selection is critical. I’ll be looking through each selection and providing not only my opinion on them, but giving each selection a grade, and providing my own team list.

For the sake of this article I’m going to be strictly looking at the team list, and not the extended squad.

Whilst I’m going to rip apart Freddy’s selections, I’m just a fan giving my opinion, and nobody in NSW knows origin better than Fittler, so I’ll reserve judgement on Freddy until after game 2.

Dropped

Reagan Campbell-Gillard (D-)

Ryan Matterson (C)

Kotoni Staggs (B-)

Tariq Sims (A)

Casualty ward

Jack Wighton

Tom Trbojevic

Latrell Mitchell

Daniel Saifiti

Selected

Matt Burton (A+)

Api Koroisau (C-)

Siosifa Talakai (C)

Jake Trbojevic (B)

Angus Crichton (B+)

What???

Damien Cook to the bench, Api Koroisau to start. (D)

The team I would have selected v Freddys team

1. James Tedesco James Tedesco

2. Brian To’o Brian To’o

3. Kotoni Staggs Matt Burton

4. Stephen Crichton Stephen Crichton

5. Daniel Tupou Daniel Tupou

6. Jarome Luai Jarome Luai

7. Nathan Cleary Nathan Cleary

8. Payne Haas Payne Haas

9. Damien Cook Apisai Koroisau

10. Junior Paulo Jake Trbojevic

11. Angus Crichton Liam Martin

12. Cameron Murray Cameron Murray

13. Isaah Yeo Isaah Yeo

14. Matt Burton Damien Cook

15. Jake Trbojevic Angus Crichton

16. Liam Martin Junior Paulo

17. Reagan Campbell-Gillard Siosifa Talakai

For some reason unbeknownst to me, Freddy has made a total of 5 changes to the starting side. Only one of them was due to injury. His decision to bring a centre off the bench has been replaced this time with a K-Mart version of the Queensland 9-14 combo, where Api Koroisau will start, and Damien Cook will come off the bench.

Many people are defending this decision with the argument that Api can be the solid player that gets through the tough stuff, then Damien Cook can come on with a tired middle and rip them apart. If this was 2019, that would be a fair argument.

Simply, Damien Cook doesn’t have the running game that he used to, and he’s also the best defensive hooker in the game. In origin 1 he got through 56 tackles without a single miss. Last NRL game he got through 50 without a single miss. Cook has been there and done that in the origin arena, he's coming into his 14th appearance. This game will be Api’s second.

Even the combination from Penrith argument doesn’t hold up, because origin is something completely different to club footy. Additionally, Damien Cook already has those combinations established with Cleary, Tedesco for the last four years, then the rest of the spine for the last two. Most importantly, in origin.

The next decision that’s mind-boggling is getting rid of Reagan Campbell-Gillard, not just from the starting side, not just from the team, but from the squad as a whole. The man that replaced him in the squad? Jordan McLean.

This axing is an absolute joke, especially considering RCG was the second best forward in Origin I, with 10 runs, 106 metres, 22 tackles and 0 errors, in just 39 minutes of rugby league. Add to that the fact he just ran for over 200 metres against the Roosters in the Eels 26-16 win last weekend.

Ryan Matterson and Kotoni Staggs are two blokes that will be feeling stiff, but I don’t completely disagree with freddy here. Sure I would’ve given both another crack at it, however they weren’t overly impressive in game one, not establishing themselves in the contest as much as they have been doing in club land.

Matt Burton comes in for Staggs, but personally I would’ve had him play that utility role. However, he is the reigning Dally M centre of the year, and he has a great connection with Brian To’o.

The best decision by far is the one to take Tariq Sims out of the side, and add Angus Crichton into it. Crichton on his day is the best backrower in the comp hands down, and Tariq Sims was poor in Game 1, after there already being issues around his selection.

I’m not a fan of most of these selections, especially the selection of Api to start over Cook. In saying that, I’ve still got the Blues to win in Perth. The Queensland side is extremely strong, however the Blues have got everything to lose, have a great record in Perth, and were only six points away from the win in game 1.

If anyone can pull off a comeback like this, it’s Freddy. In 2019, we saw NSW beaten 18-14, before Fittler went on to make 7 changes for game 2. Those selections were torn to shreds, but after a 38-6 victory in the second game, he was labelled a genius. Whilst I don’t think we’ll see this big of a scoreline this time around, I don’t know Origin as well as Brad Fittler - almost nobody does.

This game will be a belter.