Balance Of Power
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday May 10, 2002
On the eve of the City-Country clash, the Herald asked experts from NSW and Queensland to select their top 34 players eligible for this year's Origin series. Roy Masters looks at the results.
We have slow-motion video replay, Eaglecam, behind-the-goals camera shots and a swelling army of fanatics churning out statistics on tackle counts and hit-ups. But we don't agree on much.
NSW coach Phil Gould has quarantined 10 players from tonight's City versus Country game but many St George Illawarra supporters perhaps the most discerningly critical of all would not include their out-of-form captain, Trent Barrett, in Gould's exalted few.
On Sunday night, 34 players will be named for State of Origin duties, 17 for NSW and 17 for Queensland. It is, therefore, a useful exercise to rank from one to 34 the players eligible for their states, excluding the injured, suspended and those who have retired from rep footy.
Apart from an opportunity to compare the Maroons' and Blues' talent, the exercise exposes weaknesses, such as NSW's plethora of second-row stars, a dearth of halves, wingers and fullbacks and Queensland's shortage of centres.
The Herald invited a few experts to rank players based only on current form, although some admit they ``did a Gould" and could not resist the temptation to factor in Origin experience, or lack of it.
Queensland coach Wayne Bennett's most valued assistant did the exercise; so did five officials of the City team when travelling by bus from their Wagga Wagga motel to Tumut midweek; others, who watch up to four live games a week, had a go.
There is universal agreement on the top-four players: the expected NSW captain, Andrew Johns; Queensland captain Gorden Tallis; Broncos fullback Darren Lockyer and prop Shane Webcke.
Opinions diverge after the top four but a composite list places versatile five-eighth Braith Anasta just ahead of Maroons veteran Allan Langer, even though the young Bulldogs star is untested at Origin level.
Langer will break the record of the oldest man to play Origin football (the inaugural Queensland captain in 1980, Arthur Beetson, was 35) provided his hamstring allows him to play at the Olympic stadium on May22.
Some ranked Newcastle hooker Danny Buderus (No7) higher because of his club relationship with Johns but, although he has played for Australia, others marked him down because he has not played Origin football.
Parramatta's Nathan Hindmarsh, an incumbent Australian representative, won support, despite having been dropped from the NSW team after Origin I last year.
Wingers Lote Tuqiri (Brisbane) and Timana Tahu (Newcastle) came next, the only flankers to make the list, other than No19-ranked Matt Geyer of Melbourne who has big-game experience, having played Origin football and a grand final, and versatility, filling in at half recently.
Newcastle's Matthew Gidley is expected to be chosen as right centre for NSW, with St George Illawarra centre Shaun Timmins, exempted from tonight's game in Wagga Wagga, on the left.
Parramatta centre Jamie Lyon is ranked 20 on the composite list but indications are that selectors will choose him as left winger, despite Gould's protestations no-one will be picked out of position.
Bulldogs prop Mark O'Meley was ranked about 13 on everyone's list, despite weighing 98kg and being unable to dint the Queensland defence in Origin III last year.
Still, the Bulldogs are undefeated in every game he has played this season.
Melbourne's Scott Hill joins Anasta as a five-eighth rated ahead of Barrett (No21), with one observer pointing out that if Barrett was playing as well for St George Illawarra as Hill is for Melbourne, the Dragons would be higher up the premiership ladder.
Second-rower Steve Simpson has been the leader of the Newcastle pack this year, which indicates he should have been rated higher than No17 but others say, ``Let's see how he goes in the Origin furnace".
His clubmate, Ben Kennedy, would have been rated higher had this exercise been conducted after last year's grand final but injury has held him back.
The midfield ranking of the Warriors' PJMarsh will surprise those who have not been watching the New Zealand team play and his versatility will render him attractive to the Queensland selectors.
The unavailability of the Dragons' Jason Ryles and the Sharks' Jason Stevens means Newcastle Matt Parsons (No22) or Melbourne's Robbie Kearns (No24) have strong chances of partnering O'Meley in the NSW front-row but either pairing will have difficulty matching the muscle of Webcke and Petero Civoniceva (No 6).
The versatility of Rooster Craig Wing, together with his greater contribution to his club's wins this season, means he has been ranked higher than lock Luke Ricketson (No26) and second-rower Bryan Fletcher (No28), clubmates already guaranteed NSW selection by Gould.
The second fullback on the list the Eels' Brett Hodgson comes in at 25.
The shortage of top wingers and fullbacks is surprising considering the value the game places on men who can carry the ball back at kick returns.
The Northern Eagles' Steve Menzies deserves a ranking in the top 34 but his inclusion means NSW have six back-rowers listed and seven if Timmins is selected on the bench to cover centre and second-row.
Gould would prefer fewer runners and more muscle men, such as Dane Carlaw (No31) or Brad Meyers (No33) or even the Broncos' round mound, Carl Webb, who did not make the list.
Kevin McGuinness (No29) has been the Wests Tigers' best player but has three NSW centres ahead of him. Queensland have one (Chris Walker) and he is ranked last.
The Bulldogs' Darren Smith (No32) is a former centre but is too slow to play in the three-quarters and has shown great skill from dummy half for his club.
Parramatta lock Daniel Wagon (No30) contributes further to Queensland's versatility, having played five-eighth in the Maroons' series victory last year and dummy half for the Eels.
Finally, the message for NSW is that the Maroons dominate the top rankings with players in a variety of key positions, meaning they have leaders across the field.
League preview Page 32
No 1
Andrew Johns
Position: Half
Club: Newcastle
Origin: NSW
2 Gordon Tallis
Second row
Brisbane QLD
3 Darren Lockyer
Fullback
Brisbane QLD
4 Shane Webcke
Second row
Brisbane QLD
5 Braith Anasta
Five-eighth
Bulldogs NSW
6 Allan Langer
Halfback
Brisbane QLD
7 Danny Buderus
Hooker
Newcastle NSW
8 Nathan Hindmarsh
Second row
Parramatta NSW
9 Lote Tuqiri
Wing
Brisbane QLD
10 Timana Tahu
Wing/centre
Newcastle NSW
11 Matthew Gidley
Centre
Newcastle NSW
12 Shaun Timmins
Centre/second row
St George Ill NSW
13 Mark O'Meley
Prop
Bulldogs NSW
14 Scott Hill
Five-eighth
Melbourne NSW
15 Ben Kennedy
Second row/lock
Newcastle NSW
16 Petero Civoniceva
Prop
Brisbane QLD
17 Steve Simpson
Second row/prop
Newcastle NSW
18 PJ Marsh
Hooker/utility back
Warriors QLD
19 Matt Geyer
Wing/utility back
Melbourne NSW
20 Jamie Lyon
Centre
Parramatta NSW
21 Trent Barrett
Five-eighth
St George Ill NSW
22 Matt Parsons
Prop
Newcastle NSW
23 Craig Wing
Hooker/utility back
Sydney NSW
24 Robbie Kearns
Prop
Melbourne NSW
25 Brett Hodgson
Fullback
Parramatta NSW
26 Luke Ricketson
Lock
Sydney NSW
27 Steve Menzies
Second row/lock
Nthn Eagles NSW
28 Bryan Fletcher
Second row
Sydney NSW
29 Kevin McGuinness
Centre
Wests Tigers NSW
30 Daniel Wagon
Lock/five-eighth
Parramatta QLD
31 Dane Carlaw
Second row
Brisbane QLD
32 Darren Smith
Utility forward/centre
Bulldogs QLD
33 Brad Meyers
Second row
Brisbane QLD
34 Chris Walker
Wing/centre
Brisbane QLD
© 2002 Sydney Morning Herald
