Will injuries ruin State of Origin?

[injuryupdate]

One consequence of Wayne Bennett retiring as State of Origin coach is that it looks as though the Broncos are going to put club factors ahead of State of Origin considerations for their player injuries this year.

Darren Lockyer has a broken rib, which was apparently suffered in the Test match against New Zealand. He backed up for the Broncos against Penrith and then re-injured it on the weekend against Cantebury. Although it was not stated by the Broncos, he almost certainly would have played with a 'needle' in the last two games. The Broncos have now said he needs six weeks off, which will cause him to miss State of Origin no. 1. In saying he needs six weeks off, they are effectively declaring he will not play until the rib is 100% and that he won't use local injections to play.

In previous years, perhaps when Bennett was Origin coach, in a similar situation, Lockyer would have probably put his hand up to have a rib injection injected for Origin.

Shane Webcke may be in a similar situation with a lumbar disc injury, and he may possibly choose to take an extended break, rather than burn his season out by attempting to play Origin and back up with such an injury.

Gorden Tallis has already retired to concentrate on club football, in a similar fashion to Brad Fittler. A difference is that Tallis would still be an automatic selection, whereas Fittler may not be selected on current form ahead of Trent Barrett if they were both fully fit.

This goes to show the problem with so many Origin players being concentrated at the one club. If the Broncos go cold on Origin this year, will the Queensland challenge fizzle out? The answer may lie in how important Andrew Johns has been to New South Wales. If Lockyer and Johns are currently the two best players in the world, then perhaps New South Wales can win game one without both being on the park, but Queensland may have the ace in the sleeve with Lockyer returning for game two at home.

[Danny]

Not only are QLD struggling, NSW have got their backs against the wall. There is a selection crisis! This article by Chris Anderson (former Australian coach) highlights the challenge ahead.

May 14, 2004

IT could be one of the biggest selection dilemmas in State of Origin history.

NSW selectors are currently pondering over a major decision - whether to pick seven injured players or choose a crop of youngsters that will play well into the future.

It is a huge decision for the selectors. They can stick with the tried and tested lads but many are underdone.

Going into Origin I, Jason Ryles, Craig Fitzgibbon, Ben Kennedy, Timana Tahu, Craig Wing, Trent Barrett and Joel Clinton will have played just 10 of their past 47 games.

That isn't much football is it?

And we cannot forget, there is nowhere to hide in Origin football.

You just can't go into a State of Origin game against Queensland with a side full of players undercooked. There is too much pressure.

And there are too many other good players out there to risk this situation.

Players who lack match fitness also lack a bit of confidence.

If a player has weaknesses, State of Origin finds it out.

Queensland will be boosted by news that NSW are struggling with injury. It will give them a spring in their step.

Personally, I would go for the fitter players and those who have played more games this year.

You have to have plenty of field time to get through these big matches.

If the younger players are there and sticking their hands up, let's pick them. Let's give them that reward.

We can't forget about how big that step up is from NRL to State of Origin. You need match fitness.

A few people have asked me who I think should be NSW halfback.

I'd go for Brett Kimmorley ahead of Craig Gower.

They said they picked Gower in the Australian side because he was deemed the form halfback of the competition.

If they are picking this NSW on the same format, then Brett Kimmorley should be the halfback.

He was a stand-out in the City-Country match and should wear the sky blue jumper.

* I HAD a fair bit to do with Brad Fittler when I was coaching the Australian side and he was captain.

He was an inspiration.

So much so that I think in years to come he should become one of the game's Immortals.

For a period there were some question marks hanging above Freddy.

But I think that in the past three years he has proven himself to be one of the true greats, as a player and captain.

He's done it all.

Freddy has dominated at all levels and comfortably passes the criteria for being an Immortal.

The Daily Telegraph

[Danny]

Opposing strategies are being enforced for the first origin game of 2004.
Who will come out on top? Qld have named injured players, while in contrast, a conservative NSW have picked fit (but) inexperienced recruits.



This article from NRL.com looks at the decisions that had to be made.

Queensland rolled the dice on captain Darren Lockyer today while the Blues picked six new faces, including shock selection Ben Hornby, after refusing to gamble on a host of injured players.

Lockyer cracked a rib in the Anzac Day Test but was named in an 18-man squad by Queensland selectors for the first State of Origin game on May 26 at Telstra Stadium.



The Maroons skipper may be given until next Monday to prove his fitness but today admitted he wasn't sure whether he would be ready to play.

"I've done all the training except the contact work and it hasn't bothered me," Lockyer said.

"It might be different when someone actually hits me.

"I just want to get it X-rayed now and see how much it (break) has mended over the past three weeks.

"If the doctor says on Wednesday there's `no chance' then I'll pull the pin.

"But if he says it might be right in another week and I can have it injected and get through the game without doing further damage to it, then I'll press on."

The Maroons also selected four debutants - Panthers duo Rhys Wesser and Ben Ross, Melbourne flyer Billy Slater and halfback Scott Prince.

But that paled in comparison to NSW, which plumped for six rookies including Hornby.

The Dragons custodian was a bolt from the blue, having missed out on the City-Country Origin game last month.

"Ben Hornby at fullback is a player of tremendous potential," NSW coach Phil Gould said.

"We brought him in this year mainly as a development player but when we looked at the balance of the team he's forced his way in the side with some good performances."

The other fresh faces in the squad were St George Illawarra centre Mark Gasnier, Penrith pair Luke Lewis and Trent Waterhouse, Canberra prop Ryan O'Hara and Dragons forward Brent Kite - all making their Origin debuts.

The Blues had little choice.

Selectors opted for a no-risk policy, putting the red pen through 11 players who were either injured or lacking match fitness.

Among them were Test players Joel Clinton and Timana Tahu.

"I'm disappointed, particularly the reason given to us - that he wasn't even considered because of the fact he lacked match fitness," Penrith chief executive Shane Richardson said of Clinton.

"The bottom line is that he played 26 consecutive games for us last year.

"He's played eight out of the nine games for us this year. I don't think he lacks match fitness.

"He's missed one game in two seasons in the front row."

Penrith captain Craig Gower won the hotly-contested halfback role ahead of Brett Kimmorley while hooker Danny Buderus was named captain.

"I will play my own game and everyone will do what they set out to do," Buderus said.

"I don't think I'll have to change much at all. Being in the middle there I am always around the referees."

The Queensland captaincy is likely to fall to either Steve Price or Shane Webcke if Lockyer is ruled out, while Chris Flannery looms as the replacement five-eighth.

The other Maroon under a fitness cloud, Brisbane forward Petero Civoniceva, was named on the bench and is expected to play.

The Blues' inexperienced look and Queensland's injury question marks haven't swayed the bookmakers, with NSW again to start the series as favourite.

"It's not going to change how we think, being favourite or anything else," Gould said.

"I know they like to be underdogs.

"This Origin throws up challenges at you all the time. That's why when you get to the end of it you never want to do it again.

"It's pretty much a young man's game and maybe coaching-wise that's where they have an advantage this year because he is young and enthusiastic and I'm petrified."

[Danny]

With Origin II around the corner injuries once again take the spotlight.



Injuries decimate Blues
By Dean Ritchie
June 14, 2004

SYDNEY Roosters player Brett Finch is the new NSW halfback after Brett Kimmorley - and then Matt Orford - were ruled out yesterday to end one of most extraordinary days in State of Origin history.


Kimmorley holds his injured hamstring.

At 1.45pm, Kimmorley was completing a training drill with Blues teammates at Wentworth Park when he sustained a grade two hamstring tear of his left leg. Kimmorley collapsed in agony, with an MRI scan later revealing the tear to be 20cm.

NSW coach Phil Gould had left the session for Parramatta Stadium where he was working for Channel 9 before Kimmorley broke down.

Assistant coach Laurie Daley and the three other NSW selectors - Bob Fulton, Bob McCarthy and Geoff Gerard - then conferred by telephone before declaring the Dragons' Trent Barrett as Kimmorley's replacement.

But Barrett declined at 2.15pm, saying he was not fit enough after playing only one game - against Penrith on Friday night - in eight weeks.

At 2.30pm, selectors then agreed Melbourne's Orford would be NSW halfback.

Orford was in his home town of Gosford and started driving to Sydney for a 4pm medical at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Coogee.

But halfway between Sydney and Gosford, Orford spoke with NSW doctor John Orchard and said a calf injury would prevent him training for the next two days.

Orford was then ruled out at 3.20pm. He turned around near Hornsby and returned to the central coast.

Finch was at Bronte RSL betting on the horses with Roosters teammate Luke Ricketson when he was called up.

"I've been struck in the arse by a rainbow," Finch said.

Unbelievably, Finch is the sixth-choice halfback behind Andrew Johns, Craig Gower, Kimmorley, Barrett and Orford.

The NSW team left Sydney for Brisbane at 6pm yesterday.

Timeline on NSW's day of drama:

* NSW halfback Brett Kimmorley collapses at training at 1.45pm, clutching his hamstring and is ruled after scans reveal a 20cm tear;

* NSW coach Phil Gould rings Trent Barrett at 1.55pm to see whether he is fit to play in Origin II;

* Barrett rules himself out after being advised against playing by St George Illawarra team doctor Martin Raftery;

* NSW officials contact Melbourne half Matt Orford at 2.15pm. Orford is in Gosford visiting family;

* Orford requests a medical at the team hotel, having played with painkillers for a calf muscle injury last night;

* NSW doctor John Orchard speaks with Storm doctor Michael Makdissi, who says Orford will struggle to play in Origin II

* Gould rings Orford back and the pair decide he won't be fit to play;

* NSW officials track down Brett Finch, who is at Bronte RSL with Roosters teammate Luke Ricketson and a friend;

* Finch arrives at the team hotel at 4.45pm as his new NSW teammates leave on the bus for the airport;

* Finch catches a later flight to Brisbane with coach Phil Gould.