Game 1: NSW vs QLD (2018)
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Game 1: NSW vs QLD (2018)
Morgan went pretty well but I think Ponga needs to sneak in there somewhere but if Slater is fit then one doesn't make it. Wallace and Hess were woeful and Hunt not much better but they won't drop them on one game either. Milford has to go.
Brennan urges Fittler to pick James for Origin II
https://www.nrl.com/
Titans coach Gareth Brennan has a message for Blues coach Brad Fittler as he contemplates whether to include Ryan James in the team that will try and win the Holden State of Origin trophy for the first time since 2014 next Sunday night.
"He'd be in my team ... NSW would be crazy not to give him a crack," Brennan said after James led his Gold Coast side to a 22-point win over a hapless Bulldogs outfit at Belmore Oval on Saturday.
"He's such a big part of our football team. He's our captain and he leads… no Jarrod Wallace there today [suspension] so I asked Ryan to really step up again and grab the team and put it on his back and he did that. I thought he was enormous."
Ryan was close last time – an airline ticket had been sent to him for Origin I at the MCG.
But at the last minute Fittler chose David Klemmer, who coincidently opposed James today. The NSW coach had telephoned James to assure him he would remain firmly in selectors minds for games two and three in Sydney and Brisbane.
James did everything he could against the Bulldogs to prove he should be at ANZ Stadium on June 24. He played 74 minutes at prop; ran for 126 metres; made 11 hit-ups and 51 tackles and scored a try by busting through a Klemmer and Aiden Tolman tackle.
"I just like scoring tries to tell you the truth. If you're a front rower you don't get many," James said, when asked if he wanted to reinforce the point by making sure he out-played Klemmer.
"The last two weeks have been good for the Titans and when you're playing good for the Titans hopefully things come off the back of that.
"If it was to come, that'd be good, if not I'll just work harder.
"It was devastating," James said of being in and out of the Blues side in a matter of hours. "But I couldn't do much about it – just go out and play good footy. Freddy told me that night what his plan was for game one… and they won… so can't do much about it.
"Another opportunity is there but it's up to the selectors."
The broken jaw suffered by Penrith and Blues prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard is that very opportunity. But Dragons Tariq Sims will also be thinking along the same lines as James.
James said the Campbell-Gillard injury had not influenced his thoughts around today's game.
"We needed to start winning footy games ... We hadn't had a win for a while so it was all about getting out there and getting a win for the Titans."
James, 26, grew up in Tweed Heads and said he would love to pull on the Blues jersey.
"A childhood dream ...," said James, who had friends over to his house to watch Origin I.
"I'm not bitter. I still support the Blues. I just wanted them to win – that's what it came down to.
"He [Fittler] will pick the best side. If I'm in it, then I'm in… if not, I'm always hopeful. I'm still pretty young and still got a fair bit of footy in me."
Surely Klemmer will be scrubbed after his two indiscretions in yesterday's game?
That possible late hit on AJ had plenty of intent in it.
New South Wales: (Squad)Josh Addo-Carr, Nathan Cleary, Damien Cook, Boyd Cordner (c) (Sydney Roosters), Angus Crichton, Jack de Belin, Tyson Frizell, Ryan James, Luke Keary, David Klemmer, James Maloney, Latrell Mitchell, Tyrone Peachey, Matt Prior, James Roberts, Tariq Sims, James Tedesco, Jake Trbojevic, Tom Trbojevic, Paul Vaughan
Late Mail: Three more debutants have been named in the Blues squad with Ryan James, Matt Prior and Luke Keary joining 16 of the men from Game I and 18th man Tariq Sims. James, Prior and Sims will all be in the frame to replace Reagan Campbell-Gillard in the side for Game II. Latrell Mitchell suffered a distressing neck injury against the Panthers but is expected to be fit to play.
James should now change his phone number and forget to tell it to Fittler ... disgraceful treatment of anybody. Any respect I had for this tosser just went down the gurgler. Go Queensland and wipe that smug look off the mugs face. He now joins the DCE list of haasholes to be booed at CBus.
There’s always this assumption in here that this is a QLD thread.
Some of us grew up on the Tweed Coast you know.
Plenty of our present and past players are from the Tweed.
The Giants and Seagulls home ground was at West Tweed.
Happy to Boo Fittler though because he was an Easts player
James should come and play for QLD, we wouldn't treat him this way. He would have had a spot for the last few years. We've got no props.
Bods, cool, you grew up in the Tweed. That means that at this time of year you're a filthy cockroach. Its banter. Just proves NSW don't get Origin......
^^^ my love of the GC Titans would be at least 1000 times that of Origin.
And now that there’s no violence my interest has waned even more
But to be parochial and try and disengage your Tweed and Northern Rivers drawing population from going for the Titans due to parochialism due to an imaginary line along Griffith St separating the suburbs of Coolangatta/Tweed Heads is not very bright and reinforces stereotypes about Cane Toads inferior intelligence
You say lack of violence I say 10 years of QLD dominance.....:fight:
Not sure how going for QLD and the Titans as opposed to NSW and the Titans disengages our tweed supporters.
I think we should do more to promote both elements. I feel we do very little for northern NSW and to begin with, it seemed like a huge focus. Origin is a great time to promote this. I'd love to see some challenges or competitions involving fans and even players. We all have our allegiances.
^^^ you are such a great bloke DH. Yes it’s neglected and it’s a working class area that’s absolute Rugby League Heartland.
That's actually another great topic for the Think Tank.
I have many early Titans memories of NSW. Including, the first time the Titans ever played, at the Orara Valley 7s.
Then we had two NSW based trial matches before the kick of to 2007. One in Lismore and one in Coffs Harbour.
I still remember the local coverage and kept many of the newspapers.