State of Origin: Game 1 (2010)

[DIEHARD]

State of Origin

NSW Blues vs Queensland Maroons

players to represent the XXXX Maroons in Game 1 of the Harvey Norman State of Origin Series against NSW at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium on Wednesday, May 26.

NSW Blues

1. Kurt Gidley (c) - Newcastle Knights
2. Brett Morris - St George Illawarra Dragons
3. Matt Cooper - St George Illawarra Dragons
4. Timana Tahu - Parramatta Eels
5. Jarryd Hayne - Parramatta Eels
6. Jamie Lyon - Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
7. Brett Kimmorley - Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs
8. Michael Weyman - St George Illawarra Dragons
9. Michael Ennis - Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs
10.Josh Perry - Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
11. Trent Waterhouse - Penrith Panthers
12. Ben Creagh - St George Illawarra Dragons
13. Anthony Watmough - Manly Warringah Sea Eagles

14. Jamal Idris - Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs
15. Tom Learoyd-Lahrs - Canberra Raiders
16. Luke Lewis - Penrith Panthers
17. Brett White - Melbourne Storm

Queensland Maroons

1. Billy Slater (Melbourne Storm)
2. Darius Boyd (St George Illawarra Dragons)
3. Greg Inglis (Melbourne Storm)
4. Willie Tonga (North Queensland Cowboys)
5. Israel Folau (Brisbane Broncos)
6. Darren Lockyer (Brisbane Broncos)
7. Johnathan Thurston (North Queensland Cowboys)
8. Matthew Scott (North Queensland Cowboys)
9. Cameron Smith (Melbourne Storm)
10. Petero Civoniceva (Penrith Panthers)
11. Nate Myles (Sydney Roosters)
12. Sam Thaiday (Brisbane Broncos)
13. Ashley Harrison (Gold Coast Titans)

14. Cooper Cronk (Melbourne Storm)
15. David Shillington (Canberra Raiders)
16. Neville Costigan (St George Illawarra Dragons)
17. David Taylor (South Sydney Rabbitohs)

[DIEHARD]

Ballin set to replace Smith in Qld team

Manly hooker Matt Ballin is poised to make his State of Origin debut in Sydney on Wednesday after Cameron Smith pulled the pin on his brave bid to play.

Smith, who has been receiving intensive physio for a dislocated elbow, underwent a private fitness test with former Origin player Jason Hetherington early on Saturday afternoon.

He was the first to deliver the news to his room mate Ballin who at first thought he was joking.

"I did everything I could to get there," said Smith, who has played the last 19 Origins in a row.

"Unfortunately the tests I had to do today, which included making some tackles, I couldn't get through that.

"Obviously I've lost a bit of strength in the arm. Everything straight at me was fine but when I had to stretch and reach out, it was not good.

"I knew straight away. I still had four days but it wasn't worth the risk."

Smith said Ballin was an ideal replacement.

"He's really excited. I told him when I got back to the room after the test and I don't think he believed me at first," said Smith.

"He was more apologetic that I was out.

"I asked him if anyone had spoken to him and I said: `I'm out mate, and you're in'."

"He's tough enough, he's a robust guy and he plays a lot of minutes for Manly."

Ballin, 26, from Kingaroy, is likely to start at hooker ahead of Cooper Cronk who will also get some time at dummy half.

Team physio Scott Thornton said Smith had been "close" to playing.

"Cam was pretty close but we put some time frames in place that he had to be able to do some defensive work by today and he just couldn't quite do it, so we had to make the call," Thornton told AAP.

"He did some tackling and he didn't feel comfortable with it, he didn't quite have all his strength so we weren't prepared to take the risk.

"It was a joint decision."

Smith, who suffered a dislocated elbow in the Test match against New Zealand on May 7, was always going to struggle to play in the first Origin game.

Ballin has been in camp with the Maroons since Tuesday and has taken part in every training session to prepare him for his debut.

The decision was made early to give him time to get used to the dummy half job which involves calling many of the plays for halves Darren Lockyer and Jonathan Thurston.

Source: http://www.nrl.com

[DIEHARD]

Gidley letter 'disappointing': Cam Smith

Hooker Cameron Smith doubts that Queensland skipper Darren Lockyer would ever resort to penning an open letter appealing to Maroons fans - just as NSW captain Kurt Gidley has ahead of Wednesday's State of Origin opener in Sydney.

As NSW did their best to hype up Origin passion with an inaugural Former Origins Greats (FOGS) lunch in Sydney this week, Gidley's letter, signed by all Blues players, implored fans to pack out ANZ Stadium in a sea of blue to bring down the arrogant Queenslanders in game one.

"We want 80,000 fans dressed in blue in full voice. Let's show Queensland what Origin means to NSW," said the hand-written letter published in a Sydney newspapers on Saturday.

Smith said he couldn't ever see Lockyer being in a position where he had to urge Queensland fans to come to an Origin game.

"I think Origin games in Queensland sell out pretty quickly," said Smith, still racing the clock to be fit for Wednesday night's clash.

The second Origin game at the 51,000-seat Suncorp Stadium sold out within two hours of tickets going on sale.

"It's a bit disappointing given State of Origin is one of the biggest games of the year," Smith told AAP.

"I don't know if it's the team lacking the support or the game in Sydney is lacking the support.

"Either way, it's a shame.

"You'd like to think when you represent your state everyone of your fans is going to get out and support you.

"I know it's a big stadium out there but I think if we had an 80,00-seat stadium in Queensland, we'd fill it.

"I don't think Locky would ever have to write a letter to our fans to come and cheer us on."

With the opening game of the series five days away, there are still 13,000 tickets not sold.

A Facebook group called "Queensland Maroons" which set out to get 125,000 members in support of Mal Meninga's Origin team, had 84,812 fans registered by Saturday.

A similar Facebook page "NSW Blues" had 30,172 registered members.

Gidley said the first game was "crucial" in shaping the Origin series.

With two games in Sydney, he said fans could help make ANZ, where the Blues have a daunting Origin record, a fortress again.

Smith, meanwhile, continued to keep alive his hopes of playing in his 20th straight Origin as his elbow injury show signs of improving.

"It's the best it's felt in the whole camp. The physio guys have been great working on it three times a day but there's till a little bit to go," he said before Queensland's opposed session against a Sunshine Coast side on Saturday afternoon.

Smith revealed he'd been told he may never get the full range of movement back in his elbow.

"If I can get the last bit of swelling out and the pain is gone. I'll be right to play," he said.

"I haven't made a tackle in two weeks, so I've lost a bit strength.

"If it's not 100 per cent right, I won't be going out there to play.

"You have to look at the big picture, there's two more games to play.

"If it was a grand final, I'd be playing.

"There's no point me going out there just to chalk up another Origin match on my record just to play 10 minutes and let the boys down."

Smith said if he played, he expected to be targeted.

"I'd say they'd come looking for me and accidentally knock it, that's just the way footy is," he said.

Source: http://www.nrl.com

[DIEHARD]

So who is lucky enough to attend and where else will the rest of you be watching?

I might go to a friend's place.

I'm lucky enough to be going to Game 2 at Lang Park

Should be a tight game without Cam Smith. I'd hate to see the Blues get an early series lead.

[Mushi]

I'll be watching from home - wish I was going!!! But unlike you diehard, I am hoping (and praying) for a blues win this wednesday night
I'm a titans girl through and through but def a NSW state of origin girl! So a big cheer from me - GO BLUES!!!

[DIEHARD]

Oh not another Blue! LOL

I think the withdrawal of Smith means it is anyone's game. Smith was the foundatio of the Maroons and we will suffer for it.

I haven't seen much of Ballin, Im sure he is up to the task. I just avoid Manly games!

[DIEHARD]

Queensland's State of Origin campaign hits wall as Greg Inglis adds to injury woes

GREG Inglis has thrown a major scare through the Queensland State of Origin camp after suffering a heavy head-knock during training at Coolum this afternoon.

Already reeling form the withdrawal of hooker Cameron Smith over the weekend with an elbow injury, the Maroons face further disruption, with Inglis rushed from the field to receive medical attention.

The mishap happened during a ball session with Inglis and fellow centre Willie Tonga colliding.

They hit with such force that onlookers heard ``a massive crack''.

Medical staff immediately applied ice to Inglis' left eye.

Tonga was able to continue training.

Matt Ballin, who has been in camp since last Tuesday, has taken over Smith's duties and will make his Origin debut in Wednesday night's series opener in Sydney.

Source: http://www.thecouriermail.com.au

[DIEHARD]

I hope Inglis is ok, he is one of our key attacking weapons who is sure to rip into the Blues.

If he is out, you'd have to bring in Lote and push Folau to centre?

[Titan2007]

Nervous as. With all this talk about NSW and the 'BIFF', I only hope they are more concentrating on who they are going to target than on the job at hand which is winning the first game. I really hope they don't resort to cheap shots. In saying that, I have full confidence in the Queenslanders winning the series 3 zip GO QUEENSLAND

[kwigibo]

I hope Inglis is ok, he is one of our key attacking weapons who is sure to rip into the Blues.

If he is out, you'd have to bring in Lote and push Folau to centre?

Te'o is 18th man and has played a fair bit at centre this season, but they should still get Lote.

[titanstattman]

Im having a thing at mine on weds night any1 welcome just let me know

[DIEHARD]

Yea hopefully the Maroons concentrate on scoring points!

[DIEHARD]

Harrison vows to give Blues the full serve

HE does it every week for the Titans, and Ashley Harrison has declared he is ready to play out the full 80 minutes for Queensland on Wednesday night.

Stepping into the Queensland No. 13 jersey, Harrison, who has been a key to Queensland's success in the second row for the past two years, said his focus had been the same as it was for every game.

And he wants plenty of game time, proving since his debut for Brisbane in 1999 he is no slouch when it comes to rolling up his sleeves.

"I usually play 80 for (the Titans) and hopefully I can get in there and get my work done and last the 80 out," said Harrison yesterday, when asked if he expects to play the full 80 minutes.

"Probably the only thing that changes (by shifting to lock) is the number on my back."

"My role in the team is pretty much the same and I'm just looking forward to get out and execute on (Wednesday).

While the NSW backrow stocks may be the only area the Blues hold a slight advantage over the Maroons, they are still blessed with Harrison, Sam Thaiday, Nate Myles and interchange forward Neville Costigan.

In the best form of his career, the Harrison fan club has exploded this season with his never-say-die attitude just one of the shining areas of the Titans' efforts in 2010.

Missing just one game, Round 3 with Canberra, Harrison has averaged 35 tackles and 11 hit-ups in just over 70 minutes on the paddock in nine matches.

And Maroons coach Mal Meninga will be looking for similar numbers through the three matches this series.

While the effect the loss of workhorse Dallas Johnson will have on Queensland is unknown, Harrison knows the troops assembled will get the job done.

"We're not going to go out and do what Dallas does, we just want to do our job that we've been doing for our club and everyone will give a big effort," he said.

Memories of Game 3 ugly scenes are still fresh in Maroon minds, along with the thoughts it could explode once again.

Source: http://www.goldcoast.com.au

[DIEHARD]

Inglis and Tonga in untimely double-header

QUEENSLAND centres Greg Inglis and Willie Tonga showed the Blues may need a sledge hammer to take them down in Wednesday's first Origin clash, after a sickening head clash at training yesterday sent a minor scare through the Maroons camp.

Midway through a ball drill, Tonga and Inglis collided with Inglis coming off second best and forced from the session nursing a heavy bump above his left eyebrow.

The noise from the contact sent the 50-odd fans and Maroons staff silent, fearing Inglis had suffered a serious facial injury, when he was laid out.

It was the second scare in as many days for the Queenslanders, with hooker Cameron Smith to end his 19 consecutive game streak in State of Origin with the elbow he dislocated in the recent Trans Tasman Test failing to recover.

While it was bad news for Smith, it was quite the opposite for Inglis and Manly rake Matt Ballin, who was called in to replace the Melbourne Storm skipper in the No. 9 jersey.

His selection as back-up for Smith may have aggravated Titans fans who felt the form of Nathan Friend had warranted a call-up, although an Origin rookie the 26-year-old had plenty of big match experience that would make the transition a little easier, according to fullback Billy Slater.

"Matty's a great player, he's played in grand finals so he certainly won't let anyone down for Queensland," said Slater.

"He's got a fair bit of experience and has been in a good side for a long time now so he knows what it's all about."

Ballin was delivered the news by Smith himself, after he succumbed during a contact session Saturday afternoon.

Coach Mal Meninga told the media they could not not talk with the Kingaroy junior, once contracted to the Broncos.

But with Ballin now in the driver's seat calling the shots together with Jonathon Thurston, skipper Darren Lockyer and interchange utility Cooper Cronk, Meninga will have few concerns particularly after Inglis escaped serious injury.

Queensland doctor Roy Saunders said team staff decided it was best for Inglis to sit out the session as a precaution, and to ice his eye to ensure there was no swelling.

"There was no loss of consciousness, (they) just banged heads and were shaken up a bit," said Dr Saunders on Inglis' knock.

"Hopefully (his eye won't swell), that's the whole purpose of taking him off and icing it so we get as little swelling as possible."

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/

[Blazertaser]

Yeah doug ill be there
What time we showin up?

Blazer