Queensland to dominate Kangaroos!

[DIEHARD]

Queensland great Gorden Tallis says no Blues good enough for Kangaroos squad

NSW are facing the ultimate indignity - not having a single player chosen in Australia's starting side for the Four Nations tournament.

NSW selectors last night chose a side charged with restoring our destroyed credibility at ANZ Stadium tomorrow week.

The Blues will start long outsiders to prevent a demoralising fifth successive series loss, but things are not likely to improve when selectors sit down to choose the national team for the Four Nations, to be played in Australia after the NRL season.

Tallis thinks it could be a Queensland whitewash in coach Tim Sheens' Test starting side, and even NSW officials privately admit Queensland could completely dominate selections.

At this stage, only Paul Gallen and Anthony Watmough look to have a handle on Kangaroos starting spots.

"If they were picking an Australian team tomorrow, how many Blues players would deserve to be there?" Tallis writes in Brisbane's Courier Mail newspaper today. "On the evidence presented in the first two Origin matches, not many, if any.

"Anthony Watmough maybe has a claim but, seriously, what other back-rower would you pick ahead of Nate Myles, Sam Thaiday and Ash Harrison?

"Jarryd Hayne at his best is a freakish talent but you could hardly have him in front of Darius Boyd, given the way he has played at both club and representative level this season. While there is a long way to go before the end-of-season Four Nations series, Queensland have a real chance to completely dominate that squad."

NSW players can erode some Maroons supremacy by clinching the dead rubber tomorrow week - but they start as heavy outsiders.

Maroons assistant coach Michael Hagan last night agreed with Tallis's assessment, claiming the Blues simply don't deserve recognition. "If the Four Nations was scheduled now, NSW would be hard pressed to get any players in," said Hagan.

"Queensland have clearly been the dominant side over the past five years and that should be shown in the selections."

Tallis and Hagan are undoubtedly pushing for a Blues selection shutout, but on the performances shown in the first two Origin games it's difficult to argue a case for more than a handful of the NSW players.

Gold Coast enforcer Greg Bird last night forced his way back into the Blues squad - delighting Titans coach John Cartwright.

"I've said all along he is an Origin-type player," Cartwright said.

"He has been there before.

"He has won man-of-the-match awards, he has won series and he is only 25 years of age.

"His best footy is in front of him, so he is the type of player I'd be looking at for the future.

"He can't do much more. He never stops trying."

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/

[titansrawesome]

bird is the only player i reckon that could get into the kangas

[Sydney Titans Fanatic]

Bird is a God, He should be in the kangaroos anyday of the week

[Titan2007]

Harrison deserves the jersey in front of Bird. He is much more disciplined and has more of a footy brain when the going gets tough! Besides he will never upseat Locky for 5/8 and he is definately NOT a lock's bootlace! NSW are desperate, that is the only reason he is playing there. They have tried everyone else!

[Titan2007]

Bird is a God, He should be in the kangaroos anyday of the week

After what he has done, I wouldn't go that far as to calling him GOD.

[titansrawesome]

Harrison deserves the jersey in front of Bird. He is much more disciplined and has more of a footy brain when the going gets tough! Besides he will never upseat Locky for 5/8 and he is definately NOT a lock's bootlace! NSW are desperate, that is the only reason he is playing there. They have tried everyone else!

good to see you're supporting a titans player......

[DIEHARD]

Lockyer is the best 5/8th in the game. He won't be unseated. It's even debatable that Bird should be Titans 5/8th. But with the quality of our backrow, I can understand Carty's logic. Bird will continue to get better at 5/8th for us.

The ARL selectors will certainly throw in a couple blues and probably an entire blue bench.

[Titan2007]

good to see you're supporting a titans player......

Good to see you are supporting the OTHER Titan player.

I was talking about the thread at hand, Kangaroos. Besides I am a Queenslander and when Origin is on, I hate NSW players, whoever they play for. It's only for one night. My comment still stands though, re: Kangaroo selection.