I Told You So...

Well, Origin II is done and decided, and as I predicted Queensland are the champs. I take no pleasure in being right. Like every footy-loving New South Welshman, I would have loved to see the Blues level the series in front of the home crowd at ANZ Stadium. But I knew in my heart that we didn't have the team to do it.

Queensland's early run of soft tries certainly didn't help. For the second time in as many encounters New South Wales were left playing catch up for most of the match. This extra pressure, rather than inspire the team, choked them. Dropped balls, poor options in attack and zero spark, save for Jarryd Hayne, easily the best in a beaten team.

NSW "saviour" Trent Barrett's only contribution was a high shot on Greg Inglis which will see him front the judiciary. Over-hyped fullback Kurt Gidley was competent if ordinary - thankfully he didn't make any dumb errors like in game one, however he didn't set ANZ Stadium on fire either, with sub-par goalkicking to boot. Peter Wallace too failed to make any kind of impact. I doubt he'll feature in game three.

So Queensland have made history with four successive series wins, and will be pumped to make 2009 a clean sweep in three weeks time up at Suncorp Stadium. If the Blues selectors don't make the right decisions that is precisely what will happen.

Barrett is gone, he will get up to three weeks for his high shot. Wallace too is likely to go. But if the selectors are serious, a few more changes are needed.

Foremost, I would get rid of Kurt Gidley. He has done nothing all series. Move Jarryd Hayne to his preferred spot at fullback. Joel Monaghan will man one wing with David Williams on the other. In the centres, Matt Cooper MUST be brought back. He has played Origin before, is still young and in good form. Michael Jennings should reclaim his spot if he has recovered from injury.

At five-eighth, I would give Jarrod Mullen the call-up he should have received at the start of this series. Brett Kimmorley should get the nod at number seven, I'd hate to lose him from the 'Dogs for a round but he is clearly the best man for the job. Goalkicking also gets handed to him.

Gallen can continue to lock the scrum. In the second row, Anthony Watmough should start, with the other position going to Luke O' Donnell, whose otherwise solid game last night was marred by one critical error. In the front row, Michael Weyman is an instant selection, with the other spot going to a returning Luke Bailey if fit. Farah retains the hooking spot - he had an ordinary game in Origin II but not a lot to work with either.

On the bench my first selection if fit would be Craig Wing. He spearheaded the Blues fightback in game one and can slot in anwhere from the backs to halves to hooker. I would also select Ben Creagh, Justin Poore and Glenn Stewart. Hence my team I believe is capable of avoiding a series whitewash in Brisbane reads as follows:

1. Jarryd Hayne
2. David Williams
3. Matt Cooper
4. Michael Jennings
5. Joel Monaghan
6. Jarrod Mullen
7. Brett Kimmorley (c)
8. Luke Bailey
9. Robbie Farah
10. Michael Weyman
11. Anthony Watmough
12. Luke O'Donnell
13. Paul Gallen

14. Craig Wing
15. Ben Creagh
16. Justin Poore
17. Glenn Stewart

"Queensland win 4 in a row"

At least that's what the headlines are going to say next Thursday. The selction of Trent Barrett at five-eighth for New South Wales will ensure it. The selectors got it wrong in game one when they overlooked the in-form Jarrod Mullen and opted for the talented yet erratic Terry Campese. And now they've got it wrong again, putting 32 year old has-been (or never was in my opinion) Barrett in the number six. Even Braith Anasta would have been a better choice. Or perhaps John Sutton. But not Barrett, who is in the twighlight of his grossly overrated career.

In the centres in the meanwhile, Matt Cooper has again been denied Blues colours while another horribly overrated player, Jamie Lyon, gets retained. It makes no sense. Cooper is a proven Origin performer who is currently playing great football at St George Illawarra. He is dependable in both attack and defence. And he wants to be there. You will recall Lyon's selection came after he expressed his desire not to play for NSW this year, before changing his mind and saying he'd play if selected, as if he was doing the team and selectors a favour.

It's not that I don't appreciate the position the selectors are in. I do. We are one down in the series. We have to win both remaining games, and now is not the time to blood young players. Then if they are serious, let's go for even more of an overhaul. How about sending Peter Wallace back to club football for the remainder of 2009 and reinstating Brett Kimmorley at half, who's done the job before and is in scintillating form this year? Age is obviously not a factor if Barrett is getting a run.

Of course the selectors won't do such a thing. The team is picked and barring injuries or suspensions the team picked will take the field next Wednesday as is. And when all is said and done after next Wednesday's game, maybe the selectors will finally learn and Mullen and Cooper will get callups for the third game. But Queensland will have already won the series. Too little too late.

NRL at the halfway point – Your team’s report card

Wow. Who can believe the NRL regular season is already half-over. It seemed like only yesterday that round one brought the first fix of 2009 for the rugby league faithful.

So here we are after 13 rounds of football. We've seen spectacular tries and individual and team heroics. We've celebrated our clubs' victories and we've endured the bitter taste of defeat. The NRL has been rocked by fresh controversies both on and off the field. Coaches have been under siege, while other coaches have prospered. New stars have emerged and with them new teams are announcing themselves as genuine premiership threats. So far 2009 has had it all.

So where does your team fit into the 2009 season? As usual I will analyse club-by-club, but this time I will start with those clubs in the top eight. My reasoning here is my belief that barring one or two exceptions, the finals mix is already taking shape. The teams currently in the eight are likely to be there come September, though not necessarily in their current order.

So here we go, in current placing order...

St George Dragons

The Dragons have been arguably the form team of the comp so far this season. Jamie Soward has led the team around the park brilliantly, and performances by origin debutants Justin Poore and Michael Weyman, together with Darius Boyd excelling at his new club have lifted the side significantly. Look for a top four finish and provided the red and whites don't get stage fright, perhaps this is the year that elusive premiership returns to Kogarah.

Canterbury Bulldogs

The mighty Doggies have bounced back from last year's disappointing wooden-spoon finish with a vengeance and are now firmly entrenched in the finals race. Dubious decisions have robbed the club of four premiership points that would otherwise see them clear at the top of the ladder, however the side has managed to put these trivialities behind them and focus on what they do best – winning football games. Brett Kimmorley, Mick Ennis and Ben Hannant have been sensations for the club, inspiring more long-term clubmen to bring out their own best once again.

Gold Coast Titans

Yet again the NRL newbies find themselves at the top at this stage of the season. The difference this year though is the training wheels have come off and the Titans now know how to win games without Scott Prince. Forwards Luke Bailey and Anthony Laffranchi have been sensational, while Mat Rogers is enjoying arguably his best season since his return to the NRL. Watch out for the Titans in 2009.

Brisbane Broncos

The Broncos have shrugged off the loss of former coach Wayne Bennett and several stars in the off season, winning eight out of twelve games to enjoy an equal share of the lead. Not that it was going to be any other way. As I said in my season preview, Brisbane don't go badly – It just doesn't happen. Watch for the likes of Hunt, Folau, Lockyer, Wallace and Thaiday to keep excelling and for Brisbane to be right there at the end of the regular season.

Melbourne Storm

After a shaky start to the year the Storm have begun to display signs of the football club they are capable of being. More consistency is needed though – the Storm will destroy anyone on their day as evidenced by their recent wins over Canberra and Brisbane, but dumb football has started to leak into some of their performances this year and that will need to be addressed in the second half of the season. Expect the Storm to finish comfortably in the eight, but there are too many good sides this season to say the Storm can definitely win it.

North Queensland Cowboys

Finally the beast may again be emerging. For years we have watched the Cowboys sputter and disappoint while knowing their roster is capable of so much more. As at the conclusion of round 13 North Queensland are sitting in sixth, having beaten premiership leaders St George and along the way shown some returns to form among key players. Whether they can improve enough to be a genuine threat, it is too early to tell.

Penrith Panthers

One of this season's biggest surprises, Penrith are firmly entrenched in the eight after having played some fantastic football. Young guns Lachlan Coote and Wade Graham are enjoying tremendous form, whilst Luke Lewis is playing his best football for years. Michael Jennings too is performing sensationally, having earned a NSW jumper for his efforts. Where the Panthers go from here is unknown – some are calling them genuine contenders but like with the Cowboys, it is still a long season before the start of finals football.

Newcastle Knights

Another big success story in 2009 is the resurgence of the Knights as a potential finals side. Sitting on sixteen points after eight wins, it would seem Brian Smith's long term plan for the club is starting to bear fruit. Kurt Gidley's sensational club form has seen him captain a NSW Origin side that teammate Jarrod Mullen was unfortunate to be omitted from. And as to whether the club is missing Danny Buderus – the answer is a firm no with recruit Isaac De Gois performing admirably in the number nine.

South Sydney Rabbitohs

Souths have managed to keep mostly in touch with the eight but are yet to prove their credentials to join it. As usual Nathan Merritt has been sensational, as has reborn utility Craig Wing. The Bunnies have banked five wins and a draw to their 2009 account, but will need to win more than they lose from here on in if they want to figure in the equation at the business end of the year.

Manly Sea Eagles

After a horrid start to the year, the Eagles are starting to string some important wins together and are possibly the only team currently outside of the eight with legitimate premiership credentials. The personnel from last year's grand final winning team are mostly intact, and provided Manly can keep their newly rediscovered belief they will be a team to watch out for.

Canberra Raiders

Canberra have had a mixed season thus far. Again their big weakness is their away form; at home they have been impressive however on the road they continue to falter. You can however expect Terry Campese to return from origin fired up and inspire the Raiders to a few more big wins this year – but if they don't begin their charge soon then I'm afraid they'll be in the grandstands come September.

New Zealand Warriors

Another disappointing season of inconsistent and indifferent form. The Warriors promised so much this year after making the finals last year and welcoming star Stacey Jones back into the fold for 2009. Since then it's been the same bad old New Zealand, showing patches of form but winning only four games out of eleven starts. Question marks hover over the decision to relegate the in-form Nathan Fien to make way for Jones, however if that was their only problem they'd be in a better position than they are now.

Parramatta Eels

Parramatta are all about 2010 now. The resignation of chief executive Dennis Fitzgerald is evidence that change was needed; and the signings for next year of Justin Poore and Shane Shackleton suggest that the future is where the club's concentration lies. The Eels have had a disappointing year – indifferent form and Brett Finch's walkout not helping the side's fortunes. One positive has been the resurgence of Jarryd Hayne, but one man alone cannot play for the whole team. Sorry Eels fans, but you may as well turn your TV sets off until next March.

Wests Tigers

Well, Benji Marshall has stayed on the field all year and the Tigers still find themselves near the bottom of the table. As always, they've shown glimpses of what they're capable of with the football but again have also shown just how dumb they can be. 2009 will be chalked down as another disappointing season of inconsistent form, with the promise of improvement next year. Tigers fans are however starting to grow weary as the seasons roll on.

Cronulla Sharks

Cronulla players and fans would be forgiven for thinking they're stuck in a horror movie. Poor early season form, coupled with the New Zealand sex scandal, the club's financial woes, Reni Maitua's positive drug test and now the standing down of chief executive Tony Zappia. It can't get any worse in the shire. It doesn't help either that the players are unsure what to even play for – they may not have a club anymore come September. At least they're not coming dead last.

Sydney Roosters

The Roosters are gone for 2009, and coach Brad Fittler will gone soon too. The appointment of "assistant" coach Arthur Beetson is evidence the club board don't believe Fittler has what it takes – and only three wins from twelve starts is the proof. Thank god for their fickle latte sipping fans that the Swans are at least in the AFL eight.