Here's one story sure to fire up debate
NSW and Kangaroo great Garry Jack says Queensland Origin selectors must pick Greg Inglis over Billy Slater at fullback
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 6635256585
FORMER Test fullback Garry Jack believes Queensland selectors must make one of the biggest calls in Origin history by picking Greg Inglis ahead of Billy Slater in the No. 1 jumper for next month's series opener.
Inglis submitted another compelling case to be named Queensland fullback with a man of the match performance in Souths' 26-12 defeat of the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.
Broncos skipper Sam Thaiday labelled the Rabbitohs' 107kg wrecking ball as the code's form player. The appraisal echoed a midweek player poll in Rugby League Week magazine in which Inglis attracted most votes as the NRL's No. 1 player.
Jack is adamant Inglis, who scored one try, set up another and made 170m from 14 runs against Brisbane, has done enough force Slater to the wing for Origin I.
"It would be a tough call, but personally I'd pick Inglis at fullback and then consider either moving Billy to the wing or leaving him out of the team," said Jack, who played 20 Tests and 17 Origin matches between 1984-89.
"I think the Queensland selectors should seriously look at picking Greg Inglis at fullback. They are blessed to have two wonderful talents in Greg and Billy, but if you go on form you'd have to pick Inglis at fullback.
"There is still a month to go and Slater is playing well, too, but I just think going to fullback has made Greg an even better footballer.
"I don't think anyone can dispute Greg is the form fullback of the competition."
Shifting Slater to the flank would be a bold move. However, Inglis is the incumbent fullback, filling the backfield void in the Origin decider last year when Slater withdrew with a knee injury.
The Storm flyer has experience on the wing, making his Origin debut there in 2004.
And while moving Inglis to fullback would test Queensland's centre stocks, Dane Nielsen has proved a capable alternative, impressing in his three Origin games in the last two seasons.
Maroons coach Mal Meninga is aware of Inglis' potency at fullback and last year explored ways to increase his involvement in Origin games.
Jack says a permanent move to fullback is the answer.
"Billy Slater is a magnificent player but he did come into the Queensland team as a winger. He enjoys the roving commission at fullback, but at this moment Greg has him on form," Jack said.
"If Inglis doesn't play on Friday night, the Broncos may have won that game. In the second half, he barged over himself and then that bust from his own tryline ... I just haven't seen many players capable of that.
"The challenge for Greg now is doing it year in, year out. He's certainly got some extra weapons with his pace, height and size. He's turning games single-handedly.
Greg Inglis has been in career-best form for South Sydney since switching to fullback.
"If he continues at this rate, he will become the Queensland and Australian fullback full-time and possibly among the top two or three fullbacks I have ever seen."
However, Meninga was strong in his support of Slater yesterday.
"So long as Billy Slater is fit, he will be Queensland's fullback for the State of Origin series. Simple as that. End of story. Case closed," Meninga said. "I understand why there are people who think Greg Inglis should wear the Maroon No. 1 given his outstanding recent form at fullback for the Rabbitohs.
"But none of those people are within the Queensland set-up, and while I am a firm believer in everyone being entitled to their opinion, as Queensland coach I am also a firm believer in not needing to listen them.
"The selectors and I will pick the best team available for Queensland and the best team available will have Billy at fullback and Greg at centre."
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 6635256585
FORMER Test fullback Garry Jack believes Queensland selectors must make one of the biggest calls in Origin history by picking Greg Inglis ahead of Billy Slater in the No. 1 jumper for next month's series opener.
Inglis submitted another compelling case to be named Queensland fullback with a man of the match performance in Souths' 26-12 defeat of the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.
Broncos skipper Sam Thaiday labelled the Rabbitohs' 107kg wrecking ball as the code's form player. The appraisal echoed a midweek player poll in Rugby League Week magazine in which Inglis attracted most votes as the NRL's No. 1 player.
Jack is adamant Inglis, who scored one try, set up another and made 170m from 14 runs against Brisbane, has done enough force Slater to the wing for Origin I.
"It would be a tough call, but personally I'd pick Inglis at fullback and then consider either moving Billy to the wing or leaving him out of the team," said Jack, who played 20 Tests and 17 Origin matches between 1984-89.
"I think the Queensland selectors should seriously look at picking Greg Inglis at fullback. They are blessed to have two wonderful talents in Greg and Billy, but if you go on form you'd have to pick Inglis at fullback.
"There is still a month to go and Slater is playing well, too, but I just think going to fullback has made Greg an even better footballer.
"I don't think anyone can dispute Greg is the form fullback of the competition."
Shifting Slater to the flank would be a bold move. However, Inglis is the incumbent fullback, filling the backfield void in the Origin decider last year when Slater withdrew with a knee injury.
The Storm flyer has experience on the wing, making his Origin debut there in 2004.
And while moving Inglis to fullback would test Queensland's centre stocks, Dane Nielsen has proved a capable alternative, impressing in his three Origin games in the last two seasons.
Maroons coach Mal Meninga is aware of Inglis' potency at fullback and last year explored ways to increase his involvement in Origin games.
Jack says a permanent move to fullback is the answer.
"Billy Slater is a magnificent player but he did come into the Queensland team as a winger. He enjoys the roving commission at fullback, but at this moment Greg has him on form," Jack said.
"If Inglis doesn't play on Friday night, the Broncos may have won that game. In the second half, he barged over himself and then that bust from his own tryline ... I just haven't seen many players capable of that.
"The challenge for Greg now is doing it year in, year out. He's certainly got some extra weapons with his pace, height and size. He's turning games single-handedly.
Greg Inglis has been in career-best form for South Sydney since switching to fullback.
"If he continues at this rate, he will become the Queensland and Australian fullback full-time and possibly among the top two or three fullbacks I have ever seen."
However, Meninga was strong in his support of Slater yesterday.
"So long as Billy Slater is fit, he will be Queensland's fullback for the State of Origin series. Simple as that. End of story. Case closed," Meninga said. "I understand why there are people who think Greg Inglis should wear the Maroon No. 1 given his outstanding recent form at fullback for the Rabbitohs.
"But none of those people are within the Queensland set-up, and while I am a firm believer in everyone being entitled to their opinion, as Queensland coach I am also a firm believer in not needing to listen them.
"The selectors and I will pick the best team available for Queensland and the best team available will have Billy at fullback and Greg at centre."
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"Since light travels faster than sound, people appear bright until you hear them speak" Anon
"Since light travels faster than sound, people appear bright until you hear them speak" Anon
Stupid article really...
He expects QLD to change a record breaking line-up to accommodate a player perceived to be in better current form? Spoken like a true New South Welshman
And whilst Greg has been playing well, the stats provided in support of this article have Slater ahead in the key areas Tries, Runs, Line Breaks, Line Break Assists, Try Assists, Offloads, Tackles and Missed Tackles - ALL of these stats, Slater is ahead. Matter of fact, the ONLY stats that Inglis is in front of Slater is 1. Metres gained (+30m per game) and 2. Tackle Busts (+3.7 per game and a flow on stat from point 1)... Almost entirely attributable to Inglis making kick returns more frequently than Slater. +20 extra kilos demands a few extra kick returns.
How that is "proof" of Inglis doing enough to unseat Slater in a dynasty Origin Team, is beyond me. To be perfectly frank, Jack should be embarrassed for even suggesting it as he loses any credibility.
The tactics from Blues fans are just becoming humorous now.
He expects QLD to change a record breaking line-up to accommodate a player perceived to be in better current form? Spoken like a true New South Welshman
And whilst Greg has been playing well, the stats provided in support of this article have Slater ahead in the key areas
Tries, Runs, Line Breaks, Line Break Assists, Try Assists, Offloads, Tackles and Missed Tackles - ALL of these stats, Slater is ahead. Matter of fact, the ONLY stats that Inglis is in front of Slater is 1. Metres gained (+30m per game) and 2. Tackle Busts (+3.7 per game and a flow on stat from point 1)... Almost entirely attributable to Inglis making kick returns more frequently than Slater. +20 extra kilos demands a few extra kick returns.How that is "proof" of Inglis doing enough to unseat Slater in a dynasty Origin Team, is beyond me. To be perfectly frank, Jack should be embarrassed for even suggesting it as he loses any credibility.
The tactics from Blues fans are just becoming humorous now.
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Run Sika Run
- Weather Forecaster
- Posts: 38
- Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2011 7:47 am
Better for the storm if Slatter moved out onto the wing for QLD.
Regardless of the argument of if Inglis is better than Bill in the FB position which seems to be the topic people up north are debating, if you look overall at the 2 position combinations of Bill at FB/Inglis in the centres as opposed to Bill on the wing with Inglis at FB, IMO the first combo makes QLD much more potent.
Absolutely. Billy's a better FB overall than GI IMO. And GI's a better centre than Billy is a winger IMO. And if GI plays FB and BS plays wing then Dane Neilson or Justin O'Neil would be probably most likely to play centre. And GI is a better centre than both of them. Also, Brent Tait and Darius Boyd have played tremendously for QLD on their wings, so which one of those gets dropped for Bill?Ice wrote:Regardless of the argument of if Inglis is better than Bill in the FB position which seems to be the topic people up north are debating, if you look overall at the 2 position combinations of Bill at FB/Inglis in the centres as opposed to Bill on the wing with Inglis at FB, IMO the first combo makes QLD much more potent.
NSW are rabble who swap and change their team every year. Gary Jack is just stir-mongerring no doubt.
Why change a formula that's been successful for 7 straight years now?
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Cherry_Poppins
- Thunderstorm
- Posts: 509
- Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2012 12:26 pm
Dumb article for a few reasons
1 Slater is smarter
2 Inglis is more versatile while Slater is only puttable on a wing or at fullback
3 Queensland centre pairing Hodges and Inglis sounds so lima lima lima duck lethal
Gary Jack was the best of a bad bunch,Slater and Inglis both in the top 3 of a electric bunch
where it could be argued that 5 fullbacks are infact the best in the world (Australia)
1 Slater is smarter
2 Inglis is more versatile while Slater is only puttable on a wing or at fullback
3 Queensland centre pairing Hodges and Inglis sounds so lima lima lima duck lethal
Gary Jack was the best of a bad bunch,Slater and Inglis both in the top 3 of a electric bunch
where it could be argued that 5 fullbacks are infact the best in the world (Australia)
It is a stupid story. He states they you could leave Slater out of the team. I am sure Queensland are going to listen to a guy from NSW and leave one of the best players in the game out of their team. I am sure if Slater played for NSW he would be saying not to pick him!