Words cannot adequately describe how good QLD was

Cane Toad vs Cockroach – Photo by Colin Adland – CC-BY-NC-ND-2.0

Just some quick hit thoughts this week on the game as follows:

• Queensland was absolutely awesome and reports of their deaths were greatly exaggerated.
• Much was made of NSW series win last year but obviously Queensland weren’t quite done yet.
• This was definitely the full stop on the awesome era of QLD domination.
• How the Maroons handle the next few series is very important. It would be very wrong to think this QLD team isn’t in transition. They have lost quite a few of their star players over the last few seasons but have been able to largely offset these losses with ready made replacements. Think Nate Myles and Matt Scott for Petero Civoniceva and Steve Price. Cooper Cronk for Darren Lockyer. How they deal with the transition after Billy Slater, Greg Inglis, Justin Hodges, Cooper Cronk, JT, Cameron Smith and Corey Parker are finished is pretty important (if you’re a Queenslander).
• The problem with such a comprehensive defeat is that NSW will essentially go back to the drawing board. As mentioned previously, NSW is facing a once in a lifetime team at the moment. It would be a bad thing to blow everything up and start again. After all, NSW did win last year.
• Queensland has finally exorcised that 56-16 shellacking at the hands of a rampant NSW in Game 3 of the 2000 series.
• Interestingly, the 2001 series was won by Queensland with a very different looking side. Queensland team in Game 3 of 2000 was Darren Lockyer, Mat Rogers, Paul Bowman, Matt Sing, Wendell Sailor, Ben Ikin, Adrian Lam, Shane Webcke, Jason Hetherington, Martin Lang, Gorden Tallis, Chris McKenna, Jason Smith, Julian O’Neill, Brad Thorn, Tonie Carroll and Craig Greenhill. Queensland side for Game 1 of 2001 was Darren Lockyer, Lote Tuqiri, Darren Smith, Paul Bowman, Wendell Sailor, Daniel Wagon, Paul Green, Shane Webcke, Kevin Campion, John Buttigieg, Gorden Tallis, Petero Civoniceva, Brad Meyers, Chris Walker, Chris Beattie, Carl Webb and John Doyle.
• Maybe NSW should blow it up and start again after all?

What is sweeter than Jelly Bread?

• The Maroons.

What isn’t

• The Blues.
• What was with all the spear tackles in the State of Origin? They need to be stamped out of the game forever. Pronto.

Bill James Award

For the statistically superior NRL human being.

James Tedesco – Tries – 0, Run Metres – 215m, Try Assists – 1, Tackle Breaks – 12, Tackles – 2, Offloads – 3, Line Breaks – 1, Line Break Assists – 0, Errors – 1, Penalties Conceded – 1 and Tackle Busts per KG in 2015 – 1.24 (Best in the NRL, I’m pretty sure, not that I actually did the work on this).

NRL Tips Round 18

Raiders vs Knights – Raiders (This is not a given but the Raiders poleaxed Knights last time around. Knights are getting a few players back but it will be sub-zero and the Raiders should put some points on the board in this one)
Panthers vs Roosters – Roosters (Roosters have won their last 3 and Panthers have one their last 2. Cartwright to continue his career trajectory. Roosters to win anyway. Narrowly)
Bulldogs vs Broncos – Broncos (Broncos aren’t on the top of the ladder by accident and although they have a number of players backing up from Origin, so do Bulldogs plus Bulldogs have key players either coming back from injury or still out injured. Far from settled)
Warriors vs Storm – Warriors (Always an epic match up. Warriors hitting better form and Storm with 3 losses on the trot will be desperate for a win but will be sans Billy and also have key players backing up from Origin)
Sharks vs Dragons – Sharks (Really close local derby. Dragons woefully out of form and Sharks to take advantage)
Titans vs Sea Eagles – Sea Eagles (Titans spine still missing for the most part and will play accordingly. DCE will be booed and that is a given but Sea Eagles to prevail)

Last week

1/4

Season so far

74/122

Current Position

8,820 of 217,271

NRL Fantasy Round 18

Trades

Sam Mataora (Knights) for Chris Grevsmuhl (Rabbitohs) – Salary dump.

Corey Parker (Broncos) for Manu Ma’u (Eels) – Upgrading for the final push.

Starting Team

Cameron Smith (Storm), Sam Lisone (Warriors), Sam Mataora (Knights), Shaun Fensom (Raiders), Elijah Taylor (Panthers), Corey Parker (Broncos), DCE (Sea Eagles), Shaun Johnson (Warriors), Jack Bird (Sharks), Iosia Soliola (Raiders), Euan Aitken (Dragons), Semi Radradra (Eels) and Edrick Lee (Raiders)

Bench

Mitch Rein (Dragons), Jackson Hastings (Roosters), Solomone Kata (Warriors) and Mitchell Aubusson (Roosters)

Balance of the squad

Richard Fa’aoso (Eels), George Burgess (Rabbitohs), Martin Taupau (Tigers), Ethan Lowe (Cowboys), Dene Halatau (Tigers), Mitch Moses (Tigers), Lachlan Coote (Cowboys) and Delouise Hoeter (Tigers)

Last week

819

Season so far

13,477

Current Position

2,137 of 114,445

Stay Tuned

Stay tuned for the next exciting episode on Thursday, 16 July 2015 titled ‘2015 NRL Second Trimester Report Part 1’