State of Origin 2022

[MrDravid]

If it was me, probably Grant to start, Hunt at 6 and Dearden at 14.

Depending on how the game plays out, Dearden comes on in the halves for Hunt, or they go small and play Hunt at 13 with Dearden at 6.

 

[BurgoShark]

If it was me, probably Grant to start, Hunt at 6 and Dearden at 14.

Depending on how the game plays out, Dearden comes on in the halves for Hunt, or they go small and play Hunt at 13 with Dearden at 6.

I’m a big fan of Ben Hunt having a short stint at 13.

I’d go with…

6 Dearden
9 Hunt
13 Tino
14 Grant

Take Hunt off for Grant at 20 and then bring him back on for Tino at 30. When Tino comes back on, you can either put him at prop, or take one of Grant/Hunt off.

 

[Blue_Eyes84]

QLD are different kettle of fish up there. They are going to be fired up, hopefully NSW can stay the course in the opening half, ride out that first storm.

 

[MrDravid]

QLD are different kettle of fish up there. They are going to be fired up, hopefully NSW can stay the course in the opening half, ride out that first storm.

They are, but I also reckon a dry Suncorp track favours NSW more than Qld these days.

 

[Sparkles]

How did we actually think Qld will use Dearden…

Dearden 6 and Hunt/Grant stay same combo?

Bench to rest Grant mid game, Hunt 6?

Bench to rest Grant mid game, Hunt 6 but plays hooker while Dearden on?

6 with Hunt at 9 but Grant comes on for Dearden (Hunt into halves)?

Bench to spell Grant for last 20-30?

Something else?

Hmm... A few possible combos there.
I think... Better to have your halves play 80, so I'd box no.1 thanks Bort. The best thing about QLD's game has been Grant's impact off the bench, so I'd have to keep that as is.

 

[Shortfin Mako]

They are, but I also reckon a dry Suncorp track favours NSW more than Qld these days.

It is colder than usual winter up there this year. That means less humidity and this may favour us.

 

[bort]

Hmm... A few possible combos there.
I think... Better to have your halves play 80, so I'd box no.1 thanks Bort. The best thing about QLD's game has been Grant's impact off the bench, so I'd have to keep that as is.

Yeah it's an interesting one, I also have a strong preference to keep halves for 80 but rate Hunt a lot better than Dearden
The Hunt/Grant pairing has also been very good for them

 

[Sparkles]

Yeah it's an interesting one, I also have a strong preference to keep halves for 80 but rate Hunt a lot better than Dearden
The Hunt/Grant pairing has also been very good for them

For sure, you'd have a few Hunt's in your team if you could. Might be a concern that you've got the more vanilla DCE next to another vanilla half.
Here's anther one for you... how about Ponga to half, Cobbo to fullback, Oates in on the wing? it'd be fun and brings Ponga into the game and adds some of that spark they'll be missing. Ballsy for a decider!
Or a bit safer but along the same lines... Val to fullback. He'd kill it. Not sure who replaces him at centre though.

 

[bort]

For sure, you'd have a few Hunt's in your team if you could. Might be a concern that you've got the more vanilla DCE next to another vanilla half.
Here's anther one for you... how about Ponga to half, Cobbo to fullback, Oates in on the wing? it'd be fun and brings Ponga into the game and adds some of that spark they'll be missing. Ballsy for a decider!
Or a bit safer but along the same lines... Val to fullback. He'd kill it. Not sure who replaces him at centre though.

Val to FB would be a lot safer than Cobbo!
Cobbo to FB could be make or break for him and Slater haha
Hammer could have come in to play centre if they shifted Val to FB but he hasn't been playing there, I don't think it'd be a smart move.

I think they'd need a more in-form FB than they have to consider a Ponga to 6 move.

If Dearden can play reasonably at hooker (never started an NRL game there, and I can't remember him playing there) I'd be super tempted to ask him to do the first 20 with a view to try and get him back on late in the ball playing middle role if game allows it.
Keep Hunt at 6 and Grant plays rest of game at 9.

If Dearden can't fill hooker well enough then maybe look at starting him at 6 and Hunt at 9, Grant comes on for Dearden and as above Dearden maybe only gets back on late in a less defined role.

But then I look at all that and question whether trying to Dearden into some kind of time filler role to start the game is a smart move.
Maybe you just play him at 6 and do what Burgess said, or start your best spine (6 Hunt 7 DCE 9 Grant 14 Dearden) and see what happens.

 

[Proud Shark]

Billy said in his presser today that Dearden will play at 6 when he is on the field.

 

[bort]

Billy said in his presser today that Dearden will play at 6 when he is on the field.

Makes sense. He was picked from his form as a 6 and as I said I've never seen him play hooker so every chance it wasn't really an option.

So the question is when will he play 6 and for how long.

 

[Proud Shark]

Makes sense. He was picked from his form as a 6 and as I said I've never seen him play hooker so every chance it wasn't really an option.

So the question is when will he play 6 and for how long.

I have a feeling he will start, the hooker rotation worked so well for them in game 1.

If Dearden is then going well, I think Hunt will come off for a spell, then maybe come back on as a middle towards the end if they need points.
If Dearden is struggling, Hunt will move to 6.

I think Dearden coming off the bench is a recipe for disaster, he will be sitting there getting more and more nervous, and if the game starts to get away from QLD he will be put on under a huge amount of pressure. Or they won't put him on, in which case what a waste of a spot.

 

[Sparkles]

Val to FB would be a lot safer than Cobbo!
Cobbo to FB could be make or break for him and Slater haha
Hammer could have come in to play centre if they shifted Val to FB but he hasn't been playing there, I don't think it'd be a smart move.

I think they'd need a more in-form FB than they have to consider a Ponga to 6 move.

If Dearden can play reasonably at hooker (never started an NRL game there, and I can't remember him playing there) I'd be super tempted to ask him to do the first 20 with a view to try and get him back on late in the ball playing middle role if game allows it.
Keep Hunt at 6 and Grant plays rest of game at 9.

If Dearden can't fill hooker well enough then maybe look at starting him at 6 and Hunt at 9, Grant comes on for Dearden and as above Dearden maybe only gets back on late in a less defined role.

But then I look at all that and question whether trying to Dearden into some kind of time filler role to start the game is a smart move.
Maybe you just play him at 6 and do what Burgess said, or start your best spine (6 Hunt 7 DCE 9 Grant 14 Dearden) and see what happens.

But Cobbo is the next Inglis! And could be from Wednesday!

In Val I trust; his Origin form has been extraordinary. But I wouldn't actually expect it to happen.

 

[BurgoShark]

I have a feeling he will start, the hooker rotation worked so well for them in game 1.

If Dearden is then going well, I think Hunt will come off for a spell, then maybe come back on as a middle towards the end if they need points.
If Dearden is struggling, Hunt will move to 6.

I think Dearden coming off the bench is a recipe for disaster, he will be sitting there getting more and more nervous, and if the game starts to get away from QLD he will be put on under a huge amount of pressure. Or they won't put him on, in which case what a waste of a spot.

They could go off the board and do what Qld did with Slater in 2008. Start someone else to "soak up the physical stuff" and then bring him on later. E.g. send out Carrigan to play 6 for the first 20 and don't worry too much about long backline shifts.

Not saying I'd do that, but teams sometimes do weird stuff in origin...

 

[Proud Shark]

They could go off the board and do what Qld did with Slater in 2008. Start someone else to "soak up the physical stuff" and then bring him on later. E.g. send out Carrigan to play 6 for the first 20 and don't worry too much about long backline shifts.

Not saying I'd do that, but teams sometimes do weird stuff in origin...

I'd be suprised if they started with a bench of Dearden and Hunt. But like you said, sometimes weird things happen in origin.

 

[bort]

I'd be suprised if they started with a bench of Dearden and Hunt. But like you said, sometimes weird things happen in origin.

Dearden and Grant would be more likely

I do think they could use Dearden as the soak, he gets a taste while they wait to inject Grant.
But he could just play 6 and keep Hunt/Grant rotation then use Hunt either to replace Dearden if he is not going great or into 13.

 

[Sparkles]

They could go off the board and do what Qld did with Slater in 2008. Start someone else to "soak up the physical stuff" and then bring him on later. E.g. send out Carrigan to play 6 for the first 20 and don't worry too much about long backline shifts.

Not saying I'd do that, but teams sometimes do weird stuff in origin...

That's kind of what NSW is doing

 

[Jaz]

Hey lads - currently on holidays in Fiji. Anyone know how to watch the game? On an island without a TV...

Cheers!

 

[Capital_Shark]

Hey lads - currently on holidays in Fiji. Anyone know how to watch the game? On an island without a TV...

Cheers!

Telescope from high ground ?

 

[Gal The Goat]

Hey lads - currently on holidays in Fiji. Anyone know how to watch the game? On an island without a TV...

Cheers!

If you can use your phone, I’m pretty sure the only thing that streams it live and free is the channel 9 app. Just need to create an account

Then you may need to download an app that changes your internet region back to Australia so the app works. Pretty sure I had to do that for certain sports I wanted to watch when overseas.