• Podcast
  • ARL
    • Indigenous All Stars v NRL All Stars
    • Rugby League State Of Origin
  • NRL
    • The 2022 NRL Draw
    • 2021 NRL Draw
    • 2021 NRL Podcast
    • 2020 NRL Draw
    • 2015 NRL Draw
    • 2014 NRL Draw
  • ESL
    • International Origin
    • Challenge Cup
  • World
    • World Club Challenge
    • World Cup
    • Rugby League 9’s
    • NRL Auckland Nines Draw
  • Sports
    • AFL
    • Cricket
    • Rugby Union
    • Soccer
  • Guest Writers
  • League Freak
    • Web Site News
    • Sponsorship
    • Uncategorized

The Glorious League Freak – Covering Rugby League World Wide – LeagueFreak.com

  • Home
  • Podcast
  • NRL Rumours
  • RL World 9’s
  • Features
    • Player Profiles And News
  • History
    • History Books
    • The Super League War
      • The Super League War – The Clubs
      • The Super League War – The Freak
      • The Super League War – The Extras
  • Quotes
  • Look-Alikes
  • Teams
  • Rankings
  • Media
  • About
    • Bio
    • League Freaks Commentary Career
    • Contact
    • League Freak On Twitter
    • I Am Not A Journalist
    • Contribute To LeagueFreak.com
    • League Freak Mentions In The Media
    • Advertise On This Website
    • Rugby League RSS Feed
  • follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Google+
    • RSS Feed
    • Youtube

Daniel Nichols – City/Country: Good Fun But Not An Origin Selection Trial

Apr 16, 2013 League Freak Featured Guest Writers 0


This Sunday afternoon, Coffs Harbour will play host to the annual City Vs. Country event. Whilst the concept is a fun one and brilliant for the local area hosting the game, its fast losing credibility as a genuine Origin selection tool.

The presence of Origin certainties Jennings and Hoffman takes up 2 spots that could have been used to blood younger hopefuls for the future. Origin hopefuls Reynolds, Hayne and co withdrew with ‘injuries‘ that you could bet your bottom dollar wouldn’t keep them from playing for their clubs this weekend.

In the city team only Merritt, Mannah, Hoffman and Fifita stand any real chance of playing Origin, whilst country have Uate, Maloney and Merrin vying for selection. Players such as Tedesco, Reddy, Sironen, Peats, and Cuthberton, although all late call ups have no real chance of lining up for the Blues.

The majority of the NSW side has already been chosen:

1. Stewart (not playing)
2. B. Morris (Kangaroos Squad)
3. J. Morris (Kangaroos Squad)
4. M. Jennings (City)
5. UP FOR GRABS – Uate, McManus, Merritt, Taufua (all playing) Hayne (withdrew through injury)
6. UP FOR GRABS – Maloney, Reynolds, Carney (2 playing, 1 injured)
7. M. Pearce (withdrew through injury)
8. J. Tamou (Kangaroos Squad)
9. R. Farrah (withdrew through injury)
10. UP FOR GRABS – Grant, Woods, Mannah, Fifita, Merrin, Tolman (all playing)
11. G. Bird (Kangaroos Squad)
12. R. Hoffman (City)
13. P. Gallen (Kangaroos Squad)

14. A. Watmough (Kangaroos Squad)
15. L. Lewis (Kangaroos Squad)
16. UP FOR GRABS – Sims, Williams, Grant, Mannah, Fifita, Merrin, Tolman (all playing)
17. K. Gidley (Kangaroos Squad)

So in a squad of 17, 4 positions (which surely Merrin is a lock for at least one, Hayne is almost a lock for the second wing position) are up for grabs. Players are put at risk of serious injury for the sake of 2 spots in the NSW side.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the concept of the game, it’s always extremely fun and even with the withdrawal of star players both sides are brimming with talent. Why play a friendly game instead of moving an NRL game to Coffs Harbour. The Sea Eagles and the Bunnies blockbuster would be just as good a game as the City/Country and would be a better gauge of Origin conditions than a friendly one off. The result doesn’t matter in this game, players will have injuries in the back of their minds and they’ll have 5 or so days in camp.

Origin matters, no player would be thinking about injuries, and teams have 2 weeks in camp together. A club game result matters, injuries don’t come into mind and players train for weeks together. I am extremely confident than even a massive man of the match performance by Sironen, Cuthbertson or Wighton would mean absolutely nothing in terms of each player’s chances of Origin selection.

Maloney vs. Reynolds is an important clash as are Merritt and Uate, McManus and Taufua and Merrin vs. the city forwards … other than that, there isn’t a whole lot of interest in terms of Origin selection. Can anyone say that if Jennings has a shocker in this game he won’t play Origin? Is it a given that if Reynolds outplays Maloney he’s into the NSW side?

I won’t go as far as to say the concept is a farce, especially off field but honestly the game isn’t an important one. Each NRL side should take a game to the country each season and city/country should be scrapped. As a Sharks fan, I will spit chips if any of the Sharks reps are injured and miss club games for a game that doesn’t matter results wise and I can bet I am not alone in my thinking.

I look forward to the game, as I do each year, but can anyone tell me who won this game 3 yrs. back and name a try scorer from each team? The ONLY game I remember well is the one I attended in Wollongong as there wasn’t a club game in Sydney on that night and I wasn’t working. Any sign of rain and we wouldn’t have bothered.

The crowd this Sunday afternoon will be 95% Country fans, but I can bet any money all of them would gladly watch City win if it meant their club side was guaranteed a win next weekend. I hope the game is a good one, I really hope no one gets injured but I do not expect the performances of any player to have any real influence over Origin selection.

  • Tweet
  • Share 0
  • Reddit
  • Pocket
  • LinkedIn 0
  • Email

Related


  • Anthony Watmough, Brett Morris, City Vs Country, Daniel Nichols, Greg Bird, Guest Writer, Jame Tamou, Jarryd Hayne, Josh Morris, Kurt Gidley, Luke Lewis, Michael Jennings, Mitchell Pearce, Nathan Merritt, New South Wales, Paul Gallen, Robbie Farah, Ryan Hoffman
Rugby League And Its Changing Relationship With The Media Dane Eldridge - Half-Price Steve And Reborn Dragons No Longer On The Wayne

League Freak

A well known Rugby League writer, League Freak has established a reputation among supporters of the game for his fearless commentary and unmatched insight. With a reach that spans both sides of the globe, League Freak has produced an independent network that allows him to distribute content to his many thousands of followers. He is the owner and main author of LeagueFreak.com

Related articles
  • Emma Hedges – Why Racists Don’t Deserve To Watch The Great Game Of Rugby League
    Emma Hedges – Why Racists...

    Aug 01, 2020 0

  • How Many State Of Origin Games Did Brad Fittler Play For New South Wales?
    How Many State Of Origin Games Did Brad...

    Jul 08, 2020 0

  • PK – Structure Of Sydney Clubs And New Stadia
    PK – Structure Of Sydney Clubs...

    Jun 02, 2020 0


You must log in to post a comment.

Become a Patron!

Ziad Warwar
Nadine
Coojee
Adam
Andy
jamescunni
Lisa
Rugby League Project
Samuel
Sandy
Katey
Oblivion NPC
Jack
Terry
Gibbo

RSS Fergo and The Freak Podcast

  • The 1997 Season
  • How To Waste £750,000 - Be Super League!
  • Super League, The World Cup And Covid With Richard Shaw-Wright
  • Launching The 2020 Rugby League Project Annual
  • Make Or Break Season Ahead For These NRL Players
  • We've Been Training The House Down!
  • The 12 Days Of Rugby League Christmas
  • Pat Walsh - The Natural
  • Rugby League Kicks A Two Point Field Goal By Promoting Leigh Into Super League
  • The York City Knights Super League Bid With Gavin Wilson
  • NRL Having Talks To Buy 51% Of Super League For $134 Million
  • Josh Reynolds To Hull FC, BS St Helens Stats, Brandon Smith's Future And Andrew Goes Viral!
  • Brent Nadens Positive Drugs Test Plus Ask Potato - #AskTheBoss
  • The 2020 King Of Rugby League Awards
  • Reaction To The 2021 NRL Draw - With Statistics!

Polls

What Should Cameron Smith Do In 2021?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Polls Archive

League Freaks Social Network

Follow League Freak on:

Latest Rugby League Articles

  • Who Wins Next Season’s NRL?
    Who Wins Next Season’s NRL?

    Jan 27, 2021 0

  • Bulking Up – Rugby Union’s Biggest Body Transformations
    Bulking Up – Rugby Union’s Biggest Body...

    Jan 26, 2021 0

  • Could This Be The End Of The Traditional Scrum?
    Could This Be The End Of The Traditional Scrum?

    Jan 12, 2021 0

  • Get Your NEW NRL Podcast For The 2021 NRL Season!!!
    Get Your NEW NRL Podcast For The 2021 NRL Season!!!

    Jan 06, 2021 0

  • Nigel Owens’ Reveals Three Ways For Referees To Make Rugby More Exciting
    Nigel Owens’ Reveals Three Ways For Referees To Make...

    Dec 22, 2020 0

Follow League Freak on Twitter

My Tweets

Tags

Andrew Ferguson (262) ARL (61) Australia (155) Benji Marshall (86) Billy Slater (76) Broadcasting Deal (65) Cameron Smith (59) Channel 9 (71) Daniel Nichols (122) Disgrace (73) Eligibility Rules (64) England (141) Expansion (76) Fergo And The Freak (283) Greg Inglis (99) Guest Writer (332) Israel Folau (67) Jarryd Hayne (78) Johnathan Thurston (81) League Freak (362) Leeds Rhinos (57) Marketing (65) Matthew Elliott (70) Mitchell Pearce (62) New South Wales (93) New Zealand (137) NRL Finals (59) NRL Salary Cap (95) Paul Gallen (64) Player Movement (112) Podcast (306) Queensland (69) Referees (78) RFL (144) Robbie Farah (57) Rugby League History (67) Rugby Union (191) Sam Burgess (62) Sonny Bill Williams (91) State Of Origin (153) St Helens (63) Todd Carney (62) Wayne Bennett (81) Wigan (58) World Cup (166)
As featured on NewsNow: NRL newsNRL News 24/7

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Blogroll

  • The Glorious League Freak.
  • League Freak on Twitter
  • League Freak on Facebook
  • Rugby League Podcasting Network
  • NRL Breaking News
  • NRL Rumours
  • RLWorld9s.com

Facebook Pages

  • NRL Gossip
  • NRL Infinite

Features

  • King Of Rugby League
  • Rugby League Look-Alikes
  • Biggest Winning Margins In Rugby League History
  • Biggest Crowds In Rugby League History
  • Rugby League Quotes
  • Rugby League Dictionary
  • The Super League War
  • The New Zealand Haka
  • Funny Rugby League Teams
  • Rugby League Rankins Lists
  • NRL Rumours
  • IHateRugbyUnion.com
  • NRL History
  • NRL History Books
  • Record Books
  • Player Profiles

Other Links

  • Submit Your Australian Blog
  • Best Junk Hauling Virginia
  • Gutter Cleaning Service Virginia
  • Best Lawn Mowing Service Virginia
  • 2020 NRL Draw

Other Sports

  • Clutch Fans
  • Sportette

Players

  • Cameron Smith
  • Kayln Ponga
  • Sonny Bill Williams
  • Jarryd Hayne
  • Andrew Johns
  • Semi Radradra
  • Sam Burgess
  • Benji Marshall
  • James Tedesco
  • Cooper Cronk
  • Johnathan Thurston
  • Anthony Mundine
  • Sam Tomkins
  • Greg Inglis
  • Jamie Peacock

Rugby League

  • Rugby League Project
  • Era Of The Biff
  • Darryl's Rugby League
  • Jamie Lyon Web
  • Rugby League Review
  • Rugby League Ratings
  • NRL CEO Fantasy League
  • QLD Panthers
  • Andrew Ferguson's Website!
  • Black Swans RLFC
  • InternationalRL
  • 2021 Rugby League World Cup
  • Rugby League Mums
  • Player Profiles

Rugby League Podcast

  • Best Rugby League Podcast
  • Best NRL Podcast
  • Best Super League Podcast
  • Best Australian Podcast
  • Best Sports Podcast
  • Funniest Podcast
  • Best Comedy Podcast
  • NRL Radio
  • 2021 NRL Podcast
Google+
  • National Rugby League
  • Rugby League State Of Origin
  • Brisbane Broncos
  • Canberra Raiders
  • Canterbury Bulldogs
  • Cronulla Sharks
  • Gold Coast Titans
  • Manly Sea Eagles
  • Melbourne Storm
  • New Zealand Warriors
  • Newcastle Knights
  • North Queensland Cowboys
  • Parramatta Eels
  • Penrith Panthers
  • South Sydney Rabbitohs
  • St George/Illawarra Dragons
  • Sydney Roosters
  • Wests Tigers
  • The King Of Rugby League Awards
  • Rugby League Player Profiles And News
  • Fantasy Rugby League Teams
  • Rugby League World Rankings
  • Rugby League Look-Alikes
  • International Rugby League News
  • National Rugby League
  • European Super League News
  • Featured Guest Writers
  • Other Sports
  • The 2021 NRL Draw
  • The 2022 NRL Draw – Every NRL Game Listed For You!!!
  • Advertise On LeagueFreak.com
  • About LeagueFreak.com
  • Contact Us
  • RSS Feed
  • NothingButLeague.com
  • Rugby League Podcasting Network
  • NRL Breaking News
  • NRL Rumours – Latest NRL Rumours
  • NRL Podcast
  • Super League Podcast
  • Rugby League Podcast
  • Here Is The Cure For COVID 19
Copyright LeagueFreak.com 2020 / All rights reserved
  • Advertise On LeagueFreak.com
  • About LeagueFreak.com
  • Contact Us
  • RSS Feed
  • NothingButLeague.com
  • Rugby League Podcasting Network
  • NRL Breaking News
  • NRL Rumours – Latest NRL Rumours
  • NRL Podcast
  • Super League Podcast
  • Rugby League Podcast
  • Here Is The Cure For COVID 19