• 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 – Why NSW WILL Win Origin One

Jun 04, 2013 League Freak Featured Guest Writers 0


The first game of the 2013 Origin Series is almost upon us. Betting agencies have the odds at an almost 50/50 split and the experts are just as equally divided in trying to pick a winner.

Queensland are trying to win an unprecedented 8th straight Origin series whilst NSW are trying to regain that winning feelings. As a NSW fan I almost forget what it feels like to win a series.

Over the past week or so I have read it all. How NSW can win, what NSW need to do to win, right now I’m going to tell you why NSW WILL win:

Amazing Front Row Rotation
I have long said (and I am not the only one) that the world’s best front rower has been playing lock for many years. Paul Gallen is the best metre eater in the game and his best position is in the front row. Andrew Fifita is the in-form front rower, coming off his domination of arguably the best forward pack in the game in the form of the Rabbits. James Tamou, although slightly out of form has proven himself time and time again. Gallen will play close to 80 minutes and I would imagine Fifita will play the majority allowing Tamou to go all out in short bursts, where I think he will be most effective.

Familiar Halves Pairing
The Blues have used 300 halves pairings in the past 7 Origin series, and for mine they got this one wrong (again) but one thing is for sure, both players should work well in tandem. The fact Michael Jennings is in the centres will assist both in that they should also be very familiar with his game, and vice versa. Both Maloney and Pearce have had a great 2013, with Maloney especially gaining a new lease on life since his move. The Roosters are flying high and hopefully they bring their form into Game 1 … Pearce is certainly due for a big Origin

A Much More Impactful Bench
NSW’s interchange bench pacts an impactful punch in the form of Watmough, Fifita, Merrin and Reynolds. Fifita has been in career best form off the bench for the Sharks. Watmough is one of the hardest runners in the game. Merrin has never looked better despite the fact the Dragons are playing extremely inconsistently. Reynolds is built for Origin and could be the game breaker if he is held back to the last 20 minutes or so to target tired Queensland defenders. The Queenslanders also pose one hell of a bench but they are more solid than impactful.

Thurston’s Mind Is Elsewhere
Thurston is the ultimate professional and you’d be a brave man to bet against him having a good game on Wednesday night but as every parent will tell you, the last week or so of your partner’s pregnancy is extremely distracting. Although I put in 100% at work, she and my future son were ALWAYS on my mind. Thurston will play well, but he’s only human and his mind will wander. He’s also been sick with the flu, something that knocks even the strongest of individuals around.

QLD Players Out Of Form (Sort Of)
Greg Inglis aside the Maroon’s main attacking players have not been in top form. God help us if Cronk, Slater, Inglis, Smith and Thurston all fire at once because NO team can combat that. All have been good but Inglis aside none have reached top form recently. I’m tipping (i.e. hoping) this continues on Wednesday night.

NSW Have The Best Back Row Going
Lewis, Hoffman, Bird … Watmough and Merrin. Back rows just do not get any better than that. I expect Gallen to see some time in the back row (hopefully not a lot though, he has to remain in the middle) but in Bird, Lewis and Hoffman the Blues essentially have another 3 running 5/8ths. If Maloney struggles and the game is tight I expect Lewis or Bird to move to 5/8 to take some pressure of Maloney for a set or two. As QLD’s wide running back rowers tire I expect Watmough especially to find space. Miles, Thaiday and Harrison will have their hands full from the first minute til the 80th and I just think the NSW 11 through to 13 gives them a big advantage.

The Weather
It has been down-right disgusting weather wise and it’s expected to tonight right up until game time on Wednesday. Paul Gallen is the king of wet weather football when he tucks the ball under his arm and hits it up. Queensland have far more flair than NSW and I believe the wet weather will bring them way back to the playing field. NSW have a better back row, this is where the game will be won in the wet.

80,000 Fans
QLD supporters will turn out in big numbers but they will be outnumbered 8 to 1 by passionate, screaming NSW fans. Blatchey’s Blues will pack an entire end of the ANZ stadium and I expect 60,000 others to be just as loud. Queensland will run out into a cauldron on Wednesday night and although I doubt it will in any way intimidate QLD’s players, it WILL lift the Blues to victory

My Tip: NSW: 20-16

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

Related


  • Andrew Fifita, Anthony Watmough, Billy Slater, Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk, Daniel Nichols, Greg Inglis, James Maloney, James Tamou, Johnathan Thurston, Josh Reynolds, Luke Lewis, Michael Jennings, Mitchell Pearce, New South Wales, Paul Gallen, Ryan Hoffman, State Of Origin, Trent Merrin
Brad Eveleigh - Assessing The Negatives Of Origin Football Russell Packer Pissed Everywhere In The Game That Kept On Giving

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
  • How Many Tries Did Billy Slater Score During His NRL Career?
    How Many Tries Did Billy Slater Score...

    Mar 22, 2021 0

  • Who Has Played The Most NRL Games?
    Who Has Played The Most NRL Games?

    Mar 11, 2021 0

  • Podcast: Fergo and The Freak – Episode 255 – Queensland Wins The 2020 State Of Asterisk Series!!!
    Podcast: Fergo and The Freak –...

    Nov 19, 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

  • North Queensland Cowboys Sign A Chad
  • A Long Walk To A Suburb Not Near You...
  • Penrith Finally Happy To Have The Clap!!!
  • Angry
  • We Love You Tommy Raudonikis
  • Is The Salary Cap To Blame For Winless Clubs?
  • A Visual Podcast - You Have To See It To Believe It!
  • Leave State Of Origin Alone!!!
  • A Classic Grand Final Rematch And NRL Tipping Strategies
  • #AskKenty Volume 8
  • Two Blokes Talking About Footy In One Take
  • Looking Back On Round One Of The NRL Season
  • The 2021 NRL Season Preview By Fergo And The Freak!
  • Is Mitchell Moses Better Than Nobody At All - Plus Emails!
  • Names On The Back Of Jerseys - Yes Or No?

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

  • How Many Tries Did Andrew Ettingshausen Score During His NRL Career?
    How Many Tries Did Andrew Ettingshausen Score During His NRL...

    Mar 22, 2021 0

  • How Many Tries Did Billy Slater Score During His NRL Career?
    How Many Tries Did Billy Slater Score During His NRL Career?

    Mar 22, 2021 0

  • Who Has Scored The Most Tries In Professional Rugby League History?
    Who Has Scored The Most Tries In Professional Rugby League...

    Mar 22, 2021 0

  • How Many Points Did Jonny Wilkinson Score For The England Rugby Union Team
    How Many Points Did Jonny Wilkinson Score For The England...

    Mar 22, 2021 0

  • The Leading Contenders For The 2021 NRL Wooden Spoon
    The Leading Contenders For The 2021 NRL Wooden Spoon

    Mar 16, 2021 0

Follow League Freak on Twitter

My Tweets

Tags

Andrew Ferguson (285) ARL (61) Australia (155) Benji Marshall (87) Billy Slater (77) Broadcasting Deal (65) Cameron Smith (60) Channel 9 (71) Daniel Nichols (122) Disgrace (73) Eligibility Rules (64) England (141) Expansion (77) Fergo And The Freak (309) Greg Inglis (99) Guest Writer (332) Israel Folau (68) Jarryd Hayne (78) Johnathan Thurston (81) League Freak (387) 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 (114) Podcast (332) Queensland (69) Referees (78) RFL (144) Robbie Farah (57) Rugby League History (69) Rugby Union (193) 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