Soft on the edges - how the Blues can win Game II

If I told you that a team who had lost Tom Trbojevic & Latrell Mitchell was lacking strike, you'd likely respond with an exasperated "duh". However, if the Blues want to be any chance of winning their fourth Origin shield in five years, they'll need to find a way to replace some of that lost potency with the ball in hand.

The Problem

On defence, the Maroons were able to slide out to the edges all night. This resulted in Brian To'o & Daniel Tupou being absolutely suffocated in Queensland's red-zone. Whether through tactics or personnel, for 60 minutes, NSW failed to establish any sort of threat with the short ball, allowing Queensland to hold the Blues to 10 points. 

Liam Martin struggled to make an impact, with just 31m run in 80 minutes of footy. While Tariq Sims got through more work (83m in 57 minutes), but really didn't trouble Queensland's edge defence. Admittedly, this did change with around 20 minutes to go, with Cameron Murray shifting to the edge & scoring his first Origin try.

The Solution

Through the successes & struggles of NSW Origin, one thing the team has never lacked is talented edge back rowers. I'm of the view that NSW need to take a page out of QLD's selection book & start taking gambles on some young, bruising ball-runners. But who do we have waiting in the wings?

Haumole Olakau'atu: Standing at 196cm & 113kg, DCE once described Haumole as "the scariest man in rugby league". With 15 tries in his 39 NRL appearances & 6 tries across 11 games in 2022, no player will frighten QLD more than Olakau'atu. Considering his experience level, I'd be happy to see Haumole coming off the bench, perhaps allowing Cam Murray to start, then shift into the middle.

Keaon Koloamatangi: Nicknamed "Big Mac Daddy", Koloamatangi has made a reputation for himself as one of South Sydney's most dangerous ball-runners. Averaging 123m/game & having scored 4 tries in 2022, there's no question of Keaon's credentials. As with Haumole, Keaon may be best served starting from the bench.

Angus Crichton: A name many were surprised not to see on the team sheets, Crichton has established himself as one of the best back rowers in the NRL. Running 115m/game & racking up 27 tries across his 129 game career, big Gus could make a serious impact for the Blues.

Tyson Frizell: Been there, done that. The 30 year old has proven himself at Origin level again & again over the years. Averaging 110m & 1.1 offloads per game, Frizell is certain to prove difficult to contain on the edges. With a 95.7% tackle efficiency in 2022, Tyson gives nothing away on the defensive side of the ball either.

Any of the above selections would do well in compressing Queensland's defence & creating space for NSW's talented edges. We've got a series on our hands, & it's now on The Blues to concoct a response - over to you Fitler.