gasnier and game 3.

so this was written a while back. gasnier just announced he was returning to league and state of origin game 3 was upon us. my thoughts on the two topics.

THE RETURN OF GASNIER.
The return of Mark Gasnier to rugby league has been welcomed with open arms. A superstar at the St George Illawarra Dragons, he decided to turn his back on them and the code some 3 years ago and take up a lucrative offer playing rugby union in France. It’s fair enough that he was seeking a healthy pay packet but turning your back on a team that had every opportunity to win the competition surely didn’t sit well with the Australian public. He has now returned for the sole reason of winning a premiership. And he has gone straight to his club that he defected from, the Dragons. It was no surprise that the Dragons were happy to bulk up their player list with a player of this calibre. Sitting atop the ladder displays the consistent season that the Dragons have achieved so far. Adding a virtual superstar to that line-up would only strengthen their claims for a premiership. Gasnier may not adapt to the game straightaway but give it a few games and he will be playing the game as good as a duck is to water.

STATE OF ORIGIN GAME 3.
State of origin game 3 is upon us and as has been the case in the past 4 years, it has been totally dominated by the Queensland Maroons. The series has already been decided with the Maroons holding an unassailable 2 nil lead with the final game coming up on Wednesday 7th July in Sydney. The key to the maroons’ dominance is that hey have kept the nucleus of their team intact with fringe players replaced with adequate and performable players. On the other side, the NSW Blues can not even get a team to gel and play togther on the park. Their coach, Craig Bellamy, is making too many changes per game in an attempt to find immediate success. Penetrating the fortress that is the Maroons is no easy task and Bellamy should have installed a grind and win nature into his players some years ago. Sticking to one game plan would definitely be a beneficiary, however the pressure for immediate success has seen many game plans tossed out the window. The final game of the series gives the Blues a chance to redeem themselves from an embarrassing series whitewash. Origin games are based around the attacking nature of the two line-ups. Both possess a strong defensive unit and it is the creative nous from the centers, hookers and wingers that win these games. Lining up for QLD in these position are some of the more damaging players in the game today, Inglis, Folau, Slater and Thurstons. No disrespect to NSW but their respective players are Cooper, Monaghan, Hayne and Pearce. Very tough for them to step up ten fold to merely match the talents of the daunting figures over at the Maroons. It is for this reason that I believe that the Blues should take advantage of their kicking game. They should try and exploit the Maroons with high kicks and kicks over their heads forcing the Maroons to double back and second guess themselves. The key factor for the Blues is the freakishly talented and reigning Dally M medallist, Jarred Hayne. He has yet to fire in this series, let alone for his club, Parramatta Eels this season. If he can produce those scintillating line breaks and give his team good field position early in their tackle count, there is no reason as to why the Blues wont be able to apply scoreboard pressure. By applying scoreboard pressure and with a boisterous home crowd supporting them, you can only hope the Blues come out with the win after a gruelling 80 minutes. Otherwise the Maroons will get their thumping series victory for the 5th straight year and continue this total dominance.