JAMAL Idris, and a few other raw-boned, rip-and-tear players like him, are the circuit breakers to turn Origin football NSW's way this year.
It's about time the Blues faced that old line - the one that says if you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got.
We're facing a fifth straight series loss this year. It's time we reconsider the way we have picked teams in the past and consider an alternative.
Origin football is less about game plans and strategy than it is about players and attitude.
That's why Queensland are always competitive - even when they are down on talent, they pick players with an Origin attitude.
Idris has shown us he has that, and a lot more, in recent weeks.
The way he went after Timana Tahu when the Dogs played Parramatta was the perfect teaser for Origin football.
Here was a guy putting it all on the line, making it personal against his opposite. It gave him something to lose, but Idris came through it and finished over the top of Tahu.
Then he took a small step up with his debut in representative football and he was terrific.
Far from overawed, he went after the City players on Friday with aggression and purpose. He was showing us that, mentally, he could make the adjustment.
So, for mine, mentally he makes it as an Origin player.
There are two other things I like about him. He is a monster to be playing in the centres. This presents the Queensland backline with a problem they haven't seen for some time.
The other part to him is that, last year, when the Dogs played Melbourne, Idris terrorised Greg Inglis all game.
I think we need to take the same philosophy with Idris into our pack.
Big players win big games. It is never more true than in Origin.
In the past couple of years there has been too much of a sameness about our pack, size-wise, that has made it easy for Queensland to nullify us. Our whole pack more or less had the same body shape, same height, meaning once Queensland prepared for one they were prepared for all. Nothing different was coming at them.
(rest is all crap and not really important)
Centres: As I said, Idris is shaping as just what we need in Origin. The other centre I'd pick with him is Tahu.
Tahu is nice and big and can whack in defence. He's good on his feet, too.
Five-eighth: The reason I have Idris and Tahu at centre is because I think we need Jamie Lyon at five-eighth. We're lacking a genuine No. 6 at Origin level.
Lyon at five-eighth gives us a more solid look through the backline.
Telegraph
It's about time the Blues faced that old line - the one that says if you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got.
We're facing a fifth straight series loss this year. It's time we reconsider the way we have picked teams in the past and consider an alternative.
Origin football is less about game plans and strategy than it is about players and attitude.
That's why Queensland are always competitive - even when they are down on talent, they pick players with an Origin attitude.
Idris has shown us he has that, and a lot more, in recent weeks.
The way he went after Timana Tahu when the Dogs played Parramatta was the perfect teaser for Origin football.
Here was a guy putting it all on the line, making it personal against his opposite. It gave him something to lose, but Idris came through it and finished over the top of Tahu.
Then he took a small step up with his debut in representative football and he was terrific.
Far from overawed, he went after the City players on Friday with aggression and purpose. He was showing us that, mentally, he could make the adjustment.
So, for mine, mentally he makes it as an Origin player.
There are two other things I like about him. He is a monster to be playing in the centres. This presents the Queensland backline with a problem they haven't seen for some time.
The other part to him is that, last year, when the Dogs played Melbourne, Idris terrorised Greg Inglis all game.
I think we need to take the same philosophy with Idris into our pack.
Big players win big games. It is never more true than in Origin.
In the past couple of years there has been too much of a sameness about our pack, size-wise, that has made it easy for Queensland to nullify us. Our whole pack more or less had the same body shape, same height, meaning once Queensland prepared for one they were prepared for all. Nothing different was coming at them.
(rest is all crap and not really important)
Centres: As I said, Idris is shaping as just what we need in Origin. The other centre I'd pick with him is Tahu.
Tahu is nice and big and can whack in defence. He's good on his feet, too.
Five-eighth: The reason I have Idris and Tahu at centre is because I think we need Jamie Lyon at five-eighth. We're lacking a genuine No. 6 at Origin level.
Lyon at five-eighth gives us a more solid look through the backline.
Telegraph
