State of Origin, 2025.

[Brookie1973]

So riddle me this. Burton is playing 5/8 at the Bulldogs running first and was selected in the Origin Squad. Moses the half playing 5/8 is ruled out yet the 5/8 from the team running 14th is rushed into the team. Could understand if he was brought in as cover but why even choose Burton if he is not next man up?

Burton probably there more for his utility value. Probably too similar to Cleary. Laui makes sense to me.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

'I can't make him taller': Daley​

Daley getting in early with the excuses. Everyone can see To'o is much shorter than Coates yet Loz just throws his hands in the air and says I give up.

Meanwhile not a Sea Eagle in sight.
Lucky we are in crisis or else there'd be no news at all about Manly

 

[manlyfan76]

Oh boy a game in Perth.

So much excitement... NOT

 

[Brookie1973]

Oh boy a game in Perth.

So much excitement... NOT

Especially if it’s raining.

 

[Ohgeez]

What’s the thoughts on Billy’s reply to Woods ‘sledge’? Personally I thought it was just Woodsy trying to ‘spice’ up the contest a bit but Billy has taken it a lot further in the press conference today

 

[The '47ers]

What’s the thoughts on Billy’s reply to Woods ‘sledge’? Personally I thought it was just Woodsy trying to ‘spice’ up the contest a bit but Billy has taken it a lot further in the press conference today

I'm a Qlder @Ohgeez and 100% it was just Sharon throwing it out there to fire the series up. Like many said you wouldn't have even known Game 1 was on.

But we all know Billy is a bitch though.

 

[ALinda]

I happen to know it's Slater's birthday today (surprised nothing's been said, yet) so that could be used as a motivation by the Maroons. Doubt that'll be enough to get over the Blues though, unless the script's been written and Klein determines the outcome.

 

[Dee Why Eagle]

So riddle me this. Burton is playing 5/8 at the Bulldogs running first and was selected in the Origin Squad. Moses the half playing 5/8 is ruled out yet the 5/8 from the team running 14th is rushed into the team. Could understand if he was brought in as cover but why even choose Burton if he is not next man up?

Burtons versatility

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

What’s the thoughts on Billy’s reply to Woods ‘sledge’? Personally I thought it was just Woodsy trying to ‘spice’ up the contest a bit but Billy has taken it a lot further in the press conference today

Billy a coach under a lot of pressure. A clever ploy to galvanise his side for a game his Origin coaching career may rest on, and in which they are far underdogs?

Billy can handle being called a grub, but others maybe can't such as (Paul Green)? I don't recall Green ever being called a grub or dirty in any way. So to link Green's suicide to Woods' comment was probably not showing due care to Green's surviving family members, who surely don't need to be forced to relate Billy's on-field grubbiness to what I expect may be the painful memory of their man.

I've previously been impressed with Slater's smarts but if his emotional outburst at being called a grub (which he obviously was as a player) was genuine, as it seemed, then he is fraying around the edges and may be better served sticking to commentary.

Coaching at NRL or Origin level is a very high-stress job, no question.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Aside from that... an Origin game with zero Manly players? It better be a great game or I might switch channels!

 

[Frogz]

Aside from that... an Origin game with zero Manly players? It better be a great game or I might switch channels!

Yeah, but we cant get any injuries.

 

[47MVEagle]

What’s the thoughts on Billy’s reply to Woods ‘sledge’? Personally I thought it was just Woodsy trying to ‘spice’ up the contest a bit but Billy has taken it a lot further in the press conference today

He's a sooky la-la.

Someone posted an old article from (I think?) 2005 when Slater went all in sledging an opposition player who had been quite open in the media about struggling due to depression & having to take some time off from the game to deal with it.

Apparently Slater had to begrudgingly apologise for what he said on the field, so it must have been pretty bad.

I know people can mature & change, but for Slater to sit there on his high horse & bring mental health & Paul Green's sad demise into what (to me) was a fairly light-hearted & obvious sledge was pure hystrionics & over-dramatisation.