‘Left it to game three’: Blues chastised for postponing NSW selection shake-up until a dead rubber
The NSW Blues have been chastised for waiting until the 2023 series was over to implement a slew of adjustments that could have saved the series.
Brad Fittler made seven changes to the team that lost the series in game two, prompting questions about why he waited until the dead rubber to pull the trigger.
“Brad Fittler explained a few of the changes saying execution wasn’t fantastic when he spoke about Jarome Luai being dropped,” Braith Anasta stated in an interview with NRL 360.
“They need tries, tries, tries which is a big reason why Cody Walker has been brought in to the five-eighth role considering the amount of tries and creativity that he has been able to execute throughout 2023. What was our take on all of that?”
Paul Crawley believes Fittler should have made a couple of key changes after Adelaide given that his team struggled to convert pressure into points from the opening game in Adelaide.
“The frustrating thing about the NSW changes now is not that it is not a stronger team, especially the starting team, it is the fact we have left it to game three,” Crawley said.
“We knew at the start of the season. We knew last year that Cody Walker was the form five-eighth of the competition.
“And we knew NSW were struggling to score points in game one. Why wouldn’t you make these changes when the series was still alive?
“Because that is what Billy Slater did. At the start of the series Billy had tough conversations with Josh Papalii, Dane Gagai and Kalyn Ponga.
“He brought in the changes because it is what he believed in and it has proved to be true.
“I just wish Freddy would have made these changes after game one.”
However, Dave Riccio believes Cody Walker would have been selected in game two were it not for a groin injury, which sparked a heated debate.
“I think Cody Walker would have probably been there had he not picked up a groin strain,” Riccio said.
“Hang on a second, I was led to believe after that game Jason Demetriou said, he would be fit to play,” Crawley shot back.
“But he couldn’t train until later in the week,” Anasta interjected.
“And for a guy coming back into the NSW side under pressure and had been out for a number of years, I don’t think that would have been ideal preparation for him to play. But they seriously considered it.
“I believe they sent their own doctor out to Cody to see what shape he was in, so he was deeply considered, but obviously they didn’t go with him.”
Gorden Tallis believes the NSW team is harder to pick than Queensland because of the wealth of talent they have at their disposal.
“It is harder picking a NSW side,” Tallis said.
“You have got a Dally M winner in Nicho Hynes. You have got Cody Walker who people said should have been there and people were talking about Nicho. Then you have got Jarome Luai who has won the last two grand finals.
“That’s three legitimate players that on their day could have been picked.
“Everyone asks Queensland why they don’t chop and change. It is because we don’t have the same amount of players. If we lose a halfback, Ben Hunt goes in there.”
