NSW Blues Origin Thread

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Kurt Gidley says he is ready to lead New South Wales to State of Origin glory as the Blues’ halfback, and – this time around – he has Danny Buderus’s full support.

Gidley is part of a huge field gunning for the NSW No.7 jersey, despite lining up each week as fullback for Newcastle.

That may change this week, with an injury to playmaker Scott Durea meaning Gidley may start at halfback against the Roosters – the perfect chance to prove his worth to selectors.

“I enjoy a challenge and the enthusiasm and that sort of stuff would work for me in that sort of position,” he told AAP.

“I might be playing halfback next week. I enjoy a good mix of it at club level, being at fullback and doing a bit of ball-playing when I can get my hands on it.”

And while Knights and former Australian Test captain Danny Buderus said last season the dynamic Gidley was not ready for the job, this year the star hooker has changed his tune.

“He just brings so much energy to the halves whenever he goes in there,” Buderus told News Limited.

“Last year, I thought it would have been hard for him to be thrown in there and he was better suited for his utility value. But he has grown so much as a player since then.

“He plays with so much more patience and so much more confidence and his involvement is great. You know he would handle it now if he is given the opportunity.”

Gidley plays as fullback but likes to get involved as often as possible, popping up from dummy half or as an extra playmaker, like fellow fullbacks Matthew Bowen and Ben Hornby.

He is considered a near certainty to be named on the Blues’ bench, at least, but has received support from the likes of former NSW coach Phil Gould to make the shift to halfback.

While Queensland great depth in the role, with the likes of Johnathan Thurston, Scott Prince and Cooper Cronk, NSW has struggled to find a regular No.7 since the retirement of Andrew Johns.
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Source: RL

Near certainty for the Blue's bench...? Hmm...
 
Sorry for the number of posts of news articles. I'm just excited about the prospect of Gidley playing at the halves for NSW.

Bellamy's got the Blues
By Matthew Johns

AS Craig Bellamy sat and watched his side dismantle Manly on Friday night, it would have dawned on him that this year's State of Origin series represents the biggest challenge of his coaching career.

As NSW are still deliberating over who will pull the strings and score the points, the Blues coach is presiding over a team whose Queenslanders are starting to shred defences.

Billy Slater, not even an Origin certainty for Queensland, is in freakish touch. I agree with my brother that Slater is the NRL's No. 1 player. Slater's running game, his support play, his dependability under pressure and his ball-playing are supplying highlight-reel moments with every touch.

Cam Smith continues to get better; his creative work and composure are cornerstones of the Storm and Queensland. Greg Inglis totally overpowered Manly. Inglis's ability to play anywhere in the backline will give Maroons coach Mal Meninga the flexibility to include the young lion, Israel Folau, in his already potent attacking arsenal.

Melbourne's general, the incumbent Australian halfback Cooper Cronk, continues to put his hand up for Meninga. Cronk might not have Johnathan Thurston's individual brilliance, but some would argue that Cronk gets a team to function more effectively. His combination with Slater and Smith must also be considered.

Thurston and Darren Lockyer are the Maroons' incumbents, both have claims to being the world's best player, and both are proven match-winners at every level in every circumstance. Lockyer's problematic knee may open the door for Cronk or Scott Prince to push Thurston to No. 6.

Throw into the mix Karmichael Hunt and Matty Bowen and you get the sense of the kind of creative depth Queensland have. Queensland's superior attacking weaponry and decision-making last year was highlighted by the fact of how easily they would turn field position into points. Any mistake or penalty we gave away was punished severely.

The bad news is Queensland, potentially, will be even more dangerous this time around.

Our creative pool is a lot thinner.

The form of Braith Anasta and Greg Bird is encouraging for Bellamy. Anasta's ability to create with a pass as well as a run is improving all the time.

Bird has the talent and confidence to call the ball when the pressure is on and something is needed.

At dummy-half, Bellamy has the option of Danny Buderus or Robbie Farah. Farah can play a role similar to Smith, while Buderus is the Blues' driving force in defence and is a great running threat.

The halfback problem is Bellamy's primary headache. It seems as though the candidates are either deemed too young or past their best.

I won't go into it now, I'll talk of it later, but the Blues' lack of a really dominant No. 7 will force Bellamy to look to other positions to help pick up the creative slack.

Given that fullback candidates Brett Stewart and Anthony Minichiello are both ball runners and do little in the ball-playing department, Bellamy will depend on some members of his pack to assist in this area.

This may mark a changing of the guard, with multi-skilled players who can not only work hard and create a threat with their running but who can use the football as well.

Kurt Gidley will be a key man for the Blues' campaign.

Gidley can cover any position and play almost any role.

At Newcastle, he is carrying a lot of creative responsibility. Bellamy will look to him to do the same for his state.
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Source: Herald Sun.
 
Heck, at this rate his a shoe in. Just hope it isn't a repeat of last year where he injured himself.
 
Oh. Let's see how he plays the next few matches. Especially seeing there is a chance he will be playing at the halves this week...
 
best indication would be the country v city game

does anyone know what round it is?

I have a feeling it will be
6-mullen
7carney or gids
 
Then doesn't that mean this will be Gidleys only chance to impress, seeing as we have a bye round 7 and the round 8 game is a Saturday?
 
But if Gidley makes the Australian Side which looks like he will (ie on the Bench), then he wont be eligible to play City v Country
 
Bellamy picks Gould's brain about Origin
Andrew Webster

NSW coach Craig Bellamy has met former Blues mentor Phil Gould to ask for advice for this year's State of Origin series. The pair were seen sharing a quiet sherbet at the bar of the Hilton in Melbourne on Friday night after the Storm's victory over Manly, along with Gould's Channel Nine comrades Matt Johns and Ray Warren. According to Gould, Bellamy is ready to turnaround the fortunes of the Blues, who have lost the past two series to Queensland. "Craig is a very genuine and sincere young man as well as being a great coach," he said. "He doesn't need any advice from me but it was very nice of him to ask a few questions. He sounds like he's ready to me. NSW is in very good hands." Earlier, Bellamy was locked in deep discussion with his Blues assistant, Andrew Johns, outside the Storm's rooms at Olympic Park. Bellamy's predecessor, Graham Murray, was widely criticised for failing to seek the sage advice of those who had done it all before.
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Pearce downplays Origin hopes
Steve Orme
Sportal

Teenage sensation Mitchell Pearce has laughed off suggestions he is among the front runners to fill the coveted No.7 jumper for the Blues this season.

The Roosters pivot has been among the form halfbacks early in the season and along the way has developed a lethal combination in the halves with Braith Anasta - who will be among the first players picked for game-one next month.

But in only his first-full year in the top-grade after making his debut in round-two last season, Pearce insists State of Origin football is the furthest thing from his mind.

"I haven't even been thinking about it (the NSW No.7 jersey)," Pearce said.

"There's a lot of other good halfbacks in the comp and I've just been worrying about playing for the Roosters early in the season."

"I've played 20 first-grade games so it's not even on my mind."

Asked if he feels he would not be ready if he received a shock call-up from Blues selectors Pearce replied: "As I said I'm pretty young and just worrying about the Roosters at the moment."

"Like I said there's a lot of guys that are more experienced around me so the Roosters are only on my mind."

But the speculation is only likely to intensify ahead of Sunday's clash with the Knights with Pearce is set clash head-to-head with Kurt Gidley, who has also been mooted as a strong candidate to win the halfback spot for the Blues.

Pearce was quick to deflect the spotlight onto his more experienced opposite number, who will fill the void for injured Knights pivot Scott Dureau against the Roosters on Sunday.

"I'm sure it's either out of Kurt Gidley or Brett Finch to get the origin spot," Pearce predicted.

"He's (Gidley) a great player … the last few years he's been one of the best players in the comp so it's going to be one of our challenges to stop him."

Quizzed on his blistering early-season form, the modest youngster was again quick to deflect the attention - this time onto his side's star-studded pack.

"It's (his own game) been going good, we've got a good forward pack and we've been playing as a team," Pearce said.

"Our defence has been great and it's just been giving me and Braith (Anasta) a bit of room which has helped us a bit."
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Knowing what Gould thinks of Gidley/Finch, I wouldn't be surprised now that if either of them will be playing at halves for NSW in the SoO. Even Pearce favours Gidley. :P
 
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Gidley should be Origin half: Stuart
April 15, 2008

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HE'S the third-choice No.7 at Newcastle, but Test utility Kurt Gidley continues to receive backing from all the right people in his bid to snare the New South Wales Origin halfback jumper.

Australian coach Ricky Stuart joined the chorus of supporters calling for Gidley to be handed the job for the Origin opener on May 21, with selectors still struggling for a standout option.

Gidley will on Sunday hold an 80-minute audition against one of his main rivals for the berth - Sydney Roosters teenager Mitchell Pearce - after the Knights' 'everywhere man' was named to fill in for the injured Scott Dureau (ankle) at halfback.

Newcastle and NSW skipper Danny Buderus sung Gidley's praises following his standout performance at halfback in the second half of Sunday's loss to Brisbane, and Stuart had little hesitation in putting the 25-year-old's name forward.

"(NSW coach) Craig Bellamy asked me this question five weeks ago and I said Kurt Gidley then," Stuart said.

"I like Kurt Gidley as a player.

"I think he's very tough, he doesn't leave a hole in your defensive line, he's not a target and the way he can run the ball at the line with support is something a lot of halfbacks haven't got. A lot of young halfbacks are learning how to do it.

"What I like in a halfback is that when you're side is under the pump he can throw the forwards on his back and say follow me, and that's what he did last week. He got that Newcastle team back in that game against the Broncos."

Given Stuart's ringing endorsement, it would seem Gidley would be a shoe-in to retain his spot as the utility on the bench for the Kangaroos' May 9 Test against New Zealand.

It's a role he filled for the Blues in games one and three of last year's State of Origin series, but said he would love the opportunity to make a bigger impact.

He played just 17 minutes in the game one loss and 26 minutes as the Blues won the dead rubber in Brisbane.

"I play 80 minutes every week at club level, I'm not a big fan of sitting on the bench and watching the game, I like to be in amongst it right from the start," Gidley said.

"Obviously that's the next progression to try and get into the starting line-up.

"(But) you get chosen in those sorts of teams you're prepared play anywhere."

As for the push from Buderus and Stuart, Gidley said: "It's better than getting bagged for the wrong things I suppose, but you've got to back it up on the field.

"(Buderus) said he hoped he didn't put any pressure on me with what he said. I didn't see it actually - but it's always good to have some support from him."

While happy to be given a crack at halfback against the Roosters, Gidley said he realised the move was likely to be a temporary one.

And he played down the significance of the one-on-one battle with Pearce, which will come just two days after another two NSW halfback contenders in Parramatta's Brett Finch and Manly's Matt Orford go head to head at Parramatta Stadium.

"I wouldn't even be playing there if all the boys were right with injury," Gidley said.

"But with Mullos (Jarrod Mullen) being out and Scotty going down on the weekend, I think Smithy's (coach Brian Smith) put me there as the next best option for the team.

"We've had three close losses and if we can really tighten up a few things in defence we can go into the bye with a win under our belt."
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AAP
 
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