Blues props battle-ready

BRISBANE: Junior Paulo said he’s relishing the hostile atmosphere which awaits as New South Wales (NSW) Blues coach Brad Fittler turned to experience for the opening minutes of the series decider.
Paulo has been promoted to starting side over Jacob Saifiti, who won the nod over David Klemmer and Reagan Campbell-Gillard to replace the injured Jordan McLean, as the Blues almost finalised their State of Origin preparations at Kingscliff on Monday.

The experienced Paulo has started on the bench in the opening two games of the series, but in the absence of Payne Haas and McLean, he will be moved to the starting side as the Blues try to win their first decider in Brisbane since 2005.
It will allow Saifiti, 26, the chance to be eased into the game from the bench with Paulo to start alongside Jake Trbojevic in the front row.
“I think he knows what he’s got to do and he’s talked about nailing his role, and if his role is off the bench he’s going to look to enjoy the atmosphere, but most of all enjoy his debut,” Paulo said of Saifiti.
“There’s a lot of trust in the guys running out and we’re looking forward to seeing Jacob go out there and do his thing.
“You can expect everything from Queensland. Being at home at Suncorp, it’s a different beast. The whole of Suncorp get behind their team.
“We’re obviously going to be outnumbered, but we know what to expect early on.
“That first 10 minutes is going to be a bit of an arm wrestle, but we’ve got to be able to weather the storm and focus on our job.”
Fittler has defended the call to hand a debut to Saifiti, Newcastle’s player of the year last season, over the likes of his more seasoned Knights teammate Klemmer and game one starter Campbell-Gillard, who has fallen down the pecking order.
But Saifiti has also asked Paulo to lay the platform from the opening whistle, in a spot intended to be McLean’s before he broke down at training last Thursday.
Asked whether he expected the Maroons to be making him a target, Saifiti said: “I expect nothing less.
“They’re all playing really good footy. But I’ve been picked for a reason and I plan on doing my job.”
— Sydney Morning Herald

NSW put target on Dearden

SYDNEY: Brad Fittler’s Blues are set to target debutant Tom Dearden in the crucial game three decider.
The Cowboys young gun was drafted into the starting 17 following Cameron Munster’s positive Coronavirus test last week.
Queensland coach Billy Slater is yet to reveal whether Ben Hunt will shift into the halves, or if Dearden will start in the No.6 jersey — but either way, Dearden’s former Australian schoolboys teammate, Stephen Crichton made no secrets about New South Wales’ plan.
“One hundred per cent,” Crichton said about marking Dearden.
“In the Origin arena, it’s going to be big shoes for him to fill.
“I think us playing as a pack and being together, we’ll try to get to him when we can.
“We’ll just play what’s in front and back ourselves as well.”
Immortal Andrew Johns explained he believes Slater will hand Dearden the starting spot in the halves, keeping Hunt in the No.9.
“Personally, I would go with Ben Hunt at five-eighth, but I think they’ll go with Dearden,” he said.
“There’s a lot of pressure on the young guy, playing a decider in the No.6 Queensland jersey,” Johns said. — Fox Sports

Sterling makes surprise visit ahead of series decider

BRISBANE: He might have stepped away from the rugby league spotlight last year, but Peter Sterling has made a surprise appearance in Brisbane yesterday to inspire New South Wales (NSW) Blues before the State of Origin series decider tonight.
A consultant to Laurie Daley during the previous Blues era, Sterling accepted an invitation from NSW coach Brad Fittler to hand out the jerseys all players will wear at Suncorp Stadium tonight.
Sterling retired from commentary duties with Nine at the end of last season and spent parts of this year traveling. Yet he was only too happy to help Fittler’s Blues, who are chasing their first win in a series decider north of the border since 2005.
“With this jersey comes an enormous responsibility,” Sterling told NSW’s players.
“You are building a legacy and an understanding, you are a beacon for those who come after you.
“You’ve got to know that there are young people in Dubbo, Temora, Camden, St Clair, Mona Vale … ​​all the players that you are representing are watching what you do.
“You can multiply that by 100 and you are a beacon and an inspiration for them, and the confirmation that one day their dreams can come true.”
Sterling only played in one Lang Park decider himself, when the Blues went down to Queensland 8-10 in game three of the 1987 series.
NSW then won the exhibition game played later that year in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, the disappointment for Cowboys prop Jordan McLean is still being felt in the Blues camp with assistant coach Paul McGregor saying the team would gain a worthy replacement with Newcastle front-rower Jacob Saifiti.
“He’s a big body; he plays it tough; he does the effort areas very well in a game,” McGregor said.
“He works hard off the footy — puts pressure on the ball player, defends well, carries strong and does the simple things really well.
“That’s what you need — people who are selfless in this arena,” he said. — Sydney Morning Herald

Prop axing comes under examination

SYDNEY: National Rugby League (NRL) reporter Paul Kent has claimed New South Wales (NSW) coach Brad Fittler overlooked Parramatta forward Reagan Campbell-Gillard for the State of Origin decider because of a divide within the playing group.
Fittler has made a raft of changes since NSW lost the series opener, and was forced to bring in Newcastle prop Jacob Saifiti to replace Jordan McLean for tonight’s series decider.
The decision not to bring back Campbell-Gillard, who played in game one before being dropped for the second, has raised eyebrows says Kent.
After leaving the Panthers to join the Eels in 2020, Campbell-Gillard took a dig at his former club.
“When you’re in the position I was in, coming off the bench and playing 25 to 30 minutes, you tend to think, ‘Stuff it, I’ll start doing this and that and not caring about it’,” Campbell-Gillard said in 2020.
Former teammate and NSW halfback Nathan Cleary took exception to those comments recently.
“He makes some silly comments sometimes,” Cleary said about his former Panthers teammate.
“It’s just how it is.
“When he said that he stopped trying, a few of the boys were quite pissed off about that.”
— Fox Sports

Burton sends warning to Queensland backline

BRISBANE: Matt Burton has warned Maroons winger Corey Oates to prepare for a bombing raid in tonight’s State of Origin decider as his former mentor Trent Barrett predicted the 22-year-old would become one of the National Rugby League’s (NRL) marquee playmakers if he is partnered with a top halfback and hooker.
Burton, the Bulldogs five-eighth, will again play left centre for New South Wales (NSW) after starring on debut in Perth two weeks ago and the game’s most talked about left foot is again expected to have an impact at Suncorp Stadium as he and Nathan Cleary test the Queensland back three under the high ball.
“It was good to hit one sweet off the boot just after halftime in Perth and if I get asked to step in and put a few up again I am more than happy to do that,” Burton told NRL.com.
“Nathan can hit them just as well so we will be definitely trying to test them out and we will be looking forward to doing that.”
The towering kick for rookie Maroons winger Murray Taulagi sparked suggestions that Burton was in the sights of an American National Football League talent scouts but the Canterbury star is more interested in soccer than gridiron, as that is the sport where he learned to strike the ball so sweetly.
Meanwhile, Barrett has known Burton since he rose from the ranks at Penrith to make his NRL debut at the end of the 2019 season and after taking charge of the Bulldogs last year he targeted the gifted rookie.
“He was always one that we thought no matter what level he played at, he could just go with it,” Barrett said.
“The harder it got and the faster it got, it didn’t bother him — and that is the case at the moment, with the step up to State of Origin.” — NRL