Wednesday 13 January 2016

2016 #Origin bolters? Don't hold your breath...

Which players named in Emerging Origin squads could debut in 2016?

National Rugby League Premiership

By W D Nicolson - January 13, 2016


We were going to overhaul our wdnicolson.com creative style but hey slightly dodgy is our thing right? 

The NRL Tweet takes a quick look at a handful of players who might be a chance of debuting for NSW or QLD in the 2016 Series... but there may not be many openings on either team so don't hold your breath potential debutants! 

Now we're talking genuine debutants - so Blake Ferguson doesn't qualify.

#1... Dylan Napa, QLD.


Big, mean and red-headed - he starts 2016 the way he finished 2015 and he'll likely oust Jacob Lillyman for a spot in the 17. Although Josh Papalii replaced Josh McGuire for Game 3 last year (the latter will come back in if healthy you image) - Napa almost made his debut last year anyway - so he's the most likely guy for mine to get a call up from this list but he's no slam dunk.

#2... Matt Moylan, NSW.

If NSW decide they need creativity in the fullback job then (you'd hope) a fit and firing Moylan will get the call ahead of James Tedesco. That moves Josh Dugan into the centres (and either drop or move one of Michael Jennings or Josh Morris to the wing) and although we have no idea what NSW do in the halves - Moylan at fullback at least makes the Blues look moderately dangerous in attack... but there's no guarantee NSW go this way (as in be willing to move Dugan to the centres again) or if Moylan will be running free after an awful ankle injury midway through 2015. And that's not even bringing him playing at #6 into the discussion...

#3... Anthony Milford, QLD.

QLD have never been afraid to pick an outside back on the bench for Origin and though Michael Morgan's NRL form at the end of 2015 gave the Maroons every reason to pick him again - I could see Milford or Cherry-Evans getting the call up again ahead of him potentially. That said QLD are pretty loyal so you'd think Morgan gets first crack - but Milford and DCE for that matter are pretty special. He's #3 on this list on likelihood of getting a run at some stage of the 2016 Series - it's not a case of ranking him 3rd best talent or anything. 

#4... Tyson Frizell/Tariq Sims, NSW.

If Frizell back comes good in time for the first few weeks of the season (he just had surgery) and his form is good thereafter - he looms as a Laurie Daley favourite to come in for a bench role for either Ryan Hoffman or Beau Scott (should either be omitted or step down from Origin contention). I'll add Tariq Sims as 4b here as I think both are firmly in Daley's sights. 

#5... Blake Austin and Adam Reynolds, NSW.


Look - these two could actually be the first two picked if Daley decides to move away from Trent Hodkinson and Mitchell Pearce entirely. But I'm not convinced Pearce is done at Origin level so Daley has to decide what he wants at five-eighth for mine... is it Austin, Reynolds or even Moylan? Then there's Aidan Sezer, Jarrod Mullen and remember that Josh Reynold's character?  


There's my thoughts and I could be way off - so have you got your own?
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