Laurie Daley was quoted during the week as not being tempted to enter the 2017 State of Origin series with a โmakeshiftโ number nine.
He even went on to name incumbent Robbie Farah and Penrithโs Peter Wallace as favourites.
As it stands, the two men most likely to represent the state in the annual interstate contest are a player who isnโt even considered the best number nine at his club, and a man who was towelled up just a week ago by his Maroonโs counterpart Cameron Smith.
Do not get me wrong, Wallace is far from the first, and wonโt be the last, player to be outshone by the future immortal Smith, but the stocks in the hooking role are in short supply south of the Tweed.
With all due respect to his wonderful career and efforts to date, Robbie Farah isnโt currently the best number nine at his club. Damian Cook is playing brilliant footy, and for the life of me, I cannot see why the Bunnies were so keen to sign Farah last season.
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Wallace, although he will give you his all for 80 minutes every single week, was moved into the number nine role through necessity at club level after the club moved James Segeyaro on to free up salary cap space.
Wallace has been a revelation back at hooker, where he played earlier in his career prior to a shift into the halves and has Origin experience, but he is no Cam Smith.
With Michael Ennis having hung up the boots, there arenโt many standout options to don the sky blue in 2017.
Nathan Peats was last year earmarked as the player most likely to success Farah and Ennis but is yet to step onto the field in 2017 after suffering an injury. He will not have enough footy under his belt to perform at Origin level, so you can all but count him out.
Other possibilities include the man who has usurped Farah as the Bunnies number nine in Damien Cook, as well as possibly the in-form Cameron McInnes.
The Dragons number nine has been in incredible form since his move to represent the Red V and will likely play in this seasonโs City/Country contest. A big performance could possibly put him in the running.
As for Cook, I am almost shocked at just how underrated this player is. He tore defensive lines apart during his time filling in for the injured Michael Lichaa whilst at the Dogs. The Bunnie's late season revival in 2016 coincided with Cookโs promotion into the run-on hooker, coincidently at the expense of Cameron McInnes.
Sharks young gun Jayden Brailey has shown incredible potential but is way too inexperienced at even NRL level to be amongst the talk. Michael Lichaa has shown indifferent for during his time at Belmore and is yet to fulfil his undoubted potential. Apisai Koroisauโs qualification status would be in question after representing Fiji on multiple occasions and is yet to find the form that would see his name being mentioned.
NSWโs best option, if they chose to overlook the form of Cook and McInnes, could very well be to look to the likes of a Jack Bird, Josh Reynolds or the like to fulfil the role. That in itself presents a huge risk, but both players have Origin experience and have shown incredible versatility at Origin level. Itโs almost forgotten that Reynolds has an Origin series victory to his name, while Bird has proven himself dangerous out of dummy half in the past.
With Maloney, Adam Reynolds, Pearce and Moylan the four front runners for the halves positions, with Maloney surely pencilled in, we could very see Pearce or Moylan moved into the role.
Daley had no problems in picking Moylan out of position last season at Origin level, and has picked Josh Dugan at centre in the past, with talk of Tommy Turbo or Jarryd Hayne playing in the outside backs in 2017, yet wonโt consider picking a makeshift number nine?
Whoever he picks will have to make a mountain of tackles, distribute the ball to the likes of Maloney and Tedesco, while moving a huge forward pack around.
Right now, you really canโt pick Farah. Iโm sure he wouldnโt let you down, but Cook has his rightful number nine jersey at club level, so Iโd cringe to see Farah picked at Origin level.
Your rep hooker really needs to be playing big minutes every week. Right now Farah isnโt playing 40.
Wallace is playing 80 minutes and making plenty of tackles. He lacks the creative spark of the likes of Cook, but he tackles just as hard in the 79th minute as he does in the opening minute.
Cook should be playing 80 minutes at club level and has the creativity to bust open a game.
McInnes is also playing big minutes and has looked a differing player during his time at the joint-venture club.
Although the smart money is on Farah being selected due to his past efforts at rep level, Cook, McInnes or Wallace look far more ready for the role.
Itโs scary to think that Queensland's second-string hooker, Jake Friend, would absolutely waltz into the NSW Origin line up without question. At the moment, their third choice Andrew McCullough would beat out any of his NSW counterparts also.
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