Once again Brad Fittler has shown arrogance and stupidity with his team selection and it looks set to lead to just the second series sweep since the year 2000.
Best Bet
We are not getting sucked into statistics for this one. We are got getting swayed by history. This bet is one based on the teams in front of us, how each team is constructed, the level that each team is coached at and where the respective states are.
And all those factors point to Queensland.
The Maroons have won this series already but it should be remembered they opened as big outsiders to claim this series. This game and the last one are the only two of the Brad Fittler era that the Maroons have started favourites in.
To say that the Fittler has been outcoached by Billy Slater would be a dramatic understatement. Slater has been meticulous in his preparation. He has been decisive in the path he wants to take. He has built a winning culture by treating both selected players and those overlooked with respect. Fittler, by contrast, has had the worst series of any coach in the history of Origin. He has almost single-handedly helped Queensland more than any Queenslander has. His team selections have been stupid, arrogant, erratic and nonsensical. The persistence with some underperforming player mixed with the dropping of one-gamers who were not given a real chance has created a diabolical team culture. He has done so much damage with his idiotic use of the interchange bench that he should have already lost his job. It goes on.
There has been just one streak since 2000, a remarkable number. A second looms though. The Blues should absolutely be the more motivated team for this one but it is hard to see how this team that consists of just two props, an unbalanced bench and some utterly horrific selection decisions wins.
Take the minus. Enjoy watching with ease.
Same Game Multi
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has thrived in the Origin arena with four tries in his three Origin appearances and can steamroll the Blues again.
Murray Taulagi scored his maiden Origin try last game and the Blues are getting exposed constantly on their edges.
Value Bet
Cameron Munster was the best player in the opener – and didn’t get the award – and was very good again last game and missed out. Two forwards have won over the first two games so happy to put a line through any forward here. Munster is a two-time winner who gets the attention of selectors and there has not been a series since 2019 that no half has won a man of the match award in any of the three games.
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