QLD Team Announced for Origin 2010 Game 1

1. Billy Slater
2. Darius Boyd
3. Greg Inglis
4. Willie Tonga
5. Israel Folau
6. Darren Lockyer (c)
7. Johnathan Thurston
8. Matthew Scott
9. Cameron Smith
10. Petero Civoniceva
11. Nate Myles
12. Sam Thaiday
13. Ashley Harrison

Interchange:

14. Cooper Cronk
15. David Shillington
16. Neville Costigan
17. David Taylor

18th Man: Ben Te'o

Earlier today the Maroons side set to contest the first Origin game was announced. Yours truly takes the win on the prediction front edging out Jim by a solitary point.

The run-on forward pack was as expected - I do think Stagg was unlucky to miss out but time will tell about how we go without a Dallas Johnson-esque defence machine.

QLD lived up to their reputation of picking reliable custodians who have done the job before. Case in point is Costigan - he's only a few games back from injury but he retained his bench spot. I agree with the call though - he's got that mongrel that we will need.

The only selections worth talking about are Cooper Cronk as utility and big Dave Taylor as a bench player. Totally agree about DT - he was born to play Origin and he will run straight through the fringes. Cronk is an interesting selection - I was admittedly a bit stumped about who to pick as a utility and I'm not convinced Cronk is the man for the job. He can play in the halves but can he play anywhere else in the backline? Not really. Can he play Hooker? Maybe. I would have preferred using Lote Tuqiri on the wing and Darius Boyd as the utility. He can cover both wings, centres and fullback. I'd even chuck him in at Hooker in the event that (touch wood) Smith gets injured mid-game.

Big wraps on Te'o for getting 18th man - he's been in blistering form for the Broncos for a good part of the year and this will hopefully spur him on to bigger and better things.

I'd like to comment quick on the NSW side quickly, what are they thinking? I can't remember a time that I've seen 4 centres picked in a squad for Origin. The recipe for success according to them is to pick a reluctant 5/8, a player who continually ducks out of the City/Country game in his place and an 'impact utility' on the bench? Newsflash: Idris is a one dimensional player. What are they going to do, give Ennis a spell, shift a tired fullback to hooker, a winger to fullback to accomodate Idris? Give me a break.

Early prediction from me - 25-18 to QLD.