Wasn't Dugan injured today?

He injured his ankle, I'm not sure if they know how serious it is yet.
The Herald Sun reckon Brett Stewart will get called up to the squad if Duggans
out.

Is Idris injured?

I really don't understand Hopoate getting picked.

I dont think so, I was surprised but past trying to guess what goes through the NSW coaches heads.

Idris plays right. jennings plays left.

Jennings turned his ankle, out for a few weeks.

Happy with that side.

That old cliche, you never wish an injury on someone, but stuff it, i'm glad Morris is out and over the moon that Hayne is in.

Real pity about Jennings after his convincing redemption in Game I, but VERY excited that Hopoate replaces him. This kid is the real deal, can't wait to see how he goes.

Really hope Dugan pulls up ok, cus a back 3 of Dugan, Hayne and Uate is orgasm worthy.

Lewis in is the icing on the cake. The guy should be starting and Creagh should be f*cked off (at least he's starting and not being completely useless off the bench). Think we could've kept Gallen in the backrow and played TLL, who had a pretty good game in a beaten side today. But whatever, can't win them all.

Definitely worthy of being excited and optimistic about.

Hoppa is a good player but what was all that about not playing players out of position?
He either plays left wing or FB for Manly, now he's in the NSW side at centre.
Still at least Morris and King are gone and the likes of Gidley, Lewis and Watmough are in.

Hayne
Hopoate
Idris
Gaz
Uate

if Dugan is out

I dont think he'll do that, i reckon Sticky could put Brett Stewart in for Dugan at FB as he's showing some good form since coming back from injury and Manly are flying at the minute.
Another option could be Gidley at FB with someone else on the bench like Idris.
I'm surprised Josh Morris hasn't been picked for Jennings, he plays left centre for the Dogs and has played for NSW and Aus before. He's not been in great form lately but then neither was Jennings for game 1.
I'm glad Hayne is in the side, makes them more of a threat but i cant see him moving to FB after Sticky saying he's not the sort of FB he's looking for, and he's more of a 5/8 etc.
Gallen moving to prop is a good move, he plays like a prop anyway and makes more metres than anyone so it's a good move. Plus NSW greatest strength is there backrow options so now they can have an extra backrower. Ben Creagh wouldn't be in my team but he is better starting as he offers nothing from the bench so that's a good move. I'd have gone with Lewis starting with Scott and Bird with Watmough from the bench, Watmough has been great for Manly this year and offers good impact from the bench. Then i'd have rather seen TLL on the bench with Creagh dropped but it's still a very good side and it's better than the first one. Gidley is streets ahead of Young as the bench utility and Ennis is better starting.
The only surprise for me was Hopoate, especially as he's only played 14 NRL games on the wing and FB and then he picks him at centre plus he's leaving the game for 2 years at the end of this year so it's not a team for the next few years with him there but he's a very good exciting player. It's a shame Chris Lawrence is injured and i'm gutted Jennings wont be there, he finally has a great game and then gets injured which is just typical for NSW. I think they've got a great chance for this game. Should be a cracker.
Ricky said he'd stick with the same team barring injuries but how can he when you get blokes like King getting dominated totally and Dean Young was never gonna keep his place when Gidley was back.

They'll sneak this one I reckon but get well beat in the decider.

The SMH is saying that Minichiello will be the FB as Dugan is gonna be out for 2-4 weeks.
Apparently Sticky has been impressed with him even in a struggling Roosters side. Stewart would have been picked but he's been struggling with injuries lately and cant train every day so he'll pick Mini.
Strange choice for me, Mini's had his day and was great but not anymore. What happened to building for the future etc, surely Stewart should play even if he cant train every day or put Hayne there, Hoppa on the wing and Idris at centre.

Just confirmed on 7 news there that Minichiello has been called up to the squad.
Building for the future eh?

C( news earlier had Minichiello live saying he has been told by Stuart he will be full back. He then added, he will wait to see what happens in camp though

haha lol at NSW!

Given his performance in game 1 and the quality of his play since his return from RU how does Gasnier get selected?

What does Farah have to do to get a game?

Anthony Minichiello playing FB for NSW in Origin 2 after Josh Dugan ruled out for 5 weeks.

[urlhttp://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/national/national/sport/you-can-count-on-me-minis-call-to-stuart-led-to-big-call/2187007.aspx[/url

Shocking decision for me, what's wrong with Hayne?

I personally think Gasnier has looked far better this year than he did last year. Some games he hasn't done much and he was very poor in Origin but he didn't get much ball and when he did Boyd read it well and shut him down as soon as he recieved the ball. But for the Dragons he's looked far more like the Gasnier of a few years ago during some games but he needs good early ball in space, Uate on the outside of him will be deadly but they need space. Uate ran the ball hard in Origin but other than that he didn't do much, the whole right edge didn't see enough ball, it all went down the left and that's why Jennings played well.
I dont think Farah deserves a spot in the NSW side, he's had a couple of games in 09 and was terrible. He is the most classy and skillful hooker in the game but he's not consistent. He is either outstanding or shocking, there's no inbetween with him and he hasn't performed when given the chance before. Some of tackling can be dire as it was when Folau walked through him in an Origin game as if he wasn't there, Ennis is a different sort of player and hasn't got the skills of Farah but he's still a very good hooker. Dean Young is never a hooker, i always used to say that to Dally, and he deserved dropping as Gidley offers far more from the bench although Ennis can easily play the full 80, i just hope Ennis doesn't kick as it was his poor kick that led to QLD scoring the winner from it, Soward needs to be kicking, why Pearce kicked for the first 20 minutes in the first game was stupid, Soward is the best kicker in the comp and they let Pearce do the kicking.

Uate is also on report for lifting a Tigers player on his head in the tackle. I hope he doesn't get banned otherwise NSW will have 4 of the 5 backs that started game 1 out and god knows who'd replace him as Mick Gordon is out. Maybe Blake Ferguson but Uate looked good in the first game without getting much ball.
QLD want NSW to make as many changes as possible and so far they've made 6 with Dugan, Morris, Jennings, Snowden, King and Young and possibly another with Uate. And that Sticky who said he wouldn't be making any changes and would be building a team for the future then picks Minichiello at 31, Hoppoate at 19 who is leaving the NRL for 2 years.
Still i think this side is a better one than the first game because Lewis, Gidley, Hayne and Watmough are all in good form and cant be overlooked. Moving Gallen is a good move as it allows another backrower in the side like Watmough and most players they've picked can play 80 minutes. Mannah will rotate with Merrin and Gallen will play the full game at prop.
It's just a real shame about Dugan and Jennings as both went well in the first game and will get better the more they play. Dugan seems to get injured alot, even when i watch the Raiders he can hobble about 2-3 times a game but usually carries on but this year he's not been able to carry on and then missed alot of the year. I hope he's not one of them players that could be great but never gets to be as he's always got some injury keeping him out. I'd have liked to have seen Brett Stewart in the side at FB but if he cant train all week then it's risky and Mini has been solid for the Roosters if unspectacular. The likes of Slater never get injured for QLD.

Uate cleared to play if he takes an early guilty plea. Apparently Meninga isn't happy.

I know the strongest position NSW have to choose from are the backrowers but how good has Tariq Sims been for the Cowboys this year? He ripped the Raiders apart the other day and has been getting better week after week. His defence is brutal at times, he's started playing near on 80 minutes and looks better everytime i see him. His footwork is like a back, he's got speed, skill, aggression, breaks the line, scores tries, sets them up. What more can you ask for.
He's only 21 and has got things he'll need to improve and work on but what a player he's going to be. He won the NYC player of the year last year but i didn't expect him to make the impact he's making so early on, he didn't even make the team for the first round and now Scott Bolton cant get a look in the starting side and i thought he's been one of the Cowboys best last year.

Why isn't Hindmarsh in this years squad as of yet?

Tariq Sims was impressive against Manly last night also LS14. Looks a much better prospect than his brother Ashton at first glance.

Yeah he's definately better than Ashton who is just a decnt squad player, he's done a pretty good job for the Cowboys this year after a poor few years at the Broncos but Tariq is only about 20 years old and will get better the more games he plays. I'm sure there'll be plenty of teams chasing him so the Cowboys will need to upgrade his contract pretty quick. I dont know why he never got a game for the Broncos when he won NYC player of the year last season.

It's amazing how one coach can see something in a player that another one can't, or they believe that their squad is good enough as it is. I've seen it a few times in my experience in the game. Equally it could simply be that the Cowboys wanted him and had more in the bank to make him a much better offer.