Brisbane youngster Peter Wallace was today named halfback for NSW for game one of rugby league's State of Origin series after injury ruled Newcastle utility Kurt Gidley out of contention.

Wallace will partner Test five eighth Greg Bird at ANZ Stadium on May 21 with odds on favourite Gidley ruled out this morning after suffering a fractured cheekbone for Newcastle in last night's 18-4 NRL loss to Melbourne at Olympic Park.

It opened the door for 22-year-old Wallace to make his debut for the Blues, beating off established halfbacks including Parramatta's Brett Finch, Manly's Matt Orford and Newcastle's Jarrod Mullen for the position.

Wallace has been a revelation since joining the Broncos from Penrith in the off season, helping to lead Brisbane into the top four while skipper Darren Lockyer battled with a knee injury.

Sydney Roosters captain Craig Fitzgibbon is the other surprise selection, the 30-year-old backrower earning a recall to the Blues on the interchange bench after missing out for the past two seasons.

"Eighteen months ago everyone thought he had lost his legs but he has found them again and it's a deserved spot for him," said new NSW coach Craig Bellamy.
"Obviously he is experienced in big games which will be good for us, and he is a goalkicker as well."

Gold Coast forward Anthony Laffranchi won a deserved State of Origin debut jersey after narrowly missing out on an Australian Test jumper for the Centenary Test last week, named alongside Fitzgibbon on the interchange bench with Anthony Tupou and Dragons utility Ben Hornby.

Melbourne winger Anthony Quinn and Newcastle prop Ben Cross were also been selected for their NSW debuts, Cross to combine with his former Storm teammate Brett White.

NSW selectors made nine changes to the side which won the final game of last year's series with incumbents Gidley, Nathan Hindmarsh, Andrew Ryan, Steve Simpson, Matt King, Jamie Lyon, Brett Kimmorley, Brent Kite and Luke Bailey all missing from Bellamy's 2008 team.

Former Melbourne star King was considered ineligible as he is now playing in the UK Super League, while Gidley (cheekbone), Simpson (knee) and Bailey (wrist) missed out due to injury.

Manly prop Kite is the most controversial omission, dropped from the NSW side despite a strong performance for the Kangaroos in last week's Centenary Test win over the Kiwis.

"Brent played for Australia three or four days ago, he was in our discussions for a long time but this is a team we think will do the best job in the way we want to play the game," said Bellamy.

Sydney Roosters five-eighth Braith Anasta is another unlucky omission with his strong club form overlooked in favour of Bird's proven ability in both the Blues and Kangaroos jumpers.

The full team
1. Brett Stewart (Sea Eagles)
2. Jarryd Hayne (Eels)
3. Mark Gasnier (Dragons)
4. Matt Cooper (Dragons)
5. Anthony Quinn (Storm)
6. Greg Bird (Sharks)
7. Peter Wallace (Broncos)
8. Brett White (Storm)
9. Danny Buderus (Knights)
10. Ben Cross (Knights)
11. Ryan Hoffman (Storm)
12. Willie Mason (Roosters)
13. Paul Gallen (Sharks)

14. Anthony Laffranchi (Titans)
15. Anthony Tupou (Roosters)
16. Craig Fitzgibbon (Roosters)
17. Ben Hornby (Dragons)


In form Gold Coast halfback Scott Prince has been snubbed by Queensland selectors, with Karmichael Hunt picked to partner Johnathan Thurston in the halves for Origin I against NSW.

Queensland chairman of selectors Des Morris said it was a tough decision, but he said selectors felt that Prince was a halfback and Hunt's versatility won him the No.6 jersey following the unavailability of injured Test skipper Darren Lockyer (knee).

"It's a big job to fill obviously with a player of Darren's calibre not available, we feel he's played a fair bit of that position during the game and he's very strong in defence," said Morris of Hunt.

"We think he'll be a good mix with Johnathan (Thurston)."

Morris said he felt for Prince but pointed out the Titans' play maker was competing against the best halfback in the world.

"I think he'd be disappointed but Scott's a halfback in our opinion and unfortunately he's competing against Johnathan Thurston who's probably got the edge on him at the moment."

Hunt's selection in the No.6 jersey has opened the door for Billy Slater's Origin recall at fullback.

Manly centre Steven Bell has lost his spot in the backline, with selectors opting for Test representatives Justin Hodges and Greg Inglis in the centres.

The Maroons will field an All-Australian front row with North Queensland's Carl Webb and Penrith's Petero Civoniceva joining hooker Cameron Smith who will captain the team.

Brisbane recruit PJ Marsh has earned himself an interchange position despite playing just 63 minutes of football in the past six weeks due to a rib injury, while a powerhouse season from Brisbane's Ben Hannant has handed him his Origin debut on the bench.

The other player to make his Queensland debut is Melbourne winger Israel Folau.

The reigning premiers are heavily represented with six Melbourne players dotting the line-up, while five Broncos also made the 17.

The full team
1. Billy Slater (Storm)
2. Brent Tate (Warriors)
3. Greg Inglis (Storm)
4. Justin Hodges (Broncos)
5. Israel Folau (Storm)
6. Karmichael Hunt (Broncos)
7. Johnathan Thurston (Cowboys)
8. Carl Webb (Cowboys)
9. Cameron Smith (capt) (Storm)
10. Petero Civoniceva (Panthers)
11. Michael Crocker (Storm)
12. Sam Thaiday (Broncos)
13. Dallas Johnson (Storm)

14. PJ Marsh (Broncos)
15. Ben Hannant (Broncos)
16. Nate Myles (Roosters)
17. Jacob Lillyman (Cowboys)

great threaqd.
cant wait till the blues bury the toads up to there necks.

come onnnnnnnn the blues
end result n.s.w 2 qld 1

qld 2-1 after nsw win the first game

6673 New South Wales $2.10
6674 Queensland $1.70

State of Origin - 2008 Origin Series Result 02/07
Result Online Betting Closes 20:00 Wed 02 Jul 2008
Odds updated at: 7:06:13 AM
Sports Multi Betting is available on this market Refresh
Sportsbet No Selection (default) Price
9995 NSW 3-0 $7.50
9996 NSW 2-1 $2.90
9997 Qld 2-1 $2.40
9998 Qld 3-0 $4.25

State of Origin - 2008 Origin Series Winner
Winner Online Betting Closes 20:00 Wed 02 Jul 2008
Odds updated at: 7:02:14 AM
Sports Multi Betting is available on this market Refresh
Includes Extra Time
Sportsbet No Selection (default) Price
9993 NEW SOUTH WALES $2.20
9994 QUEENSLAND $1.65

Blues name Centenary team
May 19, 2008

IMMORTALS Reg Gasnier and Graeme Langlands have been named the 'starting' centre combination in the New South Wales Rugby League Team of the Century.

NSW Rugby League Chairman, Mr Colin Love AM, announced the team with all living members of the side to provide a special moment for the current NSW Wizard Blues team when they present them with their match jerseys.

Gasnier, the Australian Team of the Century centre, and Langlands who was chosen on the Australian bench, were selected to wear the No. 3 and No. 4 jerseys.

The legendary Bobby Fulton has been named at five-eighth with the game’s first superstar, Dally Messenger, recognised on the wing.

The NSW Team of the Century was based on voting for the Australian Team of the Century and includes 11 players from that side.

Importantly, it also finds room for some legendary Blues who deserve to be honoured in the game’s Centenary year.

Eastern Suburbs points-scoring wizard of the 1930s, Dave Brown - ‘The Bradman of Rugby League’ - and Cronulla’s greatest ever player, Steve Rogers, are fellow centres who take up two of the four reserves positions.

Those added to the Australian Team of the Century representatives are Rogers and Brown plus six times grand final-winning prop Glenn Lazarus, the first ever Kangaroo hooker Sid “Sandy’ Pearce, the first man to make three Kangaroo tours in Newcastle lock Wally Prigg and legendary Manly front-rower Roy Bull.

The NSW Team of the Century will be announced to the crowd before Game 1 of the State of Origin Series at ANZ Stadium on Wednesday night.
The identity of the side was to be kept until then but NSW coach Craig Bellamy especially asked for the living members of the side to hand his players their jerseys in a special presentation.

“We are celebrating 100 years of interstate Rugby League as part of the game’s Centenary and it is fitting that both states will anoint their own teams of the century at a time when State of Origin takes centre stage,” said NSW Rugby League General Manager, Mr Geoff Carr.

“It is a magnificent line-up which shows the extraordinary depth of talent NSW has been blessed to have.

“It is fitting, too, that the careers of the 17 players covers the period from when the first NSW team played against the All Golds in 1907, in which Dally Messenger and Sandy Pearce played, to Andrew Johns who played until 2007.

“It will be a great honour to present the players or the descendants of those who have passed away to the crowd on Wednesday night and I am sure they will get an appropriate reception.

“It is wonderful recognition to their contributions to Rugby League.”

The team was calculated from the votes of the 28-man panel that last December chose the Australian Team of the Century. Those who received the most votes, using the same selection criteria, were formed into the NSW side.

To be eligible, players must have played junior Rugby League in NSW as well as having played for the state.

The Queensland Team of the Century will be announced at a special function in Brisbane on June 10.

Go the Blues! Kill the Cane Turds.

NSW should win

Battling Blues draw first blood
May 21, 2008

New South Wales unveiled their own batch of dynasty busters at ANZ Stadium with the sky-blue rookie brigade making a mockery of Origin nerves to lead the Blues to an 18-10 victory over Queensland in the series opener.

New boys Peter Wallace, Anthony Laffranchi and two-try hero Anthony Quinn were all brilliant as they consigned the Maroons to their 11th loss in 13 appearances at the Olympic venue and put them on the back foot in their search for a hat-trick of series wins.

Only given a start after Kurt Gidley was ruled out with injury, young Brisbane halfback Wallace starred, his poise and control early in the game breaking the back of the Maroons.

Having spent the week working with former NSW maestro Andrew Johns, Wallace terrorised fullback Billy Slater with a precise kicking game which had the Maroons raking the ball out of their own half for much of the match.

He also showed a deft touch to find winger Anthony Quinn with a chip kick to give the Melbourne flyer two tries inside his first 18 minutes of Origin football.

"Unbelievable, it was just a dream come true," Wallace said.

"Hopefully it gets me another game, it's the best I've ever felt.

"It was a pretty big week, there was a fair bit of hype about it, I just tried to block it all out.

"I learnt so much in just a week, it's stuff I'll take away for the rest of my career, it was awesome."

While all the pre-match focus centred on how the Blues could contain the star-studded Queensland backline, it was the home side's speed men who were asking all the early questions.

Quinn gave the Blues a 4-0 lead after as many minutes as the ball went through the hands, Brett Stewart showing tremendous finger-tip control to reel in a Ryan Hoffman offload before finding his unmarked winger.

Queensland, who were burdened with the rarely carried favouritism tag, seemed more intent on dishing out defensive punishment than doing damage on the scoreboard, particularly through Broncos duo Karmichael Hunt and Justin Hodges.

But Hunt proved he was no Darren Lockyer as he struggled to get the Maroons backs firing and it appears they will be left with little choice but to bring in in-form Gold Coast playmaker Scott Prince for game two should Lockyer's knee not come good.

Laffranchi wasted little time in making an impact off the bench with his offload sparking Stewart's 35th minute try and it seemed the Blues would take a comfortable 14-0 lead to the break.

But Wallace's one error let the Maroons back into the game when his kick sailed out on the full just his side of halfway.

From there Queensland earned a repeat set before Brent Tate touched down on a Johnathan Thurston grubber as the halftime siren sounded.

It was nearly a repeat of the first half with the Blues making a bright start to the second half, Mark Gasnier cut short metres from the line by a Dallas Johnson try-saver.

It was certainly a much better effort than what Johnson came up with late in the contest, not for the first time the Storm lock taken from the field in a groggy state after getting his head in the wrong position.

The Blues made sure of the win with Laffranchi backing up a Gasnier bust 12 minutes from time, the Queensland side showing the never-say-die spirit they're renowned for as debutant Israel Folau crossed in the dying stages to make the final margin just eight points.

Cronulla utility Greg Bird was named man of the match and enjoyed his partnership with Wallace.

"I really enjoyed playing outside him (wallace) and he's a cool-headed character and he took everything in his stride throughout the week and that paid in the game, he had a blinder," he said.

"I enjoy the big stages. It was good fun out there."