Gasnier won't play pivot - Meninga
05 July 2006Â
By BRAD WALTER and GLENN JACKSON
Sydney Morning Herald
Queensland coach Mal Meninga believes shock NSW five-eighth selection Mark Gasnier will not play in the pivot role "at any stage" of tonight's deciding State of Origin match at Melbourne's Telstra Dome.
Meninga made the stunning prediction yesterday before what had been scheduled to be the Maroons' last training session, but with Bulldogs centre Willie Tonga rushed into camp on stand-by for Josh Hannay the Queenslanders may have another run before kick-off.
Blues coach Graham Murray last night refused to rule out changes to his line-up, with Cronulla back-rower Paul Gallen expected to make his Origin debut in the starting team in place of Newcastle second-rower Steve Simpson, who aggravated a groin injury at training last week.
Gallen ran with the side for much of yesterday's session at the 56,000-capacity stadium, with Simpson joining reserves Ben Hornby, Mark O'Meley, Steve Menzies and 18th man Dean Young as opposition. Significantly, Gasnier spent most of the workout at second receiver and NSW insiders insist he will play in the position he was selected.
However, Hornby filled in at five-eighth as well as halfback and hooker and it is the inclusion of the Dragons utility - chosen in the No.6 jersey for Sunday's match against South Sydney, with Gasnier in the centres - that has caused so much speculation about how the Blues will line up.
Asked whether he thought Hornby was on the NSW bench as insurance for Gasnier, Meninga said: "I don't think Mark Gasnier will play five-eighth at any stage tomorrow night. I think he will have a roving role ? and he will be back at fullback and [Brett] Hodgson in the line."
In the Dragons' most recent match, Gasnier played five-eighth and Hornby fullback - but only when they were down North Queensland's end, with the pair switching in their own half.
AdvertisementAdvertisementWhen Hornby stepped into the five-eighth role at training yesterday, Hodgson remained at fullback and Gasnier drifted around, while he defended outside of centre Matt Cooper.
Exactly who he will line up against won't be known until just before kick-off, with Meninga saying he would be prepared to give Hannay as long as possible to recover from a virus.
Hannay was quarantined from the rest of the team and Tonga put on a plane to Melbourne to replace Cowboys back-rower Matt Scott, who had been 18th man.
Maroons team doctor Roy Saunders rated Hannay's prospects of playing as worse than 50-50, but Meninga said he would leave the final decision to the North Queensland centre.
Blues assistant coach Laurie Daley yesterday told a lunch at Melbourne Town Hall that the NSW camp held greater fears for Tonga, who starred in his first appearance back for the Bulldogs last Sunday after a six-week lay-off with a hamstring injury.
"That makes them stronger," Daley said of Tonga. "He's played for Australia, he's a dynamic player with a ball in his hands. He offers more of a threat with the football. It would make our job harder if he comes into the team."
Meninga said the Maroons were likely to have another training session today for Tonga, who did not play in Origin I or II.
"A couple of years ago, if he wasn't injured, he would have had a mortgage on the centre spot with the ability he's got," Blues captain Danny Buderus said. "He's going to be a definite threat to us."
After being outmuscled by the Maroons at Suncorp Stadium in Origin II, Buderus said the NSW forwards intended to fight fire with fire - raising the possibility of another incendiary Melbourne Origin after the brawling encounters of 1994, 1995 and 1997.
"It's an Origin decider," Buderus said. "It all comes down to this. If you don't get physical and aggressive, you're not going to win."
Meninga acknowledged the Maroons would have most of the support at Telstra Dome, which is a sell-out after NSW officials agreed to transfer the match from Sydney as part of a move to promote the game in Melbourne.
"We need to bring the crowd into the game by playing really well," he said.
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