NSW Origin Team Announced

Blues
Fullback: Brett Stewart
Wing: Jarryd Hayne
Centre: Mark Gasnier
Centre: Matt Cooper
Wing: Anthony Quinn
Five-eighth: Greg Bird
Halfback: Peter Wallace
Front Row: Brett White
Hooker: Danny Buderus (C)
Front Row: Ben Cross
Second Row: Ryan Hoffman
Second Row: Willie Mason
Lock: Paul Gallen

Interchange
Anthony Laffranchi
Anthony Tupou
Craig Fitzgibbon
Ben Hornby

What to say about this team?? The backline looks relatively solid. Matt Cooper is the usual automatic choice at Centre - and a roundly uninspiring one. Lawrence may have been a more useful selection here. The halves Bird and Wallace are certainly better than the Finch-Anasta combination or Anasta-Gidley combination. Bird will play solidly and Wallace was probably the best choice out of a mediocre bunch at 7. Days out from the selection today, most were suggesting that this battle was between Finch and Gidley - which never rang true. Choosing between Finch and Gidley is not too dissimilar from being in a smoky nightclub at 4 am and there only two girls left. One is very large and one has a Sarah Jessica Parker face. You also know that one of them has syphilis. You aren't sure which. You can take your chances there if you want! Wallace then makes a lot of sense. Apache Cat: Doomben 10,000 Favourite

The pack looks okay, Laffranchi is a pig of a man though. It's great to see that even though he looks 55 years old that Craig Fitzgibbon's season has been rewarded. Having Fitz and his massive work rate back to its best has been the biggest reason for the Roosters revival this year.