NSW coach Michael Maguire has fired back at Queensland accusations that Reece Walsh was illegally targeted in Origin I by declaring: “You have got to make sure you don’t live in glass houses”.
Maguire refused to elaborate on what he was referring to but confirmed there were aspects of the Maroons game in the series opener that the Blues weren’t happy with.
“That is between me and the players,” Maguire said. “We will work on things that we need to.
“At the end of the day it is about my team, and I’m determined to make sure that we are a group, and we will stick together.”
Sua'ali'i sent off
The Blues lost Origin I 38-10 after rookie centre Joseph Sua’ali’i was sent off in the eighth minute for a high tackle that forced Walsh from the field, prompting Maroons assistant coach Johnathan Thurston to say: “They clearly had a target on him”.
Sua’ali’i, who has been replaced by Latrell Mitchell, was suspended for four matches but Broncos coach Kevin Walters said the ban was too lenient and accused the Blues of “crossing the line”.
Maguire said the tackle had been about an inch too high but defended Sua’ali’i and his team.
“You’ve got to defend everything and unfortunately about that much was the difference in that one,” Maguire said, using his fingers to indicate how much the tackle had been off target by.
It is not about going after anyone.
“Joey, he is a special human being to have to deal with that and he will be in and around the camp at some stage, but I guess things happen on the field and … glass houses, it’s interesting,
“At the end of the day he’s my player and they are my players so if you want to have a crack at our players … I’ve got to make sure that I’m looking after them.”
The Blues come out firing
With Mitchell being one of five new faces in the team for Origin II at the MCG on June 26, Maguire said the Blues were focused on improving their own performance as they seek to keep the series alive.
However, he insisted that Walsh would again be tested by the NSW defence after he was named by the Maroons for his first match since Origin I.
“They have got players who we will do our homework on, but we have got to get right our side of how we want to play,” Maguire said.
“We have got a couple of little subtleties there with the changes, so they’ve got to look at us.”
In case you needed a reminder of what Latrell Mitchell brings to Origin
Besides Mitchell, fullback Dylan Edwards was named for the series opener only to be ruled out after suffering a quad injury at training, while halfback Mitchell Moses (foot), lock Cameron Murray (hip) and utility Connor Watson (throat) were unavailable.
Had all four been fit it is expected they would have played in Sydney, but Maguire said it had been hard to drop players, particularly the Sharks pair of Nicho Hynes and Cameron McInnes.
The kicking game of Moses gave him an edge over Hynes, while Murray is considered a one of the best backrowers in the game and a future NSW captain so McInnes made way for him.
He scores them and he saves them - Dylan Edwards
“We all know that Mitch has got a good kick and we will utilise that at the right times,” Maguire said.
“Part of what Origin is about is where you place the ball and that is something we will work on that over the next eight days.
“I’ve always thought Mitch was a good player, and you have got to make a decision, so you are looking at the kicking, you are looking at the style of play and Mitch has been someone who has won before, so those things all come together to pick the squad.”
He confirmed Mitchell would also take on a kicking role after terrorising the Broncos with a series of towering bombs in South Sydney’s 28-18 win on Friday night.
“After what I saw the other day we will probably throw him in at some stage,” he said.
Since giving Mitchell a greater involvement in the kicking game for Souths, the Rabbitohs have won three consecutive matches.
During those games, he has averaged 288 kick metres, whereas in his previous five matches this season he averaged 28m with the boot.
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