I’m already looking forward to Origin II in Perth a week on Sunday.
The first match in Sydney was both entertaining, and from a Northern Hemisphere point of view, worrying, given the intensity and talent on show as Queensland beat New South Wales.
It was a great start for new coach Billy Slater as the Maroons drew first blood on opposition territory and bounced back from last year’s disappointments.
But Brad Fittler is an experienced operator, having guided the Blues to three wins in the four previous series he’s been in charge for.
State of Origin is ultra-competitive for its own sake, but also serves as a trial for the national team, and I just wish we had something similar.
I still maintain some sort of England Probables versus Possibles series would be a better option than playing the Combined Nations All Stars, which to me is a bit of a meaningless match, and certainly doesn’t have the ingredients needed to be a proper Test.
Despite what Shaun Wane might say, I don’t think the game will have that much bearing on the squad he names for the World Cup and, of course, the England players who are at NRL clubs won’t be involved.
But it’s what we have on the fixture list, and at least this year there is a break from club rugby for Saturday’s game at Warrington, so we should avoid a repeat of 2021, when Tim Sheens was scratching around to put a team together.
Now Sheens is back in Australia as general manager of football with Wests Tigers – and seeking a replacement for Michael Maguire after his departure last week – we have Ellery Hanley in charge of the Combined Nations.
That means they will be just as keen to win as they were last season, when England were seen off 26-24, because Ellery will demand total commitment from his charges.
I think the Combined Nations will win again, this time by ten points.
Think again, Jerry!
The team fielded by Waney won’t include Jermaine McGillvary, who played – and scored – for the Combined Nations last year and was back in the England training squad named earlier this season but has now announced his retirement from international rugby.
That’s a real shame, because I still rate him one of the best wingers in Super League, and he certainly still has plenty to offer.
If I could give him my advice, it would be to think again, and if I was Shaun, I’d be doing my best to get him back on board for the World Cup and saying: “Jermaine, your country needs you.”
After all, he’s playing well, and while he’s 34, he has invaluable experience and a proven record at international level – twelve tries in 17 matches for England, including an appearance in the 2017 World Cup Final, and a further four games for Great Britain.
He still has pace, acceleration and, as we saw from his try for Huddersfield against Wigan in the recent Challenge Cup final, real power.
He also got over as the Giants beat Leeds on Friday.
The modern winger is also required to make yards as an extra forward, and he’s good at that as well.
Make Roby the England captain
Talking of players I wish would do a U-turn on international retirement, congratulations to James Roby on setting a new record for league appearances in the summer era.
The evergreen hooker’s involvement in St Helens’ game against Hull KR took him to 455 Super League games, one more than Kevin Sinfield.
We’re talking two great players and it’s hard to add anything about James which hasn’t already been said.
As a professional player, you target consistency.
We’re all human, and everyone has the occasional lapse, but the key is to limit the off days, and if you do fall below the standard you set yourself, try to make sure you respond at the next available opportunity.
More often than not, James has been an eight or nine out of ten, and my wish for him to still be on the England scene isn’t sentimental.
He might be 36, but he’s still the best hooker we have, and like Jermaine McGillvary, he’s still capable of producing the goods in the biggest games.
And he’s a natural leader who has the respect of his fellow players.
Come on Shaun, get out of your tent, knock on James’ front door, and dangle the carrot of the England captaincy at the World Cup.
Hull to struggle without Connor
I reckon that even if Jake Connor emulated James Roby’s achievement of 2007 by winning the Man of Steel, he’d still not make it into the England squad.
He just doesn’t seem to be Waney’s cup of tea, and if the coach doesn’t rate you, as I found out when Doug Laughton rolled up at Leeds, no matter what you do, you’re in for an uphill battle.
It’s a big shame, because he’s not only a good player, but also an entertainer, one of a select handful that, as a neutral spectator, you’d pay to go and watch.
Most readers will know he’s been ruled out for at least ten weeks by a knee injury – and that’s a big blow for Hull, who will miss their maverick, a man who can swing a game with an off-the-cuff bit of skill.
I was at the game at Wakefield when he picked up his injury, and you could see the deflating effect his withdrawal midway through the second half had on Hull, who were 18-6 ahead but ended up losing by a golden-point.
Now his fellow fullback Jamie Shaul and halfbacks Josh Reynolds and Luke Gale need to step up to the plate and really do the business to help the Black and Whites make the play-offs.
In reality, they are among a clutch of mid-table clubs chasing one of two available spots, because it’s hard to see the top four of St Helens, Catalans Dragons, Wigan and Huddersfield changing between now and the end of the season.
Saints lead the table, but as the latest round of results have shown, if they’re not bang on come the business end of the season, those other three could make them pay.
Huddersfield proved much too strong for Leeds, and Wigan were solid winners at Salford on Friday, while Catalans caught the eye in overcoming Hull on Saturday.
Wigan to benefit from Cooper move
News that Warrington’s Mike Cooper will play for Wigan next season didn’t come as a major surprise given Daryl Powell’s move to bring in Kiwi prop Thomas Mikaele from Wests Tigers immediately and sign Catalans duo Gil Dudson and Sam Kasiano for 2022.
Daryl has clearly decided Cooper doesn’t fit the way he wants to play, but I reckon he’ll do a decent job at Wigan, where he’ll be reunited with assistant coach Lee Briers, who knows him well and who I’m sure will have put in a good work for him.
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