Origin game plan can come at a cost
TITANS rake Nathan Peats admits watching the Blues secure an Origin series victory was bittersweet after failing to retain his NSW spot.
Peats, who will take on another former Blues hooker on Sunday when Robbie Farah lines up for the Wests Tigers in his return to Leichhardt Oval against the Gold Coast, said he was immensely proud of the Blues’ effort.
But he jokingly lamented the fact that Queensland super trio Johnathan Thurston, Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk had decided to retire the year after he made his debut.
“It was a bit of a mixed feeling because you want them to win but also disappointing because I wasn’t able to do that last year when we came so close,” he said.
“I just wish Smith and Thurston and Cronk had retired last year, it might have made the job a bit easier. It was nice to see the Blues win because it was a while since we’d done that.
“I can see that side going on and making a run now. The way they’ve got the young kids coming through, they’re building for the future.”
Peats made his NSW debut last season, winning a place in Laurie Daley’s team as much for his ability to play a role as for his own attributes. It may have cost him his spot too, with his role as a ball feeder to halves James Maloney and Mitchell Pearce blunting his opportunities.
Peats said being able to play to a game plan was all part of Origin though, something Titans teammates Jarrod Wallace and Ryan James had also found this season.
Wallace has been pilloried for his Game Two effort but played an unselfish game as focus switched to Queensland getting the ball wide early in the match – a ploy that gave them a 10-0 lead. “(Wallace) was just doing what Kevvie (Queensland coach Kevin Walters) told him to do just like I was doing what Laurie (Daley) told me to do last year.”
And he believed James had sacrificed power and aggression to play extended minutes for the Titans.
“They picked (Matt) Prior because he was similar to (the injured Reagan) CampbellGillard but that’s how (James) used to play,” he said.