BATTLE OF SCRIBES SET FOR GOLDEN POINT

Phil ‘Buzz’ Rothfield and Robert ‘Crash’ Craddock have worked on different sides of the border for more than 40 years and, when it comes to State of Origin, don’t agree on much at all.

Crash: Buzz, I know there’s a war in Russia and the Royals are in crisis but let’s start with the biggest story of all – have the Blues settled on what shade of blue jersey they are wearing?

Buzz: Ha, ha Crash, one of your best. I actually can’t defend NSW here. Seriously, I put a poll up on Twitter on Sunday night about the navy blue jersey. Had 1500 respondents. Only 6 per cent liked it (probably Queenslanders). If that’s the case, poor old Peter Wynn and Rebel will have plenty leftover. We should never have changed from sky blue. It would be like your mob wearing pink. Or the Australian cricket team wearing lime green baggy caps. It just wouldn’t happen.

Crash: What about the depressed reaction from south of the border when Latrell Mitchell was ruled out. It was like The Bachelor producers when they were knocked back by our colleague Dean Ritchie? Is Latrell really that good?

Buzz: You had to bring Bulldog into this didn’t you … at least you don’t call him Bullfrog like Kalyn Ponga’s old man. Latrell is a massive blow. He’s been playing so strong at Souths but I’m a massive Stephen Crichton fan. Great athlete, strong, tough and fast. Biggame specialist at the Panthers.

Crash: It’s quite clear Tevita Pangai Jr has been brought in as a knuckle man to rough up Queensland, even though he used to support them two years ago. Even you would have to concede that’s borderline weird?

Buzz: Not as weird as you guys accepting Greg Inglis, born, bred, raised and played footy as a little fella in beautiful Macksville on the NSW mid-north coast.

Crash: One reader suggested we should do a story on ‘Snappy Tom’ Flegler visiting a school in Adelaide to soften his image then on match night he could storm from the wilderness and be Queensland’s Pangai

Jr without the pre-match warning sirens. Pangai Jr is the most decisive figure in the match. If he ruffles Queensland the distraction could be severe. If he goes too far he could be a disaster and will never play again.

Buzz: I rate Pangai Jr massively Crash. We won’t be copping any nonsense this year like the two-onone attack on poor Matty Burton last year. It was outrageous that our guys just accepted it.

Crash: The Queensland boys reckon walking down Caxton St with Reece Walsh was like having Justin Bieber with them. Is he the game’s new pin-up boy?

Buzz: He’s no as good-looking as Andrew Ettinshausen 30 years ago. Don’t think he can play as good as E.T. either at this stage of his career. This is another level up from NRL footbal. The Blues will be testing him out.

Crash: Walsh projects an aura of mega-confidence. There is an old saying “show me a guy with a swagw ger and I will show you someone hiding somethin’’ but he’s got wonderful flair. Iust hope Queensy land can find a way to compete. It’s so hard coming from a state with such a small tale at pool.

Buzz: Blah, blah, blah. Can I get a question in please ? What about

poor Kalyn Ponga and Dane Gagai. Didn’t you guys invent loyalty? I can’t believe Peter Badel hasn’t gone harder at coach Billy Slater and his selectors.

Crash: A confession for you. Gritty warrior Gagai would have been among the first picked in my team but here’s the thing – the loyalty line was often trotted out as an excuse for limited depth and no options. Now they have options.

What about Adelaide, Buzz? Remember the days when Lang Park State of Origin games sold out in two hours – it will pain my heart to see 5000 spare seats in Adelaide. Surely that’s a fail.

Buzz: Bulldog wrote last week there was going to be 12,000 empty seats. So the NRL did a two-for-one ticket offer. That’s a joke. They’re robbing the poor fans who paid full price originally.

Crash: Do you sense Origin is missing something? There seems more tension in the Johns family than the wider community. The days of Phil Gould, Paul Gallen or Ricky Stuart stirring the pot in the lead-up seem gone sadly.

Buzz: How good was the Johns brothers’ “disagreement”. Matty loves winding him up. And poor Joey falls for it every time. Look, Billy and Freddy are just different characters to Gus, Gal and Sticky. I love Sticky’s post-match press conferences and sideline madness.

Buzz: What do you think of Channel 9’s coverage without the great Rabs. Mat Thompson did a nice job last year but it’s not the same. Are you a Gus fan?

Crash: I disagree with Gus all the time but in our more sanitised world I enjoy loose cannons and feel league will miss the likes of Wayne Bennett and Gus more than any current player when they leave the game.

Buzz: How do you find covering the game these days Crash? The media access is nothing like it used to be. When Gavin Miller captained NSW in the 80s he’d invite journos to his hotel room for a game of cards the night before a game. DCE and Teddy are always helpful but it’s not like the good old days.

Crash: It’s a long way from when you’d ring Shane Warne in his room without asking permission from anyone and say “anything cookin’ Warnie … it’s a bit quiet?’’

Buzz: Where’s it going to be won and lost Crash? I reckon we’ve got an advantage with all the Penrith boys – Cleary, Luai, Crichton, Yeo, To’o and Martin. The Panthers are one of the best premiership sides I’ve seen.

Crash: Random tip. Pat Carrigan’s ball skills have improved in the way Corey Parker’s did at the midpoint of his career and he will slip the decisive ball of the game. Who do you fear?

Buzz: David Fifita. He only needs one or two opportunities to single-handedly destroy NSW.

Crash: So it’s Queensland by six for me Buzz even though it makes me tremble when I look down the Blues list and see the firepower of Tedesco, To’o and Trbojevic.

Buzz: I’ve tipped the Blues by the same margin. Should be a sensational game. I’m tipping Tommy Turbo to win man-of-the-match.