JT cool on Origin switch to far north
World Cup for Tonga with an impressive first half before being rested after the break.
The winger was the beneficiary of some slick hands from new signing Peta Hiku and Blake Ayshford, scoring with his trademark one-handed dive in the corner to give the Warriors a 10-4 lead at the break. ‘‘We had a number of the top-liners rested in the second half so I thought the guys that were out there did a wonderful job,’’ Kearney added. ‘‘There’s plenty of room for improvement and that’s what we’ll be looking to do in preparation for next week’s trial.’’
Pre-season matches are all about dodging injuries and the Warriors did not come through unscathed.
Prop Agnatius Paasi barely lasted six minutes before leaving the field with a knee injury, while five-eighth Ata Hingano played no part of the second half.
Kearney said Paasi, who returned to the club from the Gold Coast in the off-season, had suffered a medial ligament strain and was hopeful he would not be sidelined for too long.
Fellow props Albert Vete and Sam Lisone are also expected to be available next week. EVEN the man who helped get Townsville’s new stadium built – Johnathan Thurston – doesn’t reckon it should host State of Origin games.
The Queensland Government has been criticised for not lobbying hard enough for Townsville as an Origin venue, after the NRL announced Adelaide as a 2020 host this week.
The likes of Queensland Rugby League chairman Bruce Hatcher had been hopeful that Origin could be played at Townsville’s new North Queensland Stadium as soon as 2020 – the year the 25,000-seat venue is completed.
Thurston put North Queensland Stadium on the national agenda when he claimed the region now ‘‘deserved’’ a new venue in his 2015 NRL grand final victory speech.
But he had no problem with Adelaide securing an Origin game, saying Townsville’s boutique venue was simply not the right fit for Origin.
‘‘It would be great to play there but it’s only a 25,000 seat stadium,’’ Thurston said.
‘‘When we played at the MCG we almost got 100,000 (a record 91,513 in 2015).
‘‘I think you need to play State of Origin at the biggest venues so we can get the biggest crowds.’’
The Townsville stadium will open in March, 2020, after Thurston’s grand final plea fast tracked the $A250 million project.
Despite its boutique size, QRL’s Hatcher still preferred North Queensland Stadium to host game three in a series, instead of Sydney, due to what he claimed were poor dead-rubber attendances in NSW.
But Thurston said the 53,500-capacity Adelaide Oval was a worthy 2020 Origin host.
‘‘I am not sure how much Adelaide holds but I am sure it is twice what North Queensland could hold,’’ he said.
‘‘As a player you enjoy playing at iconic venues.
‘‘I have been lucky enough to play Old Trafford, Wembley and the MCG.
‘‘To be able to play at an iconic venue like Adelaide Oval should be fun.’’ - AAP