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2017 State of Origin 2. NSW v QLD odds, preview, team news and betting tips

Posted on 15/06 by Joe Gann

2017 State of Origin 2. NSW v QLD odds, preview, team news and betting tips
2017 State of Origin Odds, News and Tips

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 After a pulsating first encounter of the series, the two great rivals get ready to lock horns once more as the NSW Blues look to seal the 2017 State of Origin on home soil. It would appear that Queensland chief Kevin Walters has opted to emulate the NSW model by introducing a wildcard element to his selection.



New South Wales v Queensland betting
Team Odds
New South Wales $1.60 Bet Now
Queensland $2.40 Bet Now

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NSW exemplified how the infusion of fresh blood can stimulate a group of players in Game I and their gamble paid dividends as they inflicted Queensland’s worst ever home defeat upon them. The much vaunted ‘pick and stick’ philosophy appears to have been abandoned with seven changes to the Maroons’ squad in a ruthless overhaul.

The chastening experience in that opening game has led to Nate Myles, Sam Thaiday, Jacob Lillyman, Corey Oates, Aidan Guerra and Justin O’Neill being omitted from the latest squad, while Anthony Milford was unavailable through injury.

Once again, the speculation surrounding the announcement of the Queensland team revolved around Billy Slater, with the Melbourne legend proving an irresistible option for Walters this time around. Corey Oates can count himself extremely unfortunate; the Brisbane man had a solid match and had done nothing to warrant his exclusion from the squad -however, the inevitable selection of Slater has meant that someone had to miss out.

The inclusion of Valentine Holmes and debutant Coen Hess is an attempt to inject power and pace into a team that had seemed flat, listless and overly dependent on Cooper Cronk’s kicking game in attack at times during Game 1. Hess may play a role as influential as Andrew Fifita was for the Blues, with the try-scoring phenomenon apparently needing to be persuaded that his talent belongs on this stage.

It may be the bold move that the Maroons need to introduce some youthful vigour into a group that has been allowed to stagnate on the back of its unrelenting success over the years.

Tim Glasby’s inclusion is perhaps the most surprising, with the Melbourne prop tasked with laying the groundwork for the stellar names behind to take command of the match. His tireless defensive work will be pivotal if the Maroons are to stymie a Blues attack that outscored them by five tries to one.

The resumption of the Cooper Cronk and Johnathan Thurston partnership will have struck fear into the hearts of the Blues, and it may prove to be a crucial ingredient if the Maroons are to triumph. The reinstated spine of Slater/Cronk/ Thurston/ Smith, possibly the greatest to ever grace the game, and on which Queensland have relied for so long, may be set for one last piece of glory.

Queensland look like they have strengthened in essential areas, and their squad list is a definite improvement on the Game I selection, with top class experience returning, allied to a strong influx of fresh faces.

Queensland may hold a slight advantage in the fact that 16 of their 17-man squad finished their NRL club commitments over the weekend by Saturday, in contrast to the Blues squad who had ten players still involved with club duties on Sunday and Monday.

Contrarily, whereas Game I ended the Origin careers of some in Maroon, it proved to be an awakening for many wearing the Blue jersey; they come into this clash as favourites after that pulverising win in Brisbane.

Blues coach Laurie Daley has the luxury of naming an unchanged side as he keeps faith with the band of players who delivered such a magnificent performance for him. He will be keen to wrap up the series with a game to spare and avoid the trauma of a winner-takes-all decider back in Brisbane next month.

He has targeted stability and continuity in his side, a group that will have gained a lot of confidence from the manner in which they dominated a Queensland outfit in their own back-yard. One of the more pleasing aspects of the game for the coach was the Blues’ ability to press home their advantage at a crucial juncture. Three tries in the fifteen minutes shortly after half-time effectively ended the match as a contest.

Daley is justified in thinking that there is more to come from his side; despite the score-line, there are elements that can be improved. With Mitchell Pearce’s evening coming to an end after 50 minutes, there is potential for his and Maloney’s partnership to wreak more havoc for the Maroons defensive line. Aaron Woods may play a more prominent role after being forced to wait until mid-way through the second half for his second shift on the paddock.

The Blake Ferguson/ Josh Dugan combination has far more to offer than was showcased in the first match and Jarryd Hayne has work to do on the defensive part of his role in the centre, even though his offensive instincts remain as sharp as ever. Daley is acutely aware that the opponents this week are a much more formidable proposition, but will be buoyed by the strides that his own team has made in the last two Origin fixtures.

Confidence will be sky-high in the Blues’ camp; can they replicate the quality of their performance from three weeks ago?

Prediction: Queensland to even the series up and set up a blockbuster winner- takes- all third game back at Suncorp.

New South Wales Blues
James Tedesco
Brett Morris
Josh Dugan
Jarryd Hayne
Blake Ferguson
James Maloney
Mitchell Pearce
Aaron Woods
Nathan Peats
Andrew Fifita
Boyd Cordner (c)
Josh Jackson
Tyson Frizell
Interchange
David Klemmer
Wade Graham
Jake Trbojevic
Jack Bird

Queensland Maroons
Darius Boyd
Will Chambers
Gavin Cooper
Cooper Cronk
Dane Gagai
Matt Gillett
Tim Glasby
Coen Hess
Valentine Holmes
Josh McGuire
Michael Morgan
Dylan Napa
Josh Papalii
Billy Slater
Cameron Smith
Johnathan Thurston
Jarrod Wallace


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