Jamie Soward and Josh Dugan- The New Breed of "Origin Players"

The clearest evidence yet that NSW have a brand new attitude, is in their selection of players for Origin 1.

In recent years, Blues Selectors have been happy to “play it safe” rather than take a risk on an unproven player, which saw the likes of Timana Tahu and Joel Monoghan see State of Origin action last season, when clearly their form did not warrant it.

The best example that this philosophy has changed, is in the selection of Jamie Soward and Josh Dugan.

The safe option would have been selecting, Jarrod Mullen at Five-Eight and Jarryd Hayne at Fullback, both of whom have experienced Origin Football already, and would have some indication how to prepare for it.



Selecting Soward and Dugan is a risk, in the pressure filled environment that is State of Origin Rugby League, given they have never tasted the pace or intensity of Origin Football.

 Both are players that can win NSW the game off their own back, and they equally have the ability to lose it as well.

But that’s what makes “great” players, great.

They have the balls to roll the dice, and demand the ball when the game is on the line.

Both Dugan and Soward are those players.

Michael Jordan said it best, when he said-- “I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot... when you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result. I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.

They are the type of players you want in your side. They can change the game with a click of the fingers, by creating something out of nothing and breathing life back into a beaten side.

Sure they could both crash and burn...but imagine what could happen if they don’t.

I think it is unrealistic to think they will steal the show in their first Origin game.

Did Darren Lockyer star in his first game, or Billy Slater??

The simple answer is No, both came onto the scene when NSW was dominant.

They were not cart wheeled out the backdoor after a loss or series defeat.

But Queensland persevered with both, and allowed them to play their natural games, and now both should be considered Origin legends.

For too long, NSW has been playing it “safe” and playing the game within themselves, not wanting to roll the dice and face the persecution of the media, and have his paper stamped- “Not an Origin Player”.

It’s one of the most overused words in the build up to Origin, “Origin Player”. Phil Gould uses it a lot.

It’s why Tahu and Monoghan were used last season, over more in form players, as they were considered “Origin Players”.

These very same, “Origin Players” are the reason NSW is staring at a six consecutive series defeat.

But how are we to know if a player is an Origin player, if we do not give them their shot.

Both Soward and Dugan have had solid seasons in the NRL, both have stood out in the City/Country games and if you watch back the final minutes of each of the two, NRL All-Stars games, whose praises are everyone singing.

Soward and Dugan.



Let’s take the shackles of these two superstars and let them roll the dice. Instead of trying to contain the fire of Queensland, lets ensure ours is more ferocious, and that ultimately it burns brighter and for longer.

Again Jordan says it best-

“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying”

As a proud New South Welshman, I can accept NSW’s failure, but repeating the same mistakes year upon year I cannot accept.

We can talk about this “new” attitude all we want.

It's time we gave it a try.



Why "Sugar" Shane can shock the world

Going into Sunday’s clash with Manny Pacquiao for the WBO Welterweight Title, no one gives Shane Mosley a chance.

Las Vegas bookies have him at 8/1 odds, whilst other bookmakers that are slightly less legitimate have him even longer.

A Shane Mosley victory on Sunday may shock the world, but it won’t come as a shock to me.

Because “Sugar” Shane Mosley has been down this road before.

It was the same story for Mosley when he fought Oscar De La Hoya.

It was the same story for Mosley against Antonio Margarito.

No one gave him a chance....and he walked out with the title on both occasions.

In his fight with Margarito he did something that no man has ever done. Mosley knocked out Margarito in 9 rounds and took his world title.

Margarito has been in the ring with some big names, yet Mosley is the only man to stop him.

Antonio Margarito’s last opponent was Manny Pacquiao. There was much concern going into the fight given Margarito’s physical presence, and the fact that Margarito is a “beast”, as he is one of the biggest Welterweight/Junior Middleweight’s we have ever seen. Pacquiao battered Margarito around the ring, leaving his face a gruesome mess, sending down combination after combination, but yet he couldn’t finish him.

This factor alone means Mosley has more of a chance to topple Pacquiao then most will afford him, but it’s not the only thing to come out of the Pacquiao-Margarito fight that will provide Mosley with some encouragement.

Pacquiao and Margarito went toe to toe on many occasions, even when Pacquiao was told not to.

Freddie Roach has instructed his fighter to box on the outside, use his hand speed and take the rounds, as Pacquiao’s team was worried of Margarito’s physicality and power.

But there is an old saying in boxing, “Everyone has a plan until they get hit”

You see Pacquiao is a warrior.

As soon as Pacquiao got hit by Margarito, he simply clapped his gloves together, waived Margarito on and told him to “bring it”, the Roach master plan out the window.

Shane Mosley’s trainer Nazeem Richardson stated that “Floyd Mayweather is the most talented fighter in the world, but Manny Pacquiao is the best fighter in the world, because he has that warrior spirit”.

But as great as this “warrior spirit” can make a fighter, it can also be his undoing.

Mosley wants Pacquiao to come and trade with him, given if he can knock out Margarito, one of the best chins in boxing, then he sure as hell can knock out Pacquiao.

In his fight with Floyd Mayweather, Mosley tagged Mayweather in the first two rounds, and had Mayweather in all worlds of trouble, unlike we had ever seen before.

All because Mayweather wanted to trade with Mosley and fight toe to toe. As soon as Mayweather was given a rocket of a right hand and a rocket from his corner, he began to box Mosley and subsequently won every round remaining in the fight, taking a unanimous point’s decision win over Mosley.

Given Mosley’s  is 39 years of age, there is doubt that he is able to go 12 rounds at the intensity Pacquiao can fight and that age is catching up to him, with the evidence of his late fade against Mayweather and disappointing drawn fight with Sergio Mora.

This is why Mosley wants Pacquiao to come and trade, it’s his best chance of winning the fight. If Pacquiao boxes smart and makes Mosley chase him, Mosley will tire in the same way he did against Mayweather, and Pacquiao will win just as convincingly as Mayweather.

But Pacquiao isn’t satisfied with winning just as easily as Mayweather.

Pacquiao wants to knock Shane Mosley out, and in the quickest possible way, to show his superiority over Mayweather, who took Mosley the full 12 rounds.

We saw Pacquiao let his hands go against Margarito, and Pacquiao took some heavy shots that left his face visibly marked after the fight.

The Pacquiao ego, “Warrior spirit” and game of one upmanship against Mayweather, saw him become reckless at times against Margarito. He got tagged and was not in a big amount of trouble, but enough to wake him up and show Margarito more respect.

Shane Mosley says he hits “three times faster than Margarito”

If Pacquiao does not show Mosley the same respect, and becomes reckless he will get knocked out.

Freddie Roach is aware of this, and sees it as a big danger. It was highlighted in Showtimes “Fight Camp 360 series” were Roach was warning Pacquiao against Mosley’s looping right hook, the same punch that knocked around Mayweather and knocked out Margarito.

Pacquiao’s reply to the warning-

A sarcastic reply of - “Oh I forgot he is the Icon....he is the Champion”

Manny Pacquiao should win on Sunday. He has superior hand speed and can fight at a higher intensity for the full twelve rounds. All Pacquiao has to do is fight smart in the opening half of the fight, wait for Mosley to tire and then unleash a barrage to either end the fight, or kill it as a contest.

But Mosley’s trainer Richardson believes it is not in Pacquiao’s nature to fight smart.

Richardson said “Mosley-Paquaio is better matchup than Mosley-Mayweather. Mosley will stand and trade and Pacquiao will stop and take that challenge, he is a born fighter. If there’s any fighter Pacquiao was going to box it would have been Margarito, but he stood and traded”.

If Shane Mosley defeats Manny Pacquiao on Sunday, he will win the respect of the world, and the one man who will have no choice but to finally respect him, is Manny Pacquiao.

On Sunday, “Sugar” Shane Mosley will walk into Las Vegas and he will roll the dice, perhaps for the final time.

But both Mosley and Pacquiao should be aware, that sometimes, just sometimes, on the odd occasion in Vegas, when you roll the dice....

Your numbers come up.