SYDNEY ROOSTERS coach Brad Fittler believes dumped NSW stars Willie Mason, Braith Anasta and Craig Fitzgibbon are better than some of the players chosen in the 40-man Blues squad - but the club may be in for more disappointment, with Peter Wallace believed to be favoured for the halfback role ahead of Mitchell Pearce.
Mason, Anasta and Fitzgibbon were shock omissions from the Origin squad named yesterday after coach Craig Bellamy and the Blues selectors decided it was time for a changing of the guard in the NSW team following three successive series defeats.
And Anasta's absence might be bad news for Pearce, as the selectors are known to favour club combinations in key positions, an advantage Wallace and Bulldogs hooker Michael Ennis have from their time together at Brisbane last season.
Other notable omissions included Manly captain and 2008 NRL player of the year Matt Orford, Parramatta second-rower Nathan Hindmarsh, Bulldogs skipper Andrew Ryan and halfback Brett Kimmorley, St George Illawarra utility Ben Hornby and Melbourne winger Steve Turner.
Almost as big a surprise was the inclusion of Sea Eagles centre Jamie Lyon, who recently failed in a formal bid to be exempted from representative team selection after last year telling Bellamy he did not want to play Origin.
It is understood Lyon will now play if chosen in this year's series after being warned he faced being stood down from matches with Manly if he refused to make himself available. Lyon's clubmate Brett Stewart (knee) and Bulldogs centre Josh Morris (ankle) were both selected but will miss the series because of injury in a blow to Bellamy's plans, as the Herald was told they had already been pencilled into the Blues side for Origin I in Melbourne on June 3. Stewart was also set to be named in the Australian side to play New Zealand at Suncorp Stadium on May 8, possibly as a winger.
The loss of Stewart saves the NSW selectors the task of finding a place for Newcastle fullback Kurt Gidley, who is believed to have been under consideration for the hooking role but will now wear the No.1 jersey and is tipped to be captain.
Knights teammate James McManus might be the bolter in the Blues team after being a shock selection in the squad and it is understood he is being strongly considered for a wing berth, along with South Sydney's Colin Best, Canberra's Joel Monaghan, Melbourne's Anthony Quinn and Parramatta's Jarryd Hayne.
Tireless Raiders captain Alan Tongue is also in line to be rewarded with a possible bench role, as he can play hooker, halfback or lock.
The most contentious positions are hooker - a two-way battle between Ennis and Wests Tigers skipper Robbie Farah - and the halves, where Wallace, Pearce and Newcastle's Jarrod Mullen are vying for the halfback role, with the five-eighth's job a duel between Canberra's Terry Campese and South Sydney's John Sutton following the snubbing of Anasta.
"I had a phone hook-up with [selectors] the other day and the 40 guys we've decided to go with, there's not too many of the older guys in there, so I think from that our mentality is we're going to go with a few young guys this year," Bellamy said of the omissions of Anasta, Mason and Fitzgibbon.
None of the Roosters trio wanted to comment about the omissions yesterday, with Mason and Anasta said to be "upset" and Fitzgibbon saying he wanted to "move on", but others were stunned that Pearce was the club's only player in the squad.
"I thought we would have a much better showing than that," Fittler said. "We definitely have players that I would choose ahead of some of the players that were chosen in the 40-man squad.
"Fitzy was a Test player from last year, Braith did a good job, and I thought Willie was one of their better forwards, too."
Roosters and Maroons forward Nate Myles said: "It's up to the selectors but it's probably good for Queensland."
A shocked Pearce added: "I just heard that as well. To be honest, I can't believe it."
Wallace played in the first two matches of last year's series but Pearce got his chance in Origin III after the Broncos halfback was injured, and Anasta was recalled to the Blues side to partner him.
Email a friend