Latest News Indigenous side should expect no favours
| Indigenous side should expect no favours |
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| Monday, 08 February 2010 05:50 |
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By Glenn Jackson - It's been almost 30 years since Arthur Beetson whacked his club teammate Mick Cronin to mark the first State of Origin, and now the protagonists involved in the inaugural All Stars clash this Saturday are doing their best to build the match into the next version of a mate-against-mate showpiece.
While the Indigenous side will be sentimental favourites to win the game, the best of the rest of the NRL, at least those who have not been forced out through injury, will not be rolling over to ensure they do. ''It matters to all the players because we're very competitive blokes,'' NRL All Stars hooker Cameron Smith said yesterday, as both sides entered camp for the historic game. ''Once you pull the jersey on and get on the field you want to do your best and you want to win. There's a game to be played and there's a game to be won. We want to win it and hopefully along the way it's going to be a great spectacle for the fans. ''We're very competitive - we're representing the rest of the NRL, and we want to do the best we can. That's just what we do - we're NRL players, and every time we get on the field we want to do the best we can. I can't see us going out there and playing a game of touch football. ''We're not going to go out there thinking we've got to let the Indigenous team win. ''We want to go out and win because it's the way we're built.'' There are already suggestions there might be a Beetson-Cronin moment at Skilled Stadium. NRL All Stars second-rower Anthony Watmough, for one, said he would be looking for his Manly teammate George Rose. ''How do you whack Georgie - he's six-foot high and six-foot wide,'' Watmough said. ''He's been trying to put a few shots on me at training this week. I'm pretty sure if me and Georgie tangle, it'll be no different to playing a mate in any other team. ''You've got to do your job out there. Unfortunately, he's on the other side of the field this time, and I dare say if he comes at me I'm going to try and get him.'' That said, the fact the match will be the first of the season for most of the players will count against the clash lifting to the intensity of an Origin. ''No one's played a game yet, there's been a fair few months of off-season,'' Watmough said. ''I dare say it's going to be intense but it's not going to be a State of Origin or a Test match where you've been building up for the whole year. It's about getting a few cobwebs out, learn from the players you're with and try and make something special happen. But the boys go in there committed 100 per cent of the time.'' |