Origin players are so tough you could cut their limbs off and they would still keep coming at you. That has been the message coming out of both camps with Cameron Smith and Paul Gallen under fitness clouds this week.
Apparently Gal and Smithy are rugby league versions of the walking dead – you just can’t keep them down. That’s great news for all us Dream Team fanatics!
We all know that Paul Gallen was made for Origin. In fact, if you believe the hype, Gowzer was born in the hospital he built with his bare two hands. He even woke up his own alarm clock. Such is his aura that according to somewhat dubious reports, the dark is afraid of Paul Gallen.
“Gallen is the kind of player, you would have to saw his leg off for him not to play,” NSW legend Steve ‘Blocker’ Roach told NRL Daily. “It wouldn’t matter if he played on the road, in the park, A-Grade, he’ll be right and won’t let anyone down.”
So you have picked your Toyota Origin Dream Team, but who to make captain? The decision could make or break your campaign. With triple points awarded for your skipper, and double points for your vice-captain, you shouldn’t take the decision lightly.
The news leading into this game has given us plenty of cause to re-think what was thought to be a lay down misere. Those familiar with Dream Team would have given the captaincy and vice to Paul Gallen and Cameron Smith and felt comfortable with the decision, but geez the news all week has made plenty reconsider.
Gallen told reporters yesterday that he will play as many minutes as Ricky Stuart wants him to play. Gallen has shown that he is capable of playing the whole 80 minutes, but after going into the game under a fitness cloud can we expect another inspirational 80-minute performance?
NSW coach Ricky Stuart didn’t help us when he said of the colossus: “I don’t want to play him 80, I’d like to see him get some kind of rest through the game somewhere.” Seriously Ricky, you are killing us. The man will never have a heart-attack, because his heart is too scared to ever attack him! Just tell us he will play the 80 minutes so we can get our Dream Team sorted. He can’t score points from the bench Rick!
“But if there is no need to take him off, I’ll leave him out there. I’ll let the course of the game determine that,” Stuart said.
You can guarantee that if it was up to Dream Team coaches, Gallen would be playing all 80 minutes and then into extra time as well. Just leave him out there.
Then we come to the other member of the walking dead brigade, Dream Team’s answer to the Holy Grail, Cam Smith. Surely a simple cold can’t stop the Queensland captain from playing and more importantly racking up a monumental score?
“He is being a sook, just a bit of a sniffle, so he has been isolated,” Sam Thaiday told reporters. “Cam Smith is never in doubt, you could cut off his arms and legs and he would still play. I reckon he would still go pretty good too, he is a competitor.”
There you have it, Gallen and Smith are officially indestructible. Nothing will stop them from taking the field and more importantly for Dream Team players, nothing short of the world apocalypse will stop them from cranking out massive scores.
According to Thaiday, Smith could still play without any limbs! That’s the kind of player I want as my Dream Team captain.
Smith and Gallen are the two obvious choices to pick as your captain and vice, no-matter how many limbs they take into the game. Sure, there are other options and other players like Greg Inglis, Billy Slater and Todd Carney who have the potential to score more. But if you are looking for bankable and consistent results, you can’t go past Smith and Gallen.
Dream Team is a fantasy world and I for one will be giving the walking dead stars the right to run out and lead my team on Wednesday.
Almost 24,000 people have signed up to play Toyota Origin Dream Team – who is in your side, and who will be the one to lead them from the front to ultimate glory?
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Follow Andrew Bryan on twitter: @andrewbryan321
