Maroons name team for Origin Game One 2012

In six years of Origin dominance, very few changes have been made to the Maroons line-up – only those due to injury, suspension or retirement have come about – hardly due to poor form and even less so due to “incompatible combinations”.

This year, only two positions needed to be filled; one wass Jharal Yow Yeh’s spot on the wing and the other the open bench spot left by Cooper Cronk, as he moves into the halves to fill the void left by Darren Lockyer.

The short-priced favourite of Brent Tate picked up the #5 jersey, while Bronco Matt Gillett beat out a number of deserved players for the interchange spot – marking his debut in Origin.

The only other change to last year’s team is the absence of Corey Parker. Dave Taylor’s form for the Rabbitohs has been incredible this year, making it impossible to leave him. And like Matt Gillett, he will bring as much agility and versatility as strength and power to the bench.

Manly’s Daly Cherry-Evans, another hot favourite for the bench spot, was named 18^th man, while the Storm’s Dane Nielsen is another back-up – likely for the recovering Justin Hodges (whom he replaced in the 2010 series)

The team for Game One is:

1. Billy Slater (Melbourne Storm)
2. Darius Boyd (Newcastle Knights)
3. Justin Hodges (Brisbane Broncos)
4. Greg Inglis (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
5. Brent Tate (North Queensland Cowboys)
6. Johnathan Thurston (North Queendland Cowboys)
7. Cooper Cronk (Melbourne Storm)
8. Matthew Scott (North Queensland Cowboys)
9. Cameron Smith © (Melbourne Storm)
10. Petero Civoniceva (Brisbane Broncos)
11. Nate Myles (Gold Coast Titans)
12. Sam Thaiday (Brisbane Broncos)
13. Ashley Harrison (Gold Coast Titans)
14. Matt Gillett (Brisbane Broncos)
15. Dave Taylor (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
16. Ben Hannant (Brisbane Broncos)
17. Dave Shillington (Canberra Raiders)

18^th Man: Daly Cherry-Evans (Manly Sea Eagles)
19^th Man: Dane Nielse (Melbourne Storm)