Ex-NSW greats cast eye over new batch
NSW brought out the big guns on Friday as they stepped up preparations for State of Origin III.
And no, we're not talking about injured stars Michael Jennings, Jamie Soward and Kurt Gidley having their first serious training session ahead of the series decider.
Instead, there scattered amongst the school children and sponsors guests invited to watch the only open training run were a clutch of former Blues greats.
Two of the best props ever to pull on the sky blue jersey - Glenn Lazarus and Steve Roach - were there in their official capacities with the Blues, but they were soon joined by a few old friends as well.
First Brad Fittler rolled in, casually taking a seat to take in the session.
Not long after, Andrew Johns took up a vantage point two rows back.
Having guided the Blues through a training session ahead of Origin I - when he mimicked the moves of Queensland playmakers Johnathan Thurston and Darren Lockyer - Johns was instead confined to the stands this time around.
To complete the playmaking triumvirate, Laurie Daley soon joined them, the former NSW skipper seemingly more concerned with finding a safe seat for his children than focussing on the players.
But there they were, five of the best to ever play for NSW casting their eye over a group of players seeking to end five years of Queensland dominance.
Throw in coach Ricky Stuart and that's 127 games of Origin experience, and plenty of wins between them.
How Stuart must wish he could call on a few of them on Wednesday night.
Post a comment about this article
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Becoming a member is free and easy, sign up here.