Greg Alexander Supports Andrew Johns’ Call for Positional Shift in State of Origin
Panthers legend Greg Alexander has lent his support to the suggestion made by Andrew Johns, urging the New South Wales (NSW) team to reposition Isaah Yeo into the front row and start Cameron Murray at lock for this year’s State of Origin series. With the injured Payne Haas set to miss Game 1 against the Queensland Maroons on May 27, NSW faces a significant challenge in filling the void in the front row.
Several players have been considered as potential replacements for Haas, including Addin Fonua-Blake, Mitch Barnett, Jackson Ford, Lindsay Smith, Keaon Koloamatangi, Terrell May, and Stefano Utoikamanu. Many of these middle forwards are likely to end up on the Blues’ six-man interchange bench, providing coach Laurie Daley with considerable depth and firepower to counter Queensland’s challenges.
Johns, a league Immortal, recently selected Fonua-Blake as one of the starting props in his preferred Blues squad. However, he proposed an unexpected positional change for Panthers lock Yeo, suggesting that Daley should move the Blues captain to prop so that Souths captain Cameron Murray can take the No.13 role.
“Haas is a huge loss for NSW because even with the quicker ruck you need to play one big front-rower,” Johns wrote for The Sydney Morning Herald. “For me, that has to be Addin Fonua-Blake. He will produce that go-forward the team needs, and on the back of him you’ve got Isaah Yeo and Cameron Murray — who has the quickest play-the-ball in the competition and I think should wear the No.13 jersey.”
People may argue that Yeo should be at 13, but with him, there’s no difference between wearing 13, 8, or 10 — they’re all middle forwards. The only difference for Murray and Yeo is they’d be playing off the back of Fonua-Blake — he’s the one who will lay the platform with that first play.
Blues Urged to Start Both Isaah Yeo and Cam Murray in Origin
Murray has previously played in the back-row for the Blues at Origin level, but Alexander believes he is more effective in the middle. The Penrith legend highlighted Hudson Young as “the best back-rower in the NRL this season” and suggested he should secure one of the starting edge roles.
However, with Liam Martin set to miss Game 1 due to injury and Angus Crichton struggling with form, Jacob Preston and Haumole Olakau’atu are among the leading contenders for the other starting back-row spot.
Alexander thinks starting both Yeo and Murray through the middle could be the most effective way for Daley to utilise their exceptional talent. “Isaah Yeo is one of the best carters of the ball in the game,” Alexander said on SEN radio. “And he doesn’t have to play that role as ball distributor but he could. And they could mix things up when Cam Murray does that, when Isaah Yeo does that.”
“But Yeo’s footwork and size… he’s a big man and he’s quick. Yeo and Murray on the field at the same time — and it’s happened before, it happened in Origin series in the past… and I’d have no problem starting both…
“Cameron can play on the edge and he’s done it in Origin before but you miss his quick play-the-balls around the ruck. You don’t get that from Cameron when he plays on the edge… you get more from Cameron and what he’s better at when he’s in the middle.”
