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NSW wingers in State of Origin crosshairs

3 minute read

NSW wingers will give away height to their Queensland rivals but coach Brad Fittler has a plan to offset the disadvantage in State of Origin I.

BRAD FITTLER.
BRAD FITTLER. Picture: Brook Mitchell/Getty Images

Brad Fittler has a simple solution for NSW to stop Queensland's State of Origin aerial assault: starve them of the attacking ball they need to execute the plan.

The Blues' lack of height on the wings shapes as one of their biggest concerns in Townsville, with both edges giving up more than 10cm on their rivals.

Brian To'o is one of the smallest wingers in the game, and while he is listed as 182cm tall, the reality is that he is closer to 175cm.

That would make him 17cm shorter than opposite number Kyle Feldt, who has made a name for himself as one of the best aerial exponents in the NRL.

Xavier Coates is also one of the best leapers in the game at 194cm tall compared to Addo-Carr at 183cm.

"If we can keep them out of our end, that's the best way to stop it. So that will be the game plan," Fittler said.

"I'm sure they will have opportunities. But we will also have tactics around using our wingers and what they are good at.

"So they'll have their own challenges."

Queensland spent the first 20 minutes of training on Sunday with their halves kicking cross-field bombs to their tall wingers.

To'o will have the advantage of having Tom Trbojevic inside him at centre, with the lanky Manly fullback likely to provide some help up high.

The pair have roomed together this week, after only meeting for the first time when Trbojevic arrived into camp at 1am last Monday to wake a sleeping To'o.

There was surprisingly little in the way of a hostile reception when the Blues landed in Townsville on Monday afternoon via a chartered flight.

The city's airport was virtually empty aside from some maroon balloons - a far cry from the bitter welcome the Blues were expecting.

"I feel a bit out of the blue. But I feel safe, I feel good," Fittler said.

"(It was) 1982 the last time they played the first two games in Queensland. We didn't win that series so we have a big challenge ahead of us."

NSW were booked in for meetings on Monday afternoon with no field practice, before a final run on Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Tuesday.

The vast majority of Blues have at least played at the new ground, with Tom Trbojevic and Junior Paulo the only exclusions.

"Generally the same thing works on. There are minor changes between (the MCG and Townsville)," Fittler said.

"You can pass a bit further up here normally. But we'll get feedback from the players (on Tuesday)."

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