Blues captain Jake Trbojevic has responded to questions over his place in the NSW side after being limited to just 29 minutes in the series opener.
Trbjoevic’s lack of game time was one of the big talking points from the Blues’ 38-10 loss to Queensland in Sydney with Blues coach Michael Maguire forced to defend the use of his skipper.
Speaking to the media from the Blues camp in the Blue Mountains, Trbojevic said Maguire had spoken to him about his limited role.
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“He did, but he didn’t have to,” Trbojevic told reporters.
“It was fine. It’s professional sport and I’m a grown man. It’s the way it goes.
“It’s the highest level. It’s not like under-8s where you share your minutes. I’ve been around a long time.
“If you get to play for the Blues, it doesn’t matter how many minutes you get. I’m just happy to be here.
“The way things worked out with being one down [in game one] and chasing points, it was just the way it worked out.”
Trbojevic was then asked what he thought of the comments of Mark Geyer after the Blues great declared he should be dropped for the must-win clash in Melbourne.
“I’m just doing my best, that’s all I’ve ever done. If people think I shouldn’t be [captain], that’s fine,” Trbojevic said.
“I’m not going to apologise for doing my best, that’s all I’m going to do. Whether it’s good enough or not, time will tell.
“I was maybe a bit standoffish at the start [of the series] because there are some great players there, great captains. It’s been a better start to the camp for myself [this time around] … hopefully I can just keep building.”
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SLATER’S PLAN TO WREAK HAVOC WITH WALSH
Reece Walsh left the Origin series opener after only eight minutes, but now Maroons coach Billy Slater has a plan for his star fullback to wreak havoc on the Blues.
Walsh was ruled out of Game I after suffering an ugly head knock, with NSW centre Joseph Suaalii sent off in a match-defining moment that divided the rugby league world.
Speaking on NRL360 on Wednesday night, The Courier Mail’s Peter Badel revealed the Queensland coaching staff were “very disappointed” they were unable to unleash their fresh game plan.
Slater reportedly wants Walsh to attack through the middle of the park using inside balls to slice through the Blues’ defence, calling on his time as a player at the Storm.
Slater, alongside the star-studded spine of Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk, often flew through defences off the back of inside balls across his 323 games.
“I was at Maroons training before Game I guys and one thing I noticed was that they were working on a lot of outside, inside balls,” Badel said.
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“They want to get Reece involved, lurking around the middle of the field, now of course if you watch him for the Broncos he is often quite one-dimensional in the sense he comes in on backline plays.
“His pace is extreme, but the pattern where he attacks to the edges, Billy Slater has another idea to get Walsh lurking around the middle of the field.
“Much to the same vain James Tedesco and Ryan Papenhuyzen (do). The outside, inside balls that are so destructive, that’s where he believes Reece Walsh can unleash his pace.”
Badel also issued a huge warning to NSW, saying: “Don’t watch out for Reece Walsh out wide in Origin Game II, watch out for him in the middle, he is coming for the Blues.”
Source Agencies
