Blues Slammed For Dropping Storm's White
The Age
Wednesday June 27, 2007
FORMER NSW hardman Mark Carroll said Blues selectors had made a fatal error dropping Melbourne Storm prop Brett White to bring in "midget" Paul Gallen for next week's final state-of-origin clash.
Carroll, who earlier this month called on selectors to maintain their faith in White, yesterday said the 25-year-old, who got limited game time in the first two clashes, had been made a scapegoat for the Blues' series loss."They've replaced a big forward with a midget, I can't believe that," Carroll said. "They will die with the sword they (chose), I reckon."Storm coach Craig Bellamy said he was disappointed for White, who he did not believe deserved to be dropped. Matt King and Ryan Hoffman retained their spots in the Blues while Cameron Smith, Greg Inglis and Dallas Johnson, who is battling leg injuries sustained last weekend, were again named in an unchanged Queensland team.NSW selector Bob McCarthy made the claim that the Blues were not too far off the pace after also naming a largely unchanged side for next week's dead rubber. NSW opted against wholesale sackings with Greg Bird moving into the starting side at five-eighth and Paul Gallen to lock with Kurt Gidley on the bench.It ignored calls for the next generation to be blooded, despite NSW going into the game on the back of four straight defeats - its longest losing streak since the Maroons recorded back-to-back clean sweeps in 1988-89. "We only got beat by a try each game - the guys tried their butts off in both games," McCarthy said. "Why would we change? Each game we got beat by a lousy try - you want to make wholesale changes over that? We're picking players that we think can do the job this time."? Penrith claim Craig Gower's belated decision to seek a release to play rugby union in France may have cost the club the chance of retaining talented rookie Peter Wallace. The Panthers have agreed to release the former Australian and NSW half-back for the final two years of his contract at the end of the season after receiving an official request from Gower's manager. Gower, who captained Penrith to the premiership in 2003, has signed a two-year deal with French first-division club Bayonne. But while denying there were any bitter feelings between the club and Gower, football manager Michael Leary admitted Penrith would likely have kept Brisbane-bound Wallace had Gower's request come earlier in the season.
© 2007 The Age