It pains me to say it, but we've become a state of sooks and sore losers in NSW.
All I've heard since the disappointment of losing game one at the Adelaide Oval are these armchair critics who continue to hammer the team on talkback radio and social media by demanding wholesale changes and Brad Fittler sacked as Blues coach.
They've put the boot into James Tedesco by suggesting the best player in the world should be dumped from the team because it wasn't one of his better games which is laughable when you consider the skipper tried his heart out and still ran for over 200 metres.
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They've questioned the inclusion of Tevita Pangai Jr. and the reliance on club combinations from the Penrith Panthers, despite the likes of Cleary, Luai, To'o and Crichton winning back to back premierships in the NRL.
You've then got this ridiculous and offensive suggestion that the Queensland Maroons want to win more than the NSW Blues. Here's a tip; walk into a losing dressing shed and tell me Origin doesn't mean as much to the devastated players who have given their guts for 80 minutes and spilled blood for their state.
It's time for the people of NSW to stop poking holes in the team and get into the trenches with them as the Blues attempt to create history by becoming the first team to beat Queensland at Suncorp Stadium to send the series to a decider.
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The time has come for the so-called supporters of the NSW Blues to rally around embattled coach Brad Fittler and support the tough decisions he makes when it comes to selections. If you don't agree with a particular player or position in the team, reserve your judgement until after the game and instead back them to deliver in the sky blue jumper.
Queensland legend Paul Vautin took aim at the Sydney media this week on 4BC's edition of Wide World of Sports Radio when 'Fatty' described the journalists as "muppets" for hammering the coach and the players after the defeat in Adelaide.
"They came out and hammered 'Freddy', they hammered NSW and called for 18 changes," Vautin said.
"They are muppets honestly, they're just awful how they just hoe into their team, they just hoed into them and they hoed into Queensland when coach Billy Slater was brave and made some tough and strong calls by leaving out Kalyn Ponga and Dane Gagai.
"NSW went look at them, look at Queensland, they've got no loyalty -- you know what boys, you should have worried about who we did pick rather than who we didn't pick because they carved -- get that into ya."
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I hate agreeing with Queenslanders at this time of the year, but 'Fatty' is bang on.
Do you ever hear the Queensland media writing opinion pieces slamming their team and calling for coaches and players to be sacked?
No, they're staunch and support their team by highlighting the reason WHY players have been selected and WHY they deserve to pull on the Maroon jumper.
South of the Tweed, you've got journos suggesting the "system is broken" if they don't pick Nicho Hynes at halfback, "why the Maroons have the edge over the Blues" and the "unluckiest players to miss out on selection".
In my opinion it's an act of treason.
To prove my point, in the days following game one, there was a poll on who should replace 'Freddy' as coach with Ricky Stuart's name put forward as a potential candidate.
Isn't it a best of three game series?
Why are we even talking about potential successors when the series is still alive?
Are these same people willing to retract their criticism if the Blues are successful?
In my opinion, these armchair critics are only assisting the enemy in this war that's become State of Origin and they should hang their heads in shame.
For the record, I'm backing the NSW Blues to create their piece of history next week.
I'll be supporting whoever is picked in the team and I hope they etch their names into Origin folklore as the players who rebounded to produce one of the greatest victories in a NSW jumper.
In 'Freddy' we trust.
Let me know your thoughts by sending through an email to the WWOS Radio show on 2GB by clicking on this link; https://form.jotform.co/70601482897867
Wide World of Sports Radio is heard from 6pm AEDT on 2GB 873am with Mark Levy and co-hosts Shane Flanagan (Monday), Paul Gallen (Tuesday) and Brad Fittler (Wednesday), Ken Sutcliffe (Thursday) and Mark Riddell (Friday).
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