An Origin-al thought on selection

One of sport's premier events, State of Origin, is fast approaching and every year debate over the make-up of the two teams is full of intrigue with several left-field options thrown up by rugby league writers and commentators. So here's my two cents' worth which for some of my fans out there in cyber-land feel is an amount of money that far exceeds my worth. Here goes anyway. Starting with Queensland. Looking at the possibilities for the backline and the general consensus is the Maroons could suffer from "excessivus maximus" which is the English translation meaning "over-supply". There are so many players putting their hand up for selection that those charged with the responsibility of picking the seventeen will need to get it right to avoid suffering long bouts of self cross-examination. There will be a chorus of "what ifs" and "damn its" from the selectors if they lose the series operner on home turf at Suncorp. Choosing the fullback is going to be a "doozy". You'd think it cut and dried given Karmichael Hunt filled the position in the recent Test Match. But his form like that of his club team the Broncos, has been patchy and well below that of Matty Bowen and Billy Slater. Teammate Justin Hodges has often out-performed Hunt in the number one jumper and is in great touch, but he'll be named in the centres. Also in the mix is Rhys Wesser, albeit given Penrith's form has turned as rotten as a bucket of Moreton Bay bugs in the midday sun, his chances have probably evaporated. But I would overlook all of the above and choose someone else for the fullback position, someone who