Queensland’s famous ‘pick and stick’ policy has been called “BS” after coach Billy Slater omitted Selwyn Cobbo from his Game 2 squad.
But a Maroons icon has returned serve with a mic drop sledge that ended the debate on NRL360.
Cobbo was a surprise selection on the bench in the series opener but played a starring role for Queensland after coming on for the concussed Reece Walsh.
Slater has not opted for a four-forward bench and said it was in the best interest for Cobbo and the team that he sit out Game 2 in Melbourne.
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Slater, who has won his opening two series as coach, was grilled on Cobbo’s non-selection and the coach confirmed the 22-year-old was dropped due to both form and injury.
“Selwyn is not quite 100 per cent at the moment,” Slater said.
“Selwyn has only just turned 22 and sometimes we forget that these guys are still young men developing physically, they’re still developing their game and they’re still building that consistency in their game.
“Everyone is different, it’s not one size fits all and I just felt that this was the right thing for Selwyn, to have a break.
“I felt this was the best thing for him and for the team.”
Cobbo has not appeared in official injury reports and on Monday The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield said on Big Sports Breakfast radio that it was possible “something outside of general reasons of players with injuries” could be at play.
Slater’s decision was a talking point on NRL 360 on Tuesday night, with hosts Braith Anasta and Gorden Tallis as well as journalists Dean Ritchie and Paul Crawley, all weighing in.
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Ritchie questioned if there was more to the story and called Queensland’s fabled ‘pick and stick’ policy “BS” before Maroons icon Tallis hit back with a zinger.
“We’ll pick the right coach and players to win trophies,” Tallis said in reference to Queensland sitting in the box seat for a third straight series victory.
Here is the full conversation below.
Anasta: What’s going on with Selwyn Cobbo? You’ve got a conspiracy theory, what’s going on?
Ritchie: Well it hasn’t been explained clearly yet from the Queensland camp why. They’re dodging around as to why he was not included.
My only theory is… Queensland shove it in our faces every single bloody year ‘we pick and we stick’ yet here’s Selwyn Cobbo, comes on after seven minutes, unfamiliar territory, plays the lights out and then they get rid of him.
Why did they get rid of him and where’s this famous pick and stick gone?
Crawley: I think Billy’s looking after him mate. There were moments even in that game against Souths the other night, either Latrell or Cody tackled him at one point and it was almost like they gave him a hug getting up. They could tell something was wrong with him.
Billy would not have dropped him or left him out of the side if he thought he was 100 per cent ready to go.
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Ritchie: Billy said “we’re looking after him”. If NSW do it, it’s ruthless, brutal and we’ve axed him. What’s the difference??
Tallis: Listen, we don’t know the ins and outs. Maybe Cobbo (is inured), they say he’s been playing while getting needles. Sometimes young kids can’t handle it, we talk about Lachy Galvin last week and Shane Webcke and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, it’s just par for the course for those guys to run out on the field injured, and they’re Warriors. But some of these young guys don’t handle that as well.
Maybe there’s a little bit more to it but (I think) Selwyn just being so young, he needs a week off. I know it might sound bad but we need the best 17.
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Anasta: I agree, it’s very different when we do it. But they’re in the box seat, they’re winning games, they’re winning series. Billy has made a few (selection) calls and every call he’s made has been right, so in this instance you’ve really got to go ‘Ok Billy has put a lot of time and effort into this, if he’s going to drop or rest a player, it’s for good reason.
Tallis: We thought it was strange having a winger on the bench, like I did, but it worked out to be brilliant.
Ritchie: This pick and stick, Gordie, it’s BS, it’s BS.
Tallis: You know what, we’ll pick the right coach and players to win trophies.