Former NSW representative and Kangaroo Steve Roach has picked Eels duo Junior Paulo and Reagan Campbell-Gillard to lead the front row for New South Wales in Origin later this year.ย
Roach believes the Eels have revived Campbell-Gillard's career, who is playing some of the best footy of his career since moving to Parramatta from Penrith.ย
Meanwhile, Paulo has taken his game to the next level in the era of the six again rule.ย
โI said to Campbell-Gillard last week after the game: โYouโre playing better than when you played Origin a few years agoโ,โ Roach told Fox Sports.ย
โTheyโve reinvented him, heโs playing brilliantly. Heโs there play one front-rower which is the hardest carry in the game.
โThen Paulo comes in straight after with an offload and some second phase and a completely different build.
โSo if I was picking an Origin side based on what weโve seen since weโve come back from the COVID break, Iโd have to go with the Parramatta front-row.
โThatโs nothing against (David) Klemmer and (Daniel) Saifiti and all those sort of blokes. But right now, these two are the form props.
โA lot of it is about the mix of your footy side, who youโve got in your side and how you play.
โBrad Arthur has shown some good coaching by identifying Campbell-Gillardโs leg-speed and ability to get across the ground and then get you a quick play-the-ball.
โOff the back of that Paulo uses his different build and skill-set to get the Eels rolling.โ
These two would definitely be in the frame and in talks but I donโt think make the squad.
NSW have Saifiti Klemmer Haas Vaughan Finucane Jake Trbojevic and more including Andrew Fifita James Tamou Aaron Woods and so on and so on
Thatโs why NSW needs city vs Country again
We want to see RCG Paulo Pangai vs Vaughan Lodge Brown, Josh Jackson tariq Sims vs Ryan Matterson Pangai Jr. Gutho vs Latrell vs Pappy Staggs vs Ramien vs Scott Cotric vs Toโo Brooks vs Cleary vs Keary vs Pearce and so on
I agree with the City vs Country comments bud, but would have Paulo and RCG over Vaughan, Fafita, Tamou and most definitely Woods…
A NSW pack containing Hass, Saifiti, Klemmer, RCG, Paulo and Brown would be bloody freaky… Throw in Pangi Jnr and Matterson… Good luck QLD