The Obstruction Rule

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The Obstruction Rule - Rugby league analysis, news, and VOA NRL statistics

Slater out of Origin 1

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It looks like the future is upon Queensland, sooner than they’d hoped.

After losing hooker Cameron Smith just prior to the series due to his representative retirement, the Maroons have now lost fullback Billy Slater as well, after the custodian was ruled out of Origin 1 with a hamstring injury, according to 7Sport.

Slater’s injury will mean Queensland will go into Origin 1 without any of Smith, Slater, Johnathan Thurston or Cooper Cronk for the first time since 2003.

It remains to be seen who’ll be called into the squad to replace him, though it’s expected Michael Morgan will take his place is the starting side, either at fullback or centre, with Greg Inglis going to the back.

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Slater to retire from rep football

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The last of the legendary Queensland spine will be calling it a day at the end of the 2018 series, with Maroons legend Billy Slater announcing his imminent retirement from representative football.

The announcement also means that Slater has played his last Test for Australia, completing his international career with last year’s success in the Rugby League World Cup.

Slater has played 29 Origins for Queensland, and 30 Tests for Australia.

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Smith retires from rep footy, effective immediately

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That sound you’re hearing is a collective sigh of relief from everyone in New South Wales.

According to James Hooper on Fox Sports, Queensland legend Cameron Smith will today announce his retirement from all forms of representative football, effective immediately.

As a result, the Maroons will head into this year’s Origin series without any of Smith, Johnathan Thurston or Cooper Cronk for the first time in over a decade and a half.

Smith will retire holding the all-time record for most Origin matches (42), and most Origin wins (26).

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Blues to persist with full-time coach

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The NSWRL have today met to consider whether or not they’ll allow coaches with NRL affiliations to coach the Blues, and they’ve come to a decision – they won’t.

According to AAP, the board have resolved to keep the position ‘full-time’ – ruling out currently serving coaches like Craig Bellamy and Ricky Stuart.

“The overriding consideration is to avoid, for both the coach’s benefit and the players’ benefit, perceptions of conflict of interest, also the reality of conflict of interest when selecting players,” NSWRL CEO David Trodden said, following the meeting.

Ordinarily, this policy would effectively rule out the most qualified coaches, since the best coaches in Australia typically hold NRL positions. On this occasion, however, they may get away with it, with recent premiership-winning coaches Des Hasler and Michael Maguire, as well as Grand Finalist Geoff Toovey all currently without a job for 2018.

One of two of them may yet get snapped up by the Titans or Bulldogs, however there should still be some elite options available, should they decide to appoint someone other than Brad Fittler.

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Stuart may be an option for Blues

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He stopped well short of declaring himself interested in the job, but Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has sounded open to the idea of once again coaching the Blues, while appearing on NRL 360.

“There’s a rule there that was put in place – I don’t believe in the rule – so that you couldn’t coach an NRL club, so I haven’t even thought of it,” Stuart said.

Notably, the NSWRL are expected to get rid of the policy precluding NRL coaches from holding both posts, meaning that if he were interested – and if the NSWRL wanted him – Stuart may well be an option (and importantly, he believes that an NRL coach can perform both jobs effectively).

“As all of us are who played in the jumper, we’re all very passionate about it… and it’s something that burns away at you because you’re embarrassed by the results.”

Hopefully it burns away enough at Stuart to bring him back into the Origin arena, perhaps as part of a brains trust for former Blues teammate Brad Fittler. If nothing else, the Blues would be a lot more fun to watch.

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