Why a player with 300 stitches in his head and 81 tackles in a game is the man NSW need

State of Origin football is like going to a place where you are given directions but not the precise address. A bystander might tell you it’s on a particular street and even draw a little map but, in the end, you have to find it for yourself.

It follows that only a certain type of player will endure in such a highly demanding arena. Incoming NSW coach Michael “Madge” Maguire understands this and will only choose what he terms “Origin players”.

It sounds simplistic, but a player can have a long career at NRL club level and........

© The Sydney Morning Herald