I guess we can all be grateful State of Origin does not function by the same rules as the Olympics.

If it did, Gold Coast Titans’ star playmaker Scott Prince would have appealed his exclusion in the manner of kayak paddler Luke Michael, who challenged and challenged again his omission.

A successful selection appeal by Prince may have been good for Queensland, whenever the match was played. I doubt it, though – NSW were too hot on the night.

Hunt showed heart

It’s funny how if you hear something being stated over and over, you start to believe it.

Phil Gould kept hammering away the other night about Karmicheal Hunt putting on hit after hit on the likes of Blues second-rower Ryan Hoffman.

By half time, I was convinced Hunt had been suckered into an arm wrestling competition with the NSW forward pack and had been effectively negated in attack.

But what was he supposed to do? Tackle around the legs and let them get the ball free?

I think it’s called tactics and they got the better of him, but I also think he did the best he could and showed plenty of heart.

Maroons met their Waterloo

Sea FM does a fantastic job as a local rugby league sponsor, but I had to wonder what the staff were thinking when I heard a promo while driving home on Wednesday afternoon.

It was about watching an Abba special on that night and how you had to find a key word to win a prize.

Are they aware that everyone watches Origin or are there people out there who don’t?

But I guess watching Abba, you might have found a key word for the Maroons – Waterloo.

What if players switched sports?

I read Jonathan Brown’s article in Game On yesterday, wondering about how his team-mates would go in other sports.

He nominated Simon Black as a perfect league halfback or five-eighth.

Anyway, that got me thinking about how league players would adapt to other sports.

The freakish Israel Folau and Greg Inglis could play anything, but what about the rest?

Parramatta’s Piggy Riddell would make a great wrestler, Brett Finch would excel as a rugby union halfback and should think about that, Greg Bird and Paul Gallen would be at home in a cage fight, and Tony Carrol would perform as a defensive guard in the NFL.

Wendell Sailor, with his massive upper body strength, could make a 100-metre sprinter, but maybe the legs have gone. Time will tell.

The gall of Gould

Back on the Origin match, it was business as usual with only one penalty a side during the first half.

However much Queenslanders complain, I thought Tony Archer did a good job.

What I couldn’t cop were the three times I heard Phil Gould say: “That’s not high, it’s Origin.”

Not exactly a great message to be sending out.