Queensland players have responded to former NSW hardman Mark ‘Spudd’ Carroll’s claims the Maroons forwards “wouldn’t scare kids in a crèche”.
In his column for online newspaper The Nightly, Carroll described the Maroons pack as “a bunch of powder puffs” ahead of the State of Origin series decider at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night.
Head here to read Carroll’s full column in The Nightly.
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Carroll, who played seven Origin games for the Blues and was a fearsome and uncompromising forward, was salivating over NSW’s 38-18 demolition of Queensland at the MCG in game two where the Blues pack dominated.
Carroll was critical of the Maroons’ decision to overlook Gold Coast powerhouse David Fifita for the decider and took aim at the Maroons pack.
“These Queensland forwards wouldn’t scare kids in a creche,” Carroll wrote.
“Without Fifita there’s just no fear factor.
“They’ve got plenty of workers such as Lindsay Collins, Reuben Cotter and Pat Carrigan, but no X-factor. I thought Fifita would be brought in to play a role like Spencer Leniu does for NSW, a power forward who skittles defenders.”
When told of Carroll’s comments and in light of other criticism of the pack, Maroons prop Moeaki Fotuaika said Queensland’s forwards were ready to take it to the Blues and were definitely “not powder puffs”.
“It gives us fire in the belly to go out in Game III and put a better performance in the middle defensively. We have reviewed game two and we know what we have to fix up,” Fotuaika said.
“Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but the team Billy (Slater) has picked in this forward pack, everyone does their job and everyone has their role.
“For us on Wednesday, we know we have to be a lot more aggressive in defence, so for us it’s about going in there and being aggressive.”
Despite Carroll’s comments, Fotuaika said the Maroons had the personnel to take on NSW up front.“For sure. You look across the forward pack. You have (Felise) Kaufusi, Patrick Carrigan, Reuben Cotter and they are hard to beat defensively,” Fotuaika said.
“I know for sure if I’m lining up on the other side, I’m looking out of the corner of my eye if those guys are defending.”
Maroons centre Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, who plays alongside Dolphins and Queensland enforcer Kaufusi in club football, also disputed Carroll’s assessment.
“(Kaufusi) has heaps of mongrel and I think he can scare a couple of kids as well,” Tabuai-Fidow said.