By Brad Walter
Bryce Cartwright has emerged as a genuine contender for NSW Origin selection after leading City to an upset 44-30 win over Country at Tamworth's Scully Park on Sunday.
With Blues coach Laurie Daley looking on from the grandstand, Cartwright turned in a five-star performance in which he had a hand in four of City's eight tries as Brad Fittler's men overcame the loss of winger David Nofoaluma with a neck injury in the opening minutes to stun the more favoured Country team.
Sydney Roosters forward Boyd Cordner probably did enough to secure a place in the NSW team for Origin I at ANZ Stadium on June 1, while South Sydney winger Aaron Gray scored a record four tries for City.
But all the talk after the match centred on Cartwright's bid for Blues selection. Playing in his usual second-row position, Cartwright's statistics included three offloads, one try assist and one tackle break from his nine runs in which he made 77 metres.
Held back: Tyson Frizell of Country is tackled by Chris Lawrence and Aidan Sezer.Credit: Mark Kolbe
The 21-year-old's kicking game was also impressive and resulted in tries to Gray in the 27th minute and City hooker Nathan Peats two minutes after half-time.
He was also involved in Gray's first try in the 22nd minute and a 47th-minute try by Panthers team-mate Josh Mansour, who made four tackle breaks and ran 150 metres with the ball.
But it was a run by Cartwright three minutes before half-time that showcased the attributes the nephew of former Penrith Test forward can offer the Blues after he fended off James Maloney and then pushed between the Country captain and Jarrod Croker before offloading to Gray, but the Rabbitohs winger lost the ball trying to get over the tryline.
Having played most of his junior football as a five-eighth, Cartwright could offer a solution to Daley's halves problem, but if selected it is more likely to be on the bench - possibly in the utility role that Cronulla's Jack Bird had been favourite for.
Winning feeling: Kyle Lovett of City celebrates with Leilani Latu and Curtis Sironen.Credit: Mark Kolbe
Bird, who has played five-eighth, centre and fullback for the Sharks, partnered Maloney at the Country scrum base but did not look comfortable playing halfback at representative level.
Canberra five-eighth Aidan Sezer was the pick of the halves on display and his spiral bombs caused problems for Country fullback Jack Wighton and winger Kane Linnett, although two late tries by Maloney are likely to have secured his recall after two years in the Origin wilderness.
Fittler nominated Maloney as the form NSW-eligible playmaker but he said Cartwright was the player who had done the most to advance his cause for Origin selection.
"They have got to have a real good look at Carty," Fittler said. "The thing I spoke to Carty about was his defence and we made a thing where whenever he went into a tackle he had to finish it.
"Now, apart from the third tackle of the game where Shannon Boyd ran over him, it never happened again, so that was a great step forward for him.
"Once our little fast blokes like Tyrone Peachey and Cartwright started playing footy those bigger blokes just couldn't happen and it was like they were stuck in mud. They were gone."
Fittler praised Sezer's kicking game, which yielded 362 metres from 11 kicks, but said Maloney should be the NSW five-eighth.
"He is in the best form out of all of them," Fittler told Triple M. "I thought early on he had us in all sorts, the game got away from him but I don't think that was his fault.
"It is hard with the halfback, when you're not winning it is just hard because everyone talks about negatives in players. I think Adam Reynolds is a fantastic player, but his last couple of games his kicking game - the backbone of his game - has been a bit down. We've just got to take someone in who is a bit confident."