If anyone thinks rugby league favours the big men, just take a look at the games during last weekend.

How good did some of the game's halfbacks and five-eighths play?

Not just the regular stars, all halves really seemed to turn it on in round nine.

Everyone knows Shaun Johnson is a freaky talent but his game against the Sharks was just outstanding.

He basically set up two tries and scored one himself to almost single-handedly roll Cronulla.

People might say he is overrated and that he didn't deserve the Golden Boot, but Johnson is going to be a genuine star.

Mitchell Pearce might have been under a question mark for a spot in Laurie Daley's NSW team but surely he silenced any doubters with his performance against the Tigers.

Pearce must now be considered one of the best playmakers in the game.

His knack of finding hole-runners and hitting charging forwards on the chest with precision is just amazing.

Blake Austin had another cracking game and only enhanced his claim to a Blues jumper in my mind.

Austin is an under-appreciated talent if you ask me, and I still can't believe the Tigers let him walk out the door.

He was outstanding for Country a fortnight ago and he was great as the Raiders thrashed Titans at the weekend.

For mine, Pearce and Trent Hodkinson should be NSW's halves combination for the looming Origin series.

But Austin must certainly be thrown among the contenders.

Even as a possibility for next year's series, Austin should honestly be on Daley's radar when he sits down to pick his starting 17.

It's interesting to hear what people are saying about the NSW team ahead of Daley's public announcement on Tuesday.

A lot of the public seem to think that the Blues are struggling to find quality players, but I am amazed at the options Daley has this year.

We have some quality halves, as I've mentioned, but we're also stocked well in the backs and forwards.

The City-Country game proved just how many back-rowers and big guys NSW have at their disposal.

David Klemmer, Tyson Frizell, Joel Thompson, Paul Vaughn, and Josh Jackson are just a few of the quality forwards available for Daley to pick.

In the backs we have Josh Dugan - who should be a lock for the fullback position - then guys like Michael Jennings, Daniel Tupou, and Matt Moylan who are just pure talent.

Dugan was found out a little bit when playing on the wing for Australia during his Test debut, so I think he needs to wear the No 1 to give the most value to the Blues.

But Origin is rarely won on fancy footwork, it's almost always won on grit and muscle.

The series will be won up the middle and NSW looks like it has the forwards to get the job done for a second consecutive year.

We have the chance to turn the tables on Queensland and begin our own dominant era with a lot of talented young guys coming through the ranks.

WHAT does a guy have to do to get sent off a rugby league field these days?

If Konrad Hurrell can get away with kneeing a bloke to the face then the send-off rule is dead.

I've watched that incident over and over again and it still looks like Hurrell deliberately lifted the knee into the face of his opponent.

If that's not a send-off I'm not sure what is. If he can get away with that, players will know they can get away with anything on the field.

I don't want the game to get soft, but I don't want to see people seriously injured playing the game they love.