Former New South Wales forward Mark Geyer has called for Blues captain Paul Gallen to be denied a State of Origin farewell.
Sharks skipper Paul Gallen Photo: Photosport
Gallen has confirmed the 2016 series will be his last, but with the shield already retained by Queensland, Geyer said NSW had to look elsewhere for the dead rubber in Sydney next month.
"Out with the old and in with the new," he told Triple M.
Gallen, Robbie Farah and Greg Bird were the Blues' three elder statesman in their 26-16 loss to the Maroons at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night.
It was Queensland 10th series win in the last 11 years.
And Geyer has pressed for NRL young guns James Tedesco, Joey Leilua, Tom Trbojevic, Nathan Peats, Bryce Cartwright and Ryan James to earn a call-up in a side he says shouldn't include Gallen, Farah or Greg Bird.
"It's time to usher in the new brigade and say this is the 17 that we're going to stick with for four or five years.
"They're the ones that you stick with, not the ones that are tainted."
Former NSW playmaker Matthew Johns sided with Geyer, saying the Blues future plans had to win out over sentiment.
"It's time for a change," he said.
"It's time to usher in the new generation, so why wait 12 months? Let's give some of these young blokes a go right now."
NSW's most successful coach Phil Gould laid blame for the Blues' continued State of Origin failures upon the "selfishness" of Blues team leaders Paul Gallen and Robbie Farah.
"Over a period of time I have said I have been astonished by the selfishness around this camp and around this team and in the leadership group and I don't think it has allowed the team to evolve and to have it's own culture and its own chemistry," Gould said.
"It has been all about a few individuals and not about the state and about the team.
"It is no good sugar-coating the bitter pill. I keep saying that is the problem with us and until that goes and until that element is removed from it NSW can't get over the line against this (Queensland) side."
"The solution (to winning Origin games) is having leadership in your playmaking positions, fellas that take ownership of the result at crucial periods of the game," Gould said.
"NSW hasn't cultivated that person and they have had to live in the shadow of the leadership we have got and the leadership has been very selfish and very domineering and it hasn't had the chance to grow."
