Angry Wests Tigers fans hammering Laurie Daley over the so-called snubbing of Terrell May need to get it through their heads State of Origin is not a game of SuperCoach.

And as impressive as May’s numbers have been this year for everyone who has him in their SuperCoach team, there is no way on earth he deserved to be in the NSW team ahead of any of the four middles picked ahead of him.

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This is not a personal attack on May who has been tremendous for the Tigers this season, but it is just stating the facts.

Let’s go through them.

Payne Haas.

Unless you spent the last four years on Pluto, Haas is the first prop picked in any NSW pack.

Then you go to Mitch Barnett who not only did a great job for the Blues last year but has been inspirational for the Warriors this year to lead their shock charge into the top four with James Fisher-Harris missing the majority of the season.

On the bench Spencer Leniu might not churn through the minutes of May but the hard running Roosters prop certainly makes up for it with his impact.

Which leaves us with Max King who has been called up to play his Origin debut on the back of sustained good form for the Bulldogs who are leading the comp.

The other forward on the bench is Canberra’s try scoring machine Hudson Young who plays on the edge and can also cover the outside backs.

On top of that, May’s live streaming rant last week did him no favours because even if he wasn’t in the mix to start with, it is unlikely he will get a shot anytime soon after telling his mate to throw the Blue jumper he bought him in the bin.

Seriously, what a brain-dead comment to make before the team had even been announced.

But what makes it worse for May now is that with Payne Haas in doubt for the series opener due to a quad injury, it could potentially open the door for either Stefano Utoikamanu or Haumole Olakau’atu who are on the extended bench.

Coach Daley should be given credit for the squad he has selected.

Yes, you can make an argument May could have got a start ahead of King but it only comes down to personal opinion.

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And I personally think King has done more to earn his spot up until this point and his selection should be cheered because he has bloody well earned it every bit as much May or anyone else who missed out.

Former Blues advisor Greg Alexander made a good point on radio recently when he explained that while May’s number on a week-to-week basis are enormous, “a lot of his runs for mine aren’t effective, they’re just taking the ball up”.

Alexander stressed that he also wasn’t “knocking May, he’s been great for the Tigers but I don’t have him ahead of some of the front rowers that can play for NSW.”

Obviously Daley was of the same opinion.

It’s not as if May is the only metre-eater who has been left out.

Did you get a look at Keaon Koloamatangi’s numbers in the Rabbitohs’ win over the Tigers.

While May finished with an impressive 19 runs for 156m and 61 tackles, Koloamatangi racked up an astonishing 27 runs for 262m and 48 tackles.

And given Koloamatangi can play middle or edge, I reckon he’s the unluckiest Blue not to get a call up, although you could also make as strong case for Api Koroisau in that conversation.

WHY BILLY IS THE QUEENSLANDER UNDER MOST PRESSURE

If Queensland are to be any hope of regain the Origin shield, Billy Slater needs to stay calm this year and not lose his head like he did last year.

Slater was clearly out-coached by Michael Maguire who got under Slater’s skin with the “glass houses” comment before game two and that ended up having a huge impact on how the series played out.

While Slater has shown in the past that he is more than capable of masterminding an upset series win, there is no ignoring he had his pants pulled down last year and he was rattled by Maguire’s mind games.

In fact, I can’t remember seeing Slater lose his focus like he did, and it makes you wonder if Laurie Daley won’t have a trick or two up his sleeve just to see if he can get Slater second-guessing himself again.

Also going against Slater this year is that the Blues have by far the better team on paper and form, while injuries to Ben Hunt, Reece Walsh, Tom Gilbert, Murray Tualagi and Selwyn Cobbo don’t make Slater’s job any easier.

DALEY’S BIGGEST GAMBLE

Now to the battle of the halves and this is where Laurie Daley has made his biggest gamble with the selection of Mitchell Moses at five-eighth ahead of Jarome Luai.

Because this could either turn out to be a stroke of genius or it could potentially backfire on the Blues if Moses and Nathan Cleary aren’t exactly clear on their roles and they go out and both try to be top dog.

What Daley has done here is what most experts out there have been calling for.

The worry for me is that while Cleary and Moses are the two best NSW halfbacks at present, that doesn’t automatically make them the best halves combination.

And there must be at least some concern privately how Moses will gel with Cleary when he is forced to play second fiddle and move to the left side of the field.

While it doesn’t sound like the biggest deal in the world, it is a different role to what Moses has done every single week since his early days at the Tigers when he was playing five-eighth and Luke Brooks was halfback.

At least with Luai, him and Cleary won four comps together and know each other’s game inside out.

Again, I’m not bagging the selection but it is certainly a major talking point that will attract plenty of debate in the build-up.

BLUES GREATEST ADVANTAGE

Here’s another example of the Blues’ superior power.

You go through the back five and the only Queenslander who would make a combined team on current form is Storm flyer Xavier Coates.

Newcastle’s misfiring Kalyn Ponga goes into camp a shadow of the player he can be, while the selection of young Robert Toia is a massive gamble given he will most likely be marking up on Latrell Mitchell.

Either way, if Toia plays on the left he’ll have to contend with Stephen Crichton who is the most feared centre in the comp and who absolutely monstered Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow last year.

In the halves it’s an each-way bet between Cleary and Moses up against Daly Cherry-Evans and Cameron Munster.

While DCE hasn’t exactly been shooting the lights out this season, he was a lot better in Manly’s win over the Cowboys so that should give him a shot of confidence going into camp.

But there is also no denying Cherry-Evans is also under significant pressure this year given his ordinary lead up form coupled with the fact he was losing skipper last year.

Many would argue Tom Dearden deserved to be starting half, so DCE must stand up and repay the faith Slater has shown in him.

If he doesn’t what is likely to be his final Origin campaign could turn into a disaster.

In the Maroons’ favour is that Cameron Munster said on Fox League on the weekend that this is the fittest he has probably ever been _ and we all know what a fit Munster is capable of.

Harry Grant’s return is also a huge bonus for Slater, although overall the Blues have the stronger pack.