When it comes to the Queensland home state team, nothing is more true to its mark than a win against all odds. The Maroons fans are delighted, once again, after Queensland’s majority wins in Wednesday’s decisive decision at Suncorp Stadium. With their backs to the wall, given a chance by the few, overtaken and outdone, the Maroons did what they have done for four decades: they won with courage, intelligence and passion.
Billy Slater’s team came into the decision as one of the most disadvantaged in Origin’s history. A team that was already well and truly outdone on paper had lost star Cameron Munster. Tom Dearden and Tom Gilbert were appointed to debut in the hottest of the ovens. The rest, they say, is history and the legend of the Queensland-born jumper has been added.
In one of the wildest and most physical home games of recent years: the game was stopped three times in the first two minutes due to blows to the head and two players were punched, Queensland got on his nerves. and forced New South Wales to lose itss for once. victory that will resonate through the centuries.
Mercurial winger Kalyn Ponga played his best game with the Queensland Colors, scoring the decisive try to put the Maroons back in the lead for the last time and playing a hand in everything. Debutant Dearden was a live that enjoyed such a wonderful debut that will put pressure on pattern Daly Cherry-Evans in the future. Wally Lewis medal winner Patrick Carrigan, who only made his debut in the first game, proved he has no going back with another dominant striker.
Slater deserves immense credit for the victory. Tactically, the grenades were impeccable. It was clear from the start that the mantra was not to allow Queensland to stick while putting NSW in a situation where they would. And they did. Once again, the Grenadiers seemed to understand that the match would be officiated in a similar way to the first goal and that the ruck would be a mess. The Blues clearly did not understand. Knowing they could get out strong in the ruck, they made the most of it.
For the blues, the hens returned home to sleep. Brad Fittler’s long list of weird selection choices throughout the series exploded in his face when his team lost what, on paper, looked like a game that couldn’t be missed.
Nothing should be taken away from Queensland, who played with relentless self-confidence. They vindicated the great moments and absorbed the races against them. However, this is the cross of NSW. They lost the match. Crew wires were laid long before Wednesday night, as Fittler fell into a trap as old as Origin itself, ruined by the choice and its own inability to do the right thing.
Blues coach Brad Fittler with his full-time team. Photography: Dave Hunt / AAP
Few expected Daniel Tupou to win the selection ahead of Josh Addo-Carr. Tupou was targeted all night by Queensland and made a critical mistake in the break that led to a Maroons try. He was weak with his run, went just 6.05 yards per run and had the second slowest ball game of all the blues.
Siosifa Talakai is possibly not in the top half a dozen blue powerhouses or the top dozen backrowers, but he won the selection for his versatility. In a tough second half, he was penalized for an incorrect ball game that came out of his own end and then missed a simple entry on his own line that allowed Ponga to score the try that put Queensland in the lead.
Jarome Luai and Stephen Crichton took untimely and unthinking steps out of their own line that returned the ball to Queensland. Luai scored a quality try in the first half, but with limited kicking and a worrying defensive play it was surprising that he kept the best player of the blues in the first game, Jack Wighton, out of the team.
Fittler has always been praised as someone who marches to the beat of his own drum. In the early days of his time as NSW coach, it was a refreshing change from the staff conservatism of his predecessors. Fittler was not afraid and cared little for what others thought. He valued the energy delivered to choose the best. But five series later, ballast has been seen for concern, balance and calm.
The NSWRL needs to find a model similar to that of its Queensland counterparts that allows for different views, connections and links with different clubs, and a bird’s eye view of what it takes to win. Failing that, a more talented NSW team could lose a third series in four years.
The winner is the loot and everything is sunny north of the Tweed. Slater has increased his stature and the Queensland legend is only growing. South of the border, however, is the time for reflection after a serial loss that could and should have been avoided.