He could not hide his bias at the end of the match, shouting ‘Go Munster’ while the five-eighth threatened to run across the field against the streak of the game.
Forgive me: after all he is an assistant coach in Queensland.
Thurston shines again
One of the biggest moods of the night came in the early second half when a paper plane headed from the top of the west grandstand to the surface.
The crowd was ready to pass the plane over the fence, which he did, but the icing on the cake was the one-handed capture of Queensland assistant coach Johnathan Thurston, who launched the plane. back in the crowd after a round of applause for his trap.
Cleary draws attention
Penrith coach Ivan Cleary recently complained about the treatment of his son Nathan Cleary after the kicks. I wouldn’t have been happy with some of the tackles of number 7 Wednesday night.
Nathan Cleary is wrapped by Lindsay Collins after receiving a kick. Credit: Getty
The referees are happy to let slip a lot of Origin, which is how we like it.
But the Queenslanders managed to reach Cleary regularly while his bodyguard Isaah Yeo was off the field and could not protect him with the screens he normally uses.
Daley, Lockyer chooses the best on the ground
They may have been relegated as Australian kangaroo coaches last week, but Laurie Daley and Darren Lockyer – in collaboration with Mal Meninga – retained the honor of selecting the man of the match in the first game.
Nine teams for Origin II
Channel Nine, the editors of this headline, are working on a special behind-the-scenes piece that will run before Origin II in Perth in a couple of weeks.
Today’s host Karl Stefanovic has had special access to the Maroons, while 2GB’s Ben Fordham has arrived at Accor Stadium with the Blues. It should be an attractive display in the coming weeks.
Simmons goes to the blues
Former NSW hooker Royce Simmons spoke to the Blues players before the game. His fight against Alzheimer’s is well documented.
His story is emotional and he had a big impact on the players. Simmons talked about loving the moment because life was fleeting and could change in an instant.
No blues for Addo-Carr
Even being left out by NSW coach Brad Fittler for the opening of the series could not dampen Josh Addo-Carr’s enthusiasm. The Bulldogs winger was in the crowd at Accor Stadium supporting his former teammates.
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Former Bulldogs and Blues players Trent Hodkinson and Josh Morris (we believe) were also seen walking down the aisles of the corporate floors of the Olympic venue.
Fans miss the start
There were many frustrated fans outside the Accor Stadium before the start. A large continent of fans could not enter the stadium in time for the start. There were similar problems after the Barcelona-A-League All-Stars friendly football match a couple of weeks ago.
Unfortunately, Sydney residents ignored advice on taking public transport and the traffic was a nightmare with 80,000 fans converging on Sydney Olympic Park.