Brave Queensland make State of Origin history
By Todd Balym, 25 Jun 2009 Todd Balym is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- Ashley Harrison, Ben Hannant, Cameron Smith, Craig Bellamy, Dallas Johnson, David Williams, Jarryd Hayne, Johnathan Thurston, Mal Meninga, Michael Crocker, NRL, NSW Blues, Queensland Maroons, Robbie Farah, Rugby League, State Of Origin, Trent Barrett
Queensland's Cameron Smith celebrates with Nate Myles after scoring their final try to win their fourth record breaking win over New South Wales in game two of the State of Origin rugby league series in Sydney on Wednesday, June 24, 2009. Queensland defeated New South Wales 24-14. AAP Image/Dean Lewins
Queensland claimed the greatest winning streak in State of Origin history with one of the bravest performances in the game’s history.
With five players struck down by a stomach virus in the past 24 hours and four players injured throughout the match, including a fractured jaw to star Greg Inglis, the Maroons fought on to claim a 24-14 win over NSW at ANZ Stadium on Wednesday night to secure a record fourth straight series title.
And for the fourth year in a row, the never-say-die Maroons secured the trophy in foreign territory.
“I have never played in a Queensland team with more character than this one,” said skipper Darren Lockyer.
“We have to celebrate this. We have got the series and we made history so we’ve got to make the most of it.”
The Maroons led 18-0 after 23 minutes thanks to embarrassing NSW mistakes, then held tight as the Blues regained composure to fight their way back into the contest.
The Blues reduced the deficit to 18-14 with a David Williams try in the 62nd minute, but NSW couldn’t deliver a killer punch.
Smith eventually sealed the win and series with 109 seconds left on the clock by collecting Luke O’Donnell’s tryline fumble to score beneath the posts.
“Tonight is a night we will never forget,” said hooker Cameron Smith.
The victory gives the Maroons an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the series and the longest series winning streak in the 30-year history of Origin football.
Lock Dallas Johnson played despite being on a drip all day for a violent stomach bug while Nate Myles, Lockyer, Michael Crocker and Billy Slater were also ill.
The Maroons lost star centre Greg Inglis to a swinging arm from Trent Barrett in the 22nd minute while Ashley Harrison (ribs), Ben Hannant (knee) and Sam Thaiday (knee) battled bravely despite collecting injuries.
Hannant came up with the tackle on O’Donnell that jolted the ball free for Smith to score despite playing with a grade two medial ligament tear and ignoring doctor’s advice to return to the field.
“Courageous win and a win again from a magnificent bunch of men who back each other and keep coming up with the right decisions,” said proud coach Mal Meninga.
“We had nobody on the bench at one stage but that didn’t matter, they just kept hanging in there.
“Those blokes will do anything to win a footy game.
“That is why we got four in a row.”
Queensland led 6-0 after as many minutes when Origin I hero Inglis barged over from a Johnathan Thurston pass.
Folau made fools of Robbie Farah and Justin Poore, busting through their feeble defence after a Williams mistake to score beneath the posts in the 17th minute for a 12-0 lead.
Farah compounded his error six minutes later when his pass from dummy half only found grass 5m out from his own tryline as Lockyer pounced to score the simplest of tries.
It was a comedy of errors by a young NSW side, their poor handling, terrible defence and sheer nerves costing them dearly for the second time in a row.
NSW conceded three tries in 10 minutes to lose Origin I 28-18 in Melbourne, and repeated that effort on Wednesday night.
“Those first three tries were the softest tries I have ever seen in Origin … that is hugely disappointing,” said NSW coach Craig Bellamy.
“We probably handed it to them even more tonight (than Origin I).
“I’m a lot more disappointed than I was the last game and I don’t know why but I am.”
Bellamy paused for several seconds when asked if NSW had the players capable of ever beating Queensland.
He said the only positives for the Blues were standout games by Anthony Watmough and Jarryd Hayne, whose two sensational solo tries kept NSW in the game by reducing the half-time deficit to 18-10.
Hayne scored a 92m intercept and twisted over from dummy half in the 39th minute.
A second half try to Williams was all the Blues had to show for their fightback and they now go down in history as being on the end of Origin’s longest series winning streak.
“I don’t know what to say … I’m shattered,” said NSW captain Kurt Gidley.
© AAP 2012THEY SAID IT: MEMORABLE QUOTES FROM STATE OF ORIGIN II
“I have never played in a Queensland team with more character than this one.” – Queensland skipper Darren Lockyer.“Tonight is a night we will never forget.” – Queensland hooker Cameron Smith.
“We had nobody on the bench at one stage but that didn’t matter, they just kept hanging in there.Those blokes will do anything to win a footy game. That is why we got four in a row.” – Queensland coach Mal Meninga.
“Quite possibly.” – Meninga when asked whether NSW pivot Trent Barrett should have been sent off for a 22nd minute high-shot that left Maroons centre Greg Inglis with a suspected broken jaw.
“That’s probably the greatest win I’ve seen by a Queensland team.” – Former Queensland coach Paul Vautin.
“Those first three tries were the softest tries I have ever seen in Origin … that is hugely disappointing.” – NSW coach Craig Bellamy.
“Some parts of our game you think we’ve got a great nucleus there. “Then with some of the errors that we made, the options we took at the end of the game when we were in the game .. I’m very confused at the moment.” – Bellamy again.
Recommend this story.
June 25th 2009 @ 7:21am
tifosi said | June 25th 2009 @ 7:21am | Report comment
are queensland good or are nsw just really bad? The first half was awful and nsw lack any talented players.
Oh and trent barrett is a dic###ad. That cheap shot was a discrace. he should get 8 weeks at least.
June 25th 2009 @ 7:55am
Hoy said | June 25th 2009 @ 7:55am | Report comment
There was some amazing Ref decisions last night.
How was Willie Tonga’s pass forward, when he was facing backwards, off the NSW head, still backwards. I can’t for the life of me see how the video refs came to that decision.
Joel Monaghan knocked the ball forward ingoal and QLD had to drop out. Fair enough as the on field ref made that decision.
The second try by Hayne? Amazing. It really would have made no difference, but don’t tell me in a club game that would have been a try. O’Donnell was clearly holding the marker in Israel. Again, it was pretty clear on the video evidence that Israel was held.
Poor Wolfman had a debut to forget.
Barrett should get several weeks for that shot. It was not careless that is for sure. You could see NSW were out for a stink after the first 20 minutes. Some angry defence that was more about hurting people, and rubbing their faces than actually completing tackles.
Watmough played well I thought. But he is still a grub.
O’Donnell played well, and it was a terrible shame that his dropped ball trying to stay in play cost a try, although at that stage it wouldn’t have mattered.
Hayne played well, but I can’t stand him. He reeks of laziness. Some passages of play, he looks like he just doesn’t care, then he pulls some brilliance out to run 95 metres.
QLD didn’t play that well, and for the final 60 minutes of the game, I thought they were going to lose. They were certainly gifted 18 points. I wonder what would have happened had Inglis stayed on? More points I would imagine. If he has a broken jaw, it will be a massive shame for the NRL.
Really NSW should have won last night.
June 25th 2009 @ 8:05am
Spiro Zavos said | June 25th 2009 @ 8:05am | Report comment
It’s time for the NSW authorities to make Wayne Bennett an offer he can’t refuse to coach the Blues. If you can’t beat them, whichh NSW plainly cannot do, then get them to join you. Bennett coached Australia and then helped New Zealand in the World Cup. It can be put to him that unless NSW start winning series the gloss will go off the State of Origin in Sydney. The huge crowd at ANZ Stadium believed, against the odds in my view, that NSW would strike back.
They clearly need Bennett, and if he wants full selectorial rights, then give it to him.
June 25th 2009 @ 8:06am
RickG said | June 25th 2009 @ 8:06am | Report comment
Hands down, the most pathetic origin performance ever from NSW.
Hoy, what’s wrong with firing up and trying to inspire something with bruising defence? A couple of watmough’s hits in the 2nd half (all completely legal BTW) were one of the few highlights.
June 25th 2009 @ 8:13am
Brett McKay said | June 25th 2009 @ 8:13am | Report comment
Hoy, I was initially thinking Harrison was accidently offside, as he wfound himself in front of Tonga as the balled was passed/knocked on, but from the restart, it could only have been a knock-on. Even the knock-on I’m not sure about, unless the ball came into contact with the NSW player on the ground before Harrison picked it up. Unfortunately, we never saw the end-on shot that would have showed it.
Also, for the Hayne try, yes O’Donnell grabbed Folau as he got up and played the ball, but neither Folau or Lockyer on either side of the ruck were onside. And there was another Qld player between them two, so only one, not both of them could have been the marker. So there could easily have been a penalty to Qld for O’Donnel’s grab, but there could just as likely been a penalty to NSW for the offside, for the markers not being square, or even for having three markers.
What I don’t understand is where Benefit of the Doubt comes in – Hayne clearly grounded the ball, so it can only have been for playing some kind of advantage to NSW??
June 25th 2009 @ 8:14am
Skull said | June 25th 2009 @ 8:14am | Report comment
Spiro, even a combination of Bennett & Gibson wouldnt be able to turn things around. Fact is NSW have no halves they are willing to pick. The best 2 NSW halves are Kimmorley and Orford but they wont pick them. Until NSW can unearth a new Johns or Fittler, they will continue to struggle. I would think QLD will win another 2 or 3 series in a row with their current team in place.
I would also like to nominate Warren Ryan as a selector for next year as he seems to think he has the answers and can do a better job than the current lot.
June 25th 2009 @ 8:30am
Hoy said | June 25th 2009 @ 8:30am | Report comment
I agree with you RIck. But there is a difference between good solid defence, and big hits, and cheap shots and face rubbing on the ground. That I can’t stomach.
I watch Dane Laurie when he goes around, and get the distinct impression that he just wants to hurt people, not do big hits in defence. The two don’t go hand in hand. He almost has contempt for the opposition, and I don’t agree with that attitude.
I also notice Watmough can’t put a hit on big men. His shots are more than likely on Thurston in the back. Yet when it comes to front rowers, his shots go back in the bag, and he is a poor defender generally. He did do well to try and fire up the blues last night.
I also agree Brett, that it wouldn’t have made a difference, and I very much doubt Israel would have stopped the try, but again, in club games I can’t see how that would have been a try. O’Donnell is quite clearly holding Israel. Given the fact that the play the ball was 1 metre from the try line, I am sure there were several players in the vicinity and heaven knows noone gets onside on the line these days. But the fact is that O’Donnell clearly interfered with a potential defender, who was right there. Unless, as you say, the benefit of the doubt is not as to whether Israel would have stopped him, but as to whether there was some advantage we don’t know about.
June 25th 2009 @ 8:35am
Bill said | June 25th 2009 @ 8:35am | Report comment
The NSW halves did not gell. Wallace had another poor game for NSW. He is not up to Origin standard, bring back Pearce / Kimmorley / Orford for game 3.
I feel disappointed for Williams with the two knock-ons in contact but good to see him score a powerful try in the 2nd half.
June 25th 2009 @ 8:44am
Brett McKay said | June 25th 2009 @ 8:44am | Report comment
Hoy, I will give you that, there’s no way it would have been a try in a club game. But then again, if that was a club game, there would also have been 2 or 3 times as many penalites given. What was the count in the end 7-3?
Bill, I wouldn’t mind betting they go with Gidley and Barrett in the halves for Game 3, and move Hayne to fullback. Even when Frarh came back on in the last 15, it was still Gidley and Barrett leading the way.
Here’s the thing though – do NSW make the wholesale changes (again) that could easily be justified?? And is there really any point now??
June 25th 2009 @ 8:47am
Brett McKay said | June 25th 2009 @ 8:47am | Report comment
ooh dear, that spelling of Farah was as muddled and messed up as his game last night. I left his defence out of the equation though, otherwise it would have been Fa rah….