The passion and biff finally returns to Origin footy
Roar Guru By Steve Kaless, 16 Jul 2009 Steve Kaless is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- David Gallop, NRL, NSW Blues, Queensland Maroons, Rugby League, State Of Origin, Steve Price
125 Have your say
Queensland prop Steve Price is tackled during Queensland v New South Wales State of Origin Game 3 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Wednesday, July 15, 2009. AAP Image/Dave Hunt
It might have been brutal and bloody, and that might be a guilty pleasure these days, but I’m going to enjoy it for as long as possible.
New South Wales finally looked like they had Queensland’s measure in the passion and aggro stakes, they finally looked like they wanted it, finally looked like they cared just as much as the blokes in the mythical Maroon jumper.
Sure there were a few mistakes. But you show me a match without errors and I’ll show you a dull, robotic contest.
Sure the inevitable phone calls to talk back radio will come from concerned mothers about how their little darlings will be scarred for life after seeing two blokes belting each other (supposedly more harmful than two decades of crap parenting).
But for a contest which is supposedly lacking the passion of yesteryear, there seemed to be plenty on show.
Even the fans at Lang Park got into the act by throwing their occupational health and safety compliant plastic cups onto the ground. Or maybe they were just making it easier for the cleaners.
For the first time since the Lewis era, there seems to be players keen to cast themselves in the role of pantomime villain. Maybe the names Hodges and Barrett will now be used as jibes in school yards on the respective sides of the border.
I don’t know which moment from Hodges will be more memorable: his acrobatic leap in an attempt to score or his gesturing to the Blues players to step outside after the late brawl.
Maybe it is impossible to separate genius from madness.
Of course, where to now for the Blues selectors?
Their campaign started with the focus on youth and ended with the best performance coming from a side with the oldest halves combination on record.
Could you really dump Barrett and Kimmorley, particularly the latter, on account of their age?
There are some players who just look built for Origin. A Watmough and T. Learoyd-Lars would be the first forwards named on my New South Wales team for next year.
And where to for the administrators?
Of course, everyone raves about wanting to return to the good ol’ days and the tough stuff did seem to excite the public. But no one wants to see blokes getting their heads taken off by some Les Boyd throwback.
Does Origin deserve special treatment?
Queensland head into next year, looking for five straight, but potentially without some of the old stagers who have been the core of their domination.
However, seeing it’s Queensland, it will probably be hard to tell the difference.
Whatever happens in the future, David Gallop probably had his best night’s sleep in months. Origin 2010 is certainly looking bankable.
Just make sure they bring the biff.
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- David Gallop, NRL, NSW Blues, Queensland Maroons, Rugby League, State Of Origin, Steve Price
July 16th 2009 @ 9:33am
sledgeross said | July 16th 2009 @ 9:33am | Report comment
Hoy, maybe watch the actual games when asserting NSW were the only ones niggling. I would point to at least 15 tackles in the first 20 minutes where Qld (especially Crocker) did grapple tackles around the throat. Did you see Thurstons facial on Barrett early on as well mate?
Its funny to hear the cowardly Justin Hodges call NSW “cheap shot artists” doing “dog acts”. The bloke shoots his mouth off all game, and maybe shows his (undoubted) class once or twice. WHite knocked out Price fairly in a one on one fight, and Waterhouse came in just as Price was seeing stars, which made his involvement look worse than it was. Hodges has a go at Barrett for being fired up when Price was down, when he does exactly the same thing! Hes a great player, but Justin, you are a moron.
At the end of the day, Queensland rightfully had the last laugh, they took theuir chances better, and deserve their fourth victory in a row, they are a great team. And what about Inglis! What a talent! The best player New South Wales has produced in ages.
July 16th 2009 @ 9:33am
Andrew said | July 16th 2009 @ 9:33am | Report comment
Picking prospects rather than proven players who have done well in the finals is too risky.
I think this series has shown up the NSW selectors (or Belamy if he really had much of a say in selction) as stupid. The all heralded new look blues were cut up and changed after a narrow loss in the first game. What did they expect to happpen to a team of rookies?
They were tossing up between Farah and Ennis, going with Farah game 1 fair enough. But then he has a disrupted preparation for origin 2 they don’t bring Enis they play an injured Farah instead….. I understand sticking with an injured Andrew john because he was miles ahead of 2nd place in his position. But when you have two guys who are 50/50 go with the one who’s not crocked.
Williams has had two shockers and shouldn’t be picked for a couple of years at least, but giving him a second chance (game 3) was ok. Picking guys once and then discarding them is worse in my mind.
The team went so much better with experienced halves. Unless someone like Wallace or Mullins do something amazing in the finals I would go with them again.
July 16th 2009 @ 9:37am
Gaff said | July 16th 2009 @ 9:37am | Report comment
What a game last night. It wasn’t the biff that made for a great spectacle (although we all do love to see it) but the intensity and the passion that the dirty blues played with that was absent from the first two games. It brought back my hatred for NSW. They started the fight and finished it in typical spineless, unsportsmanlike NSW fashion. I agree with Hoy’s comments that if NSW played with that intensity from the start of the series, we may not have won a record breaking 4th series in a row.
July 16th 2009 @ 9:37am
Mushi said | July 16th 2009 @ 9:37am | Report comment
I like it how all of a sudden this has become a “queensland were lucky” two days ago it was NSW were on deaths door despite most Quensalnders thinking that given ou injuries this was going to be a tough game, talk about revision.
The queensland team last night was not the queensland team of the first two games Petro, Hannant and Myles all played big roles in getting the go forward in game 1 and 2 ignoring their absence as you rewrite the outcomes fo game 1 and 2 is utterly ridiculous.
Even putting that aside is it queenslands fault that NSW constantly gave them easy opportunities? How can some of the credit not be given to the Queenslanders for applying the pressure? what about the one sided nature of the rub of the green ref decisions do they not count as luck.
Lucky to win the series? turn it up.
July 16th 2009 @ 9:39am
Andrew said | July 16th 2009 @ 9:39am | Report comment
I should also mention I always thought it was a myth that mums actually did that but my wife did bring out “if he (7 month old) asks to play rugby then I will say no” line.
But I am sure this would be offset by all the kids talking about origin in the playground today.
July 16th 2009 @ 9:39am
Bill said | July 16th 2009 @ 9:39am | Report comment
Justin Hodges demonstrated the behaviour you would expect from a 8 year old boy who has had his lunch money stolen. NSW should exploit this mental weakness in him next series.
It is was a pity to see the poor sportsmanship shown by QLD captain Lockyer when accepting the Origin trophy – no acknowledgment was given to NSW at all for contesting the series and for winning game 3. Shame, he is usually better than that.
July 16th 2009 @ 9:40am
Jameswm said | July 16th 2009 @ 9:40am | Report comment
Sledge and others you are right.
The sequence was:
- Price knees White in the head – not too hard but probably intentionally
- White pushes Price
Price throws a slap/push into White’s face
- White throws the first proper punch, though it doesn’t do any damage
- it’s all on
- White throws the punch that knocks Price out
- just as or after that happens, Waterhouse arrives to drag Price away, making it look like Waterhouse had something to do with knocking Price out
- as Price is lying on the ground, one NSW player stands over him to protect him, realising that he’s knocked out
No one has commented on that last point, least of all the idiotic Hodges.
Qld then try to knock any head off they can find, but NSW do not retaliate.
Overall Qld, including their most experienced players, showed a complete lack of class and should be ashamed of themselves.
July 16th 2009 @ 9:41am
CronullaKiwi said | July 16th 2009 @ 9:41am | Report comment
Price didnt knee him in the head ffs. If you watch the replay he hardly touches him. White throws a deliberate miss with a push, and Pricey goes striaght up and its all on. Pricey gets a few good ones in before leaving himself open where White lands a beauty on Price’s left jaw. Waterhouse would never have know he was out until it had stopped.
Barret having a laugh about it was cowardly, especially after his cheap shot in the second game and I hope he gets floored for it soon.
July 16th 2009 @ 9:41am
Andrew said | July 16th 2009 @ 9:41am | Report comment
White and Price was a fair fight…. the stuff that happened after with no concern for price’s wellbeing was a bitt off.
QLD 12 points down with 15 seconds to go should have taken the 2 points but they tried to put on a cheap shot on Gidley instead… yeh real heros.
July 16th 2009 @ 9:45am
Jameswm said | July 16th 2009 @ 9:45am | Report comment
Gaff – you mentioned “typical spineless, unsportsmanlike NSW fashion”.
Seems you went to the Justin Hodges School of Cultured Expression, not to mention conveniently ignoring the facts. It’s not White’s fault that Price can’t box – Price had his chances in a fair one-on-one fight.
Bill – Lockyer was one of the ones out for revenge at the end. It shows Qld can lose the plot under pressure and hopefully NSW noticed this. They’re lucky another three of their players weren’t sin-binned at the end.