Better performance, different result, same reaction. Last year NSW coach Craig Bellamy talked about how his side had turned the corner as he basked in the success of a 28-16 win over a Queensland side who had already wrapped up a fourth successive State of Origin series win.
The performance that night in game three at Suncorp Stadium was supposed to be the first step in the right direction towards the Blues reclaiming Origin as their own.
However, it proved to be a false dawn on Wednesday as Queensland snared their first whitewash since 1995, having already wrapped up a fifth straight series win.
This was despite a far better performance from Bellamy’s side, who led 18-13 with six minutes to go, only for a mighty Maroons side to break their hearts as they ran in two late tries to win 23-18.
With debutants Tim Mannah and Kade Snowden impressing and Tom Learoyd-Lahrs and Jarryd Hayne showing they will be around the Blues camp for some time, again there was a feeling the future is bright for NSW.
“You would like to think the future looks pretty bright, but we thought that last year after we won,” Bellamy said.
“There is a lot of work to be done. The four debutants did a great job and there is still a lot of guys in there … that got the experience tonight and can continue in the first game next year.
“It was our best performance of the series by a mile, but you may be surprised to know we have actually won a few under my watch so it was not the best.
“You’d like to think there is improvement in this team and we can take the positives out of tonight and take them to next year.”
Bellamy is expected to stand down as Blues coach after losing three straight series, but the Melbourne Storm mentor remained tight-lipped about his plans for the future.
“I just want to have a couple of beers tonight with the team and I will decide what next in the next couple of days,” he said.
Bellamy admitted the experience of being Origin coach this year had been “bizarre” at times and said the contributions of Trent Barrett and Kurt Gidley had made a difficult series – blighted a race row, wholesale team changes and three defeats – more tolerable.
“I thought Baz was tremendous tonight as was Kurt Gidley,” he said.
“It has been a tough series for Kurt, he is a proud guy and how he coped with being put on the bench and then losing the captaincy you would never have thought it had happened to him.
“He is such a selfless guy who always puts the team first.
“I thank both of them from the bottom of my heart about how good and supportive they have been.”
Gidley was outstanding as hooker in the second half after coming off the bench and Bellamy said he hoped the Newcastle skipper would find a regular starting spot in the side next year.
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