State of Origin 3: let the mind games begin
Columnist By David Lord, 27 Jun 2012 David Lord is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- maroons, NRL, NSW Blues, Rugby League, State Of Origin
Rugby league’s biggest game of the year will explode onto Suncorp a week tonight with Origin 3 in front of a capacity 52,500 at the cauldron.
Far bigger than the NRL grand final, or any Test match.
A blockbuster.
This rugby league decider has everything, with NSW coach Ricky Stuart desperate to end Queensland’s six-year dominance at the top of the list.
But Suncorp isn’t a happy hunting ground for the men-in-blue. Since the turn of the century, Queensland has won 10-5. During the record six-year dominance, Queensland has won 6-2 at Suncorp.
Comprehensive.
The tension has been increased by two key players – Queensland’s mercurial full-back Billy Slater, and teak-tough NSW forward Glenn Stewart – suffering from knee injuries, with both extremely doubtful starters.
Both have been included in a record 19-man squad for NSW and 20 for Queensland, more in hope than reality, that must be trimmed to 17 by game time.
That in itself will give Stuart and counterpart Mal Meninga many a sleepless night.
Replacing Slater is the more intriguing problem of the two.
Meninga has two alternatives in crack centre Greg Inglis, who is going gangbusters at fullback with Souths, with the Storm’s Dane Nielsen set to take over Inglis’ centre spot.
Or the Cowboys’ electric Matt Bowen, who hasn’t played Origin since 2007.
Having said that, there’s no more electric footballer going around than gifted Bulldog fullback Ben Barba, but he’s not in the squad. The way he engineered the length of the field classic try of the season on the way to the Bulldogs upsetting Melbourne was breathtaking.
From the NSW point of view, Dragon Beau Scott will replace Glenn Stewart if necessary.
But both Stuart and Meninga are a master class when it comes to clouding issues. It’s the mind games they enjoy playing.
I’ll leave Mal Meninga with the last word to prove the point.
“If Billy tells me he’s right to go, he’s right to go”.
The Crowd Says (22) | Page 1 of Comments
Have Your Say
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- maroons, NRL, NSW Blues, Rugby League, State Of Origin
June 27th 2012 @ 9:48am
oikee said | June 27th 2012 @ 9:48am | Report comment
I think Billy will be right. He was injured last Origin, with the 3 week gaps between games, it has fallen into our laps.
Glen Stewart is gone, so keeping Inglis in the centres will prove a luxury for Queensland.
Parker coming back to replace Harrison is like for like, and Teo might just be the game changer, him on the edge running out wide will give NSW nitemares.
Like you said, the 52 thousand crowd will lift the boys well over the line, anything that looks blue on the big screen will be booed outta Suncorp, we take our league serious up here you know.
Queensland is taking Maroon Madness to a whole new level. You know that can of whoopass they have been saving up for 3 games now, its about to be opened, buckle up boneheads, you aint seen nothing yet.
The maroon suinarmi is about to sweep all before it, i just hope NSWelshemen have their wetsuits ready, after signing up with Kleenex as their major sponser, and being asked to visit Arnott’s to dip their faces for the new gorilla biscuits, they dont have much future left for them.
June 27th 2012 @ 10:31am
nq said | June 27th 2012 @ 10:31am | Report comment
oikee i recall you crying for days on here after the second game – it will be weeks if the maroons get rolled in game three
June 27th 2012 @ 12:44pm
WobbliesFan said | June 27th 2012 @ 12:44pm | Report comment
Whoop ass indeed….. Two mediocre games…. Boys showed a tad lower motivation….. Watch them fire up now that series is tied.
Qld to win 8 series in a row just because they can
June 27th 2012 @ 1:20pm
The Barry said | June 27th 2012 @ 1:20pm | Report comment
It’s a shame the queenslanders only have a rinky dink 52,000 toy stadium rather than an 84,000 seat Colosseum. It would have been nice to see this game played in front of a decent crowd…
suinarmi ???
June 27th 2012 @ 1:47pm
WobbliesFan said | June 27th 2012 @ 1:47pm | Report comment
That rink dink stadium is known as Lang Park…..but you know that, don’t you.
History doesn’t care about “stadiums”…..only winners and losers.
June 27th 2012 @ 9:02pm
soapit said | June 27th 2012 @ 9:02pm | Report comment
its been suncorp stadium for some time now actually.
June 27th 2012 @ 1:53pm
Bigbaz said | June 27th 2012 @ 1:53pm | Report comment
probably should play it at the MCG where you can get a decent crowd and get them in and out quick and QLD will have the crowd support
June 27th 2012 @ 9:55am
Jitter said | June 27th 2012 @ 9:55am | Report comment
Biggest game of the season shouldn’t be between 2 teams which no other team or state can strive to be in! it’s exclusive not inclusive, as a non NSW or QLD person why should I give a toss about this game?
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June 27th 2012 @ 10:40am
josh said | June 27th 2012 @ 10:40am | Report comment
As a New South Welshman, why should I give a toss that you don’t give a toss?
June 27th 2012 @ 10:48am
kid said | June 27th 2012 @ 10:48am | Report comment
It the biggest game because it has about 30 of the top 34 players in the game. It is also played under rules that are so hard they can only be played a few times a year. In origin people are applauded for playing dirty, its renamed “playing to win”, as evidenced by channel 9 call team justifying cooper cronks sin binning and the use of the phrase “a club call” or “an origin call” for determining penalties. This is not rugby league this is origin and it is the best thing on TV no matter where you come from.
June 27th 2012 @ 11:26am
oikee said | June 27th 2012 @ 11:26am | Report comment
June 27th 2012 @ 11:31am
kid said | June 27th 2012 @ 11:31am | Report comment
guilty as charged…
June 27th 2012 @ 10:57am
WQ said | June 27th 2012 @ 10:57am | Report comment
As a QLD’er why should I give a toss that you don’t give a toss.
Go and watch the All Australian AFL team play…………. ah nobody!
June 27th 2012 @ 11:04am
james said | June 27th 2012 @ 11:04am | Report comment
I like how Mal leaves it up to Billy to make his own mind if he’ll be fit! Btw has anyone seen the “Do The Billy Slater” song on youtube? check it out itz epic!
June 27th 2012 @ 11:23am
oikee said | June 27th 2012 @ 11:23am | Report comment
Yes James, we have seen it twice now as you also put it on yesterday.
Jitter, it seems nobody really gives mate. Just sit quietly in the corner with Billy, you know Billy no mates.
June 27th 2012 @ 1:11pm
george said | June 27th 2012 @ 1:11pm | Report comment
i s that the game he cost aust the world cup
June 27th 2012 @ 2:54pm
turbodewd said | June 27th 2012 @ 2:54pm | Report comment
Doesnt 52,000 seem a bit small now? I have no doubt Brisbane should have a stadium that holds much more. I mean Bris SOO ratings almost match Sydney despite Sydney being 4.6 million to 2.1 for Bris.
June 27th 2012 @ 3:27pm
oikee said | June 27th 2012 @ 3:27pm | Report comment
And another thing you probably dont realise, Queenslanders are willing to pay top dollar for the privallige of Suncorp. The tickets are cheap really.
Build a world class stadium, people find out just how good a proper stadium really can be. Not these round elephants designed to take your knitting along to fill in the time.
You have seen, and all Sydney siders rave about Leichart with the Tigers, 20 thousand, well double that crowd and add the Mackay crowd to a area nearly the same size of this ground and you have Suncorp. Its built into the ground underground, had the graves resumed. Its a pit, a Cauldren, on the side of the hills, it does not get much better in a city, right in the guts of a city, 10 minute walk.
June 27th 2012 @ 3:19pm
oikee said | June 27th 2012 @ 3:19pm | Report comment
Suncorp stadium is the only purpose built rectangle stadium in Australia over 50 thousand .
It is rated as the best in Australia by 3 codes, not just Rugby league.
The point is, they have 100 thousand stadiums in America for NFL, why is it that Brisbane had to go out of its way to build a proper stadium yet no other state could give a rats about 3 codes of footy. If they did they would stop pandering to another code and start building decent rectangle jobs.
Plus aussie rules wont be able to take over all our grounds if we start building the damm things rectangle.
I have no dought Brisbane could and would build a super stadium, but the last mob in power seem to be building all these round stadiums,and have got us into nearly 100 billion dept.
Now until someone stands up and puts a stop to this nonsense, things probably wont change. Can-do has his work cut out getting queensland into the red, in the menatime we still have the best rectangle stadium in the country, thanks for coming.
June 27th 2012 @ 3:43pm
Ronnie the Eel said | June 27th 2012 @ 3:43pm | Report comment
Suncorp stadium is rather gay…. it would be nice to see about 49,000 crying queensland supporters running home from their plastic small stadium in tears because their super team was beaten…..
not saying that it will happen….. i think qld will probaby win.. but just saying…….will be fun if it does…..
June 27th 2012 @ 4:36pm
oikee said | June 27th 2012 @ 4:36pm | Report comment
The mighty Lang park, New south wales achilles heal.
She is a mighty beast Suncorp, a humbling experience, ask your mate Gus Gould.
When she is on song nothing, nothing comes close. We could take you and crush you like a butterfly.
You know your in the hands of God when your at Origin Suncorp.
What is this census, but dust.
Your soul, well it belongs to us.
Meat for the beast, ? all classical movie lines, but sums up the spirit of the corp. The graveyard for the blues.
And a line i loved in the St George dragon finals by a nice lady on TV, “we’re coming to get ya”.
June 27th 2012 @ 10:33pm
Dan said | June 27th 2012 @ 10:33pm | Report comment
Cmon you blues!! It’s time!!
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