One of the Maroons finest moment. That is the only way to describe the unbelievable 32-8 victory by the Queensland team over the 2014 Origin champions New South Wales.
Although I have lived and breathed maroon my whole life, it took me until the 9th of July, 2014 to attend my first Origin match.
With the series already lost, the idea of watching a dead rubber seemed strange to me. It was a concept I had all but forgotten living in Queensland.
But I came to realise, sitting there in the stands, that there is not, and nor will there ever be a dead rubber Origin match. Not while Queensland are involved. For the entire 80 minutes the fans cheered the same way they have for 34 years, egging on the Blues and trying to push their beloved Queensland to victory.
Crowd favourites Corey Parker, Sam Thaiday and Billy Slater all had great games. Greg Inglis went missing for most of the middle of the game after being heavily involved in the opening 20 minutes.
For maybe the one thousandth time, Cooper Cronk showed why he is the best halfback in the game. Pin-point kicks, running when the opportunity presented itself, helping to take the pressure off his five-eighth. Çronk showed why he was on the team sheet as soon as he was made available, and also shows why Queensland struggled to find consistency throughout the first two matches.
Johnathan Thurston looked brilliant after struggling with an inexperienced halfback feeding him the ball. His longer leash inspired him to run the ball more, creating ample opportunities for the Queensland attack.
Dave Taylor again showed he is not up to Origin standards. After a great first touch and gaining metres, his next two runs were mistake riddled and helped New South Wales score their first and only try of Origin 3.
Not taking anything away from New South Wales, who won the series through hard work, but I do not believe the dynasty to be over. Queensland showed what they can do if given a centimetre. Although one or two games do not necessarily show what a team is capable of, this game was a true reflection of Origin football. Two full-strength teams, or as close to it as you can get, played 80 minutes of football. They all gave everything, with every exchange more exciting than the last.
This Origin will go down as one of the greatest in recent memory and shows why Origin will never, ever, have a dead rubber. I count myself very lucky to have been there.
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