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The Queensland Maroons defeated the New South Wales Blues 11-10 last night at ANZ Stadium in Homebush to draw first blood in the 2015 State of Origin series.
In a game that had everything we’ve come to expect from rugby league’s biggest spectacle – passion, intensity, niggle and a tight finish – it was the experience of the Maroons that saw them home in the end.
Full State of Origin 1 wrap:
>> ORIGIN 1 MATCH REPORT
>> FULL ORIGIN RESULTS
>> Live blog and highlights
>> Cameron Smith given man of the match
>> The Roar’s official New South Wales player ratings
>> The Roar’s official Queensland player ratings
With Game 1 now decided, there’s no better time to fire up the ‘Five Questions Machine‘ for an Origin special, so buckle up . . .
1. What to make of the NSW halves’ performance?
In my Origin preview, I lamented the fact that Mitchell Pearce and Trent Hodkinson had the adjectives ‘much maligned’ and ‘out of form’ placed before their names. Their selections were met with widespread criticism, and Queensland’s Courier Mail even ran a headline that suggested the Maroons were laughing at the selection of Pearce.
Yet in the first forty minutes of the match, the egg was firmly on everyone’s face, as the Blues’ halves pairing were outstanding.
Hodkinson showed more variety, creativity and ball running than he has all season for the Bulldogs – which isn’t saying much – while Pearce took on the line aggressively, and his kicking game was excellent.
The try to Beau Scott was a just reward for the 26 minutes of playmaking that came before it, and to see the halves link up, before Pearce deftly ducked under Greg Inglis and then put the second-rower over the line, must have felt extremely vindicating for Laurie Daley.
Unfortunately, the second half was not such a pretty picture, as both players made a number of costly mistakes, and the Blues appeared to become rudderless.
Where halves really earn their coin is when the game gets tight, and direction, poise and execution are required.
Sadly, all three of those qualities were missing on the Blues’ last two sets of six, which resulted in Michael Jennings kicking the ball dead on the last tackle, and Josh Dugan pushing a drop goal wide after miscommunication led to him receiving the ball instead of one-point specialist Trent Hodkinson.
It was a disappointing end to a promising start for the Blues playmakers.
2. Conversely, how composed is Cooper Cronk?
I mentioned that if the Queensland playmakers were given the opportunity to punish the Blues, they would. And so they did last night. Halfback Cronk, in particular, was a constant thorn in the Blues side whenever the chance was presented to him.
In the first half, off the back of an excellent, quick play-the-ball by Sam Thaiday, and then equally excellent and quick dummy-half play from Cameron Smith, Cronk received the ball against a scrambling NSW defence, and stepped Josh Dugan to score the opening try of the game.
That one sequence was everything that’s great about all three players, and a fine example of their abilities, especially Smith, who was sensational last night.
In the second half, Cronk was at his poised, methodical, executional best, as his pinpoint kicks helped gain the Maroons repeat sets of six, and his calm field goal sealed the win for Queensland, punctuating the steady play the number 7 produced all night long.
Cameron Smith was the best player on the field in Origin I. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
3. What did the Queensland forward pack eat at halftime?
Sam Thaiday aside, I thought the Maroons forward pack went missing in the first half, and were totally dominated by their NSW counterparts.
Led by Aaron Woods, James Tamou and Beau Scott in the first 30 minutes, the Blues forwards controlled the middle of the park, and did a wonderful job of neutralising Queensland’s pack, who struggled to match the Blues’ forwards intensity and impact.
However, things couldn’t have been more different in the second half, as the Queensland forwards gained the ascension, bashed their opponents in defence, dominated the ruck, and gained plenty of go-forward for Queensland’s playmakers.
Honours were even between the two packs and it showed on the scoreboard – until Cooper Cronk broke the deadlock.
Yet considering that NSW’s advantage supposedly lay in the forwards, a stalemate upfront was actually a Queensland victory.
4. Did NSW err by not selecting a utility player on the bench?
I personally don’t like selecting reserves for the purpose of injury cover, as I find it negative to plan for something unfortunate.
So I therefore can’t criticise the Blues for not having a back-up option at dummy half for Robbie Farah, who was injured when Justin Hodges dumped him on his shoulder and head. (Which was no better or worse than the two soft penalties for lifting against both teams late in the game . . . but I digress).
However, the Blues definitely could have used a spark in the second half.
As the momentum shifted after halftime, and the Queensland forwards started to get on top, NSW would have dearly loved to have a fresh, fast player running support off the forwards, or someone darting our of dummy-half to test the Maroons marker defence.
Instead, with the Blues forwards being dominated, the halves losing control of the match, and the backs not able to have any impact, the game slipped away from NSW, even though they only ended up losing by a solitary point.
It’s clear that a utility player on the bench should definitely be considered by the Blues’ selectors for game two.
5. Can I have an obligatory NSW whinge?
If I’m asking the questions and also answering them, then the reply to this one is ‘yes’, of course.
Don’t worry, it’s not about the referees or any unfair treatment that cost the Blues the win – they’ve only got themselves to blame for that.
But how about Billy Slater’s cheap shot elbow to the kidney of a defenceless Josh Morris? I can’t believe that wasn’t a penalty, and it did nothing for Slater’s reputation as one of the game’s biggest grubs.
Meanwhile, Justin Hodges’ mantle as one of the biggest villains in rugby league remains intact. To be honest, I’d actually like to use a different word to ‘villain’, but this a family website. Mouthing off at the end of the game to Ryan Hoffman – one of the nicest and most respected players in rugby league – speaks volumes about Hodges’ class.
Before Queensland supporters lose their minds, let me assure you that hatred is what makes State of Origin great, and these acts certainly elicited plenty of that emotion. So in some sick, twisted way, I enjoyed both moments.
Kind of.
Actually, not at all.
When is Game 2 again?