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I’ll admit it. I’ve been guilty in the past of being a one-eyed fool, a man who has suffered from a rare strain of misdirected confidence that has seen me back New South Wales to win everything from NBA titles to the English Premier League.
However, this time around is different. There’s facts involved and I’m thinking with lucidity, so get a pen – preferably a blue one – and write this down:
Tonight, the Blues have well and truly got this.
Yes, with crucial changes to personnel on both sides and the carrot for the Blues to stick it up two states with one thrust, Laurie Daley’s men are primed to restore series parity in front of 90,000 heavily-subsidised ticketholders at the MCG.
More:
» State of Origin Game 2 Preview
» State of Origin Game 2 Teams
» State of Origin Fixture
» State of Origin
With the dust settled after Game 1 and the usual cannibalisation from former greats behind them, the Blues have discovered an abundance of positives from the series opener. Simply put, they were atrocious at ANZ Stadium, yet were one quick chat away from earning an excellent draw against an opposition that was offside from arsehole to breakfast.
Now after 10 days jam-packed with field goal practice in Coffs Harbour, Daley’s charges have honed the grit-infused gameplan that will see them scrounge approximately 9-12 points before laying a picket line for a famous win at a ground many have misinterpreted as a Maroon fortress.
Queensland may enjoy the weight of support down south, but the Blues have the form on the board at the venue as recent last-start winners 18 years ago. Plus, if I know my MCG Origins, they are dour affairs weighed down by more filth-flarn-filth than a midnight movie, making Paul Gallen’s return a timely boost.
Also for the ‘visitors’, a key man in the middle will be Robbie Farah. Anyone who was just shaded as the best hooker on the ground playing 40 busted minutes in Game 1 is going to be unstoppable playing 80 minutes doped-up with three vats of Codeine in Game 2. Look to him to boss the ruck with enough spare gusto to give a Justin Hodges a square-up on the side.
Speaking of a Hodges square-up, Ryan Hoffman. The promise of violent retribution for insincere congratulations aside, his local knowledge of Melbourne will also be critical. Look to him for intel on conditions and good parking.
Plus, don’t discount the impact of Brett Morris’ return as well. In a game riddled with bung shoulders, his experience with rep-level subluxation could be the difference.
Then there’s the fleet of Blues young bucks who now, for the seventh time, firmly believe this is their time.
By all accounts, Mitchell Pearce is ‘looking forward to the match’, Josh Dugan is ‘pumped’ and Aaron Woods ‘needs a scrunchie’, while Trent Hodkinson is reasonably confident of repaying the selectors faith by drilling every one of his penalty kicks deep in to touch.
On the other side of the ledger, Queensland seem to have some bats in the belfry.
I’ll give them credit; they certainly proved in Game 1 that they weren’t the bunch of selfish old-timers I made them out to be, instead exposing their true colours as a pack of germs who have the dark arts down-pat. But despite holding the series advantage, they’ve lost the plot completely.
What do you say about a hierarchy that selects a one-arm fullback and plans to give Greg Inglis time on the wing? Who leave a combination-fit Michael Morgan on the bench and refuse to pick a flame-haired firebrand in Dylan Napa, plus all of the other secret mistakes they’ve probably made that they haven’t told us about?
I think 10 days of clean Mexican air and artisanal produce has badly scrambled their beloved Origin mentality.
No wonder their former greats are ripping each other’s arms off on national television in total panic. They might as well just give David Taylor the 18th man duties and have their insanity decreed by a magistrate.
And without exaggerating too much, the loss of Cooper Cronk is apocalyptic.
With all due respect to the talents of Daly Cherry-Evans, he just doesn’t fit in with a Queensland backline that’s become as cliquey as a bunch of Real Housewives. As proven in the past, slotting him in to plans is like trying to interlock a sim card in to ice cream. Carrying him and his wallet is sure to be a burden.
On top of all this will be New South Wales’ undeniable desire to also give both barrels to Victoria, a state of people who have made no secret of the fact that they are siding with the grubs from the Sunshine State after finding common ground with their inferiority complexes and lesser infrastructure.
In response to this evil alliance, the Blues have made their feelings towards Melbourne painfully clear. They’ve lobbed in to town 15 minutes prior to kickoff before accusing the local government of paying Queensland ‘friends fees’ to have them hang around town all week.
I’m confident they won’t be harassed to sign too many autographs. But who cares, right?
Laurie Daley plans on crashing their unified party with 80 minutes of suffocating, monotonous, safety-first footy and a Blues win that will send everyone home grumpy. You read it here first. Two birds, one stone, series level!