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There is no question that Laurie Daley’s New South Wales side put up a good fight in State of Origin 2.
However, once more they lost. And for the tenth time in 11 seasons Queensland have won the series. It now stands at 20 series wins to 12. Before the Maroon decade of dominance began it stood at 11-10 to NSW.
Once more they were bested by a side who know how to win. The series returns to ANZ Stadium on Wednesday, July 13 for a dead rubber game. Queensland will be looking for their fifth clean sweep, NSW will just be looking to salvage some pride.
More from Origin Game 2
» Game 2: Queensland seal the series
» State of Origin results
» Re-live the action with our live blog
» Origin 2 in pictures
» Five talking points from Origin 2
» NSW need to find their Origin identity
» State of Origin Game 2 player ratings: Queensland
» State of Origin Game 2 player ratings: NSW
There will be a big temptation to give a final goodbye to a number of the New South Wales players in that game. However, for the Blues the future needs to start now. There can be no thought of sentimentality.
And why would anyone be sentimental about a side that’s been outscored 620 to 433 in managing just ten victories out of the past 32 matches. A sentimental send-off for Paul Gallen (and friends) in Game 3 would not even be celebrating mediocrity, it would be celebrating failure.
Did we hold a ticker-tape parade for Kim Hughes in 1984? Was there a motorcade for the Australian swim team on their return from the London Olympics? No there wasn’t.
We just wanted the whole ghastly business behind us ASAP and the people responsible removed. Why should it be any different for this NSW team?
As Aaron Woods put it after match, when asked how he felt watching the Queenslanders celebrate winning yet another series: “It’s shithouse”.
Yes, Aaron, it is shithouse.
However, the NSW team has, for the most part of the past 11 years, been shithouse. Why there is any thought of printing thousands of Gallen masks and giving him a heartfelt send off is beyond me.
“Good onya Gal! It’s been mediocre…”
As I said earlier this season, NSW have the opportunity to get the jump on Queensland by blooding new players in the side, renewing it – and through that, being successful in the future.
The sides that took the field last night had Queensland with 250 games among them, with New South Wales only having 113. However, with the notable exception of the retiring Corey Parker, the Queensland old hands will be back next year.
Daley needs to start his cleanout ASAP. He needs to start the future immediately – or make way for someone who will.
When Winston Churchill lost the election directly following the Second World War his doctor commiserated with him on the “ingratitude” of the British public in getting rid of the man who had guided them to victory. Churchill replied, “I wouldn’t call it that. They have had a very hard time.”
The rugby league supporters of New South Wales have also had a very hard time. While being bombed by Nazis is certainly worse, a decade of losing to obnoxious Queenslanders has been a seemingly unending nightmare.
The loyalty that Daley should be concerned with first and foremost is not to a team that has lost seven of the 11 games he has coached, it should be to the long-suffering New South Wales supporters. The team belongs to them. Not to him. Not to Bob Fulton. Not to Paul Gallen.
Laurie works for the people of New South Wales and they have been more than patient. The axe must be swung and it must be swung now.
Tyson Frizell’s excellent debut should embolden the selectors to take the opportunity of the upcoming dead rubber to revitalise the Blues with a view to future success. His chase on Dane Gagai and his run off Adam Reynolds to score were both superb, just for starters. Let’s get more of that sort of thing into the team.
So, who needs to go for NSW?
Paul Gallen
Yes, I know I’ll be crucified for this call, but while Gallen is almost certain to retire after this series anyway, last night his performance was lacking and he shouldn’t be picked for Origin 3.
Yes, he has been a warrior for NSW, but Origin 2 was the tenth game out of 16 that he has captained NSW to a loss. It is the 15th loss out of 23 games for NSW that he has played in.
Last night he made a respectable 96 metres from 11 runs and 30 tackles. However, his leadership was often absent. Where was he when Dylan Walker was giving away four penalties in the first 20 minutes? Where was he when Matt Moylan was dragged back into the in-goal in the 52nd minute and then Adam Reynolds gave away a stupid penalty in the 53rd minute?
Cam Smith could be seen everywhere as captain, calming and guiding his team around the park, keeping them focused. I kept wondering where Gal was. Admittedly there had been a lot of criticism of Gallen taking too many hit-ups and not allowing his playmakers to have the ball. In Game 2 he pretty much got out of the way and the NSW attack looked much better. Dangerous even.
So if Gallen’s biggest addition to the game was to get out of the way, perhaps it is best that he gets out of the way completely so Jake Trbojevic, Jack De Belin or Bryce Cartwright can start their Origin journey on July 13. It is probably fitting that Gallen’s greatest legacy for State of Origin – and possibly rugby league – is to have precipitated having punching outlawed.
Robbie Farah
Farah was actually OK last night. He made some great dummy half runs and some great offloads. However, he missed a few tackles, one which led to a line break. At 32 he is the past, not the future.
While Smith has declared that he fully intends to play on, Farah’s league career has far more yesterdays than tomorrows. While Queensland have three great options for the No.9 jersey – Jake Granville, Andrew McCullogh and Jake Friend – NSW can blood a new hooker ASAP and get a number of games of experience into them before Smith’s replacement gets a go. Mitch Rein or Nathan Peats should get the jersey.
Michael Jennings
The bloke that Ricky Stuart picked from reserve grade for State of Origin in 2012 has reached his use by date. Yes, he is still fast. Yes, in Origin 2 he made a very respectable 144 metres. However, when the game was there to be won Jennings came up with crucial errors, twice making very poor calls in defence that led to Queensland tries.
Further, he threw a pass that shouldn’t have been thrown for Gagai’s intercept try. That was probably the crucial play of the game. It released the pressure on Queensland when their superb defence looked like it might crack. A possible 12-point turnaround in a game won by ten points.
Further, he just didn’t throw down a good enough challenge to the Queensland defence. He’ll be 29 come next year’s series. He should make way for Jack Bird or Joey Leilua.
Greg Bird
Bird will be 32 when Origin 2017 rolls around and there is no place in that side for the ageing enforcer, whose best years are a while back now. While he is crafty and skilled, he’s now a yard too slow. He shouldn’t add to his 18 games. Wade Graham or Boyd Cordner are long-term options for that place and one of them should be taking it on July 13.
Those four changes need to be made to ring in a new era of New South Wales Origin immediately.
There have been lots calling Dylan Walker (and the man thought to have pushed his unlikely selection, Bob Fulton) to be dropped. However, Walker stood up well under immense pressure. He deserves another run.
I’d like to see Matt Moylan stay in the squad, however James Tedesco is a match winner and needs to be there.
Players must make way and make way now, or we might as well just write off the next ten State of Origin series as Queensland victories as well.