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Whose form descended and who was the most improved in Origin 2017?

The bulging belly of the baddest man in rugby league. Reckon VB regret having their logo splashed across it? HA! (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
Roar Guru
13th July, 2017
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The 2017 series looked promising for Laurie Daley’s New South Wales, who demolished and old, run-down, depleted Maroons 28-4 at Suncorp Stadium in Game 1, before losing Games 2 and 3. So what went wrong between those games? Who under-performed and who improved the most?

Andrew Fifita
Aaron Woods described Fifita’s Game 1 performance as one of the best ever, comparing it a big kid playing against little kids. Fifita made 183 metres from 18 runs, made 21 tackles, scored a try and set up another. Arguably forcing Queensland to drop most of their forwards, Fifita couldn’t deliver the same performance.

In the next two games he only made 156 metres from 26 runs and didn’t pose the same threat or create havoc.

Jarryd Hayne
Jarryd Hayne is a divisive character. A dream chaser, Hayne made 139 metres from 13 runs in Game 1, breaking the line and scoring a try.

However, he only ran the ball 18 times for 135 metres in the next two games, missed 14 tackles, and made crucial errors in both losses.

Brett Morris
It wasn’t just Hayne whose form decreased on the left edge for NSW. Morris ran the ball 15 times in Game 1 for 143 metres, breaking the line once. In the next two games he didn’t get on the ball as much, making 17 runs for 147 metres.

With Josh Mansour returning from injury, Morris could find himself losing his spot come Game 1 in Melbourne.

Cameron Smith
It’s hard to call Cameron Smith the most improved player in an Origin series, but that’s what the stats suggest. He ran the ball ten times for 40 metres and missed 11 tackles in the first two games.

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But when it mattered most, the Maroons captain ran the ball 16 times for 105 metres and only missed the one tackle.

In Smith’s defence, he did make 117 tackles in the series.

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