- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Queensland prop Steve Price is tackled during Queensland v New South Wales State of Origin Game 3 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Wednesday, July 15, 2009. AAP Image/Dave Hunt
It might have been brutal and bloody, and that might be a guilty pleasure these days, but I’m going to enjoy it for as long as possible.
New South Wales finally looked like they had Queensland’s measure in the passion and aggro stakes, they finally looked like they wanted it, finally looked like they cared just as much as the blokes in the mythical Maroon jumper.
Sure there were a few mistakes. But you show me a match without errors and I’ll show you a dull, robotic contest.
Sure the inevitable phone calls to talk back radio will come from concerned mothers about how their little darlings will be scarred for life after seeing two blokes belting each other (supposedly more harmful than two decades of crap parenting).
But for a contest which is supposedly lacking the passion of yesteryear, there seemed to be plenty on show.
Even the fans at Lang Park got into the act by throwing their occupational health and safety compliant plastic cups onto the ground. Or maybe they were just making it easier for the cleaners.
For the first time since the Lewis era, there seems to be players keen to cast themselves in the role of pantomime villain. Maybe the names Hodges and Barrett will now be used as jibes in school yards on the respective sides of the border.
I don’t know which moment from Hodges will be more memorable: his acrobatic leap in an attempt to score or his gesturing to the Blues players to step outside after the late brawl.
Maybe it is impossible to separate genius from madness.
Of course, where to now for the Blues selectors?
Their campaign started with the focus on youth and ended with the best performance coming from a side with the oldest halves combination on record.
Could you really dump Barrett and Kimmorley, particularly the latter, on account of their age?
There are some players who just look built for Origin. A Watmough and T. Learoyd-Lars would be the first forwards named on my New South Wales team for next year.
And where to for the administrators?
Of course, everyone raves about wanting to return to the good ol’ days and the tough stuff did seem to excite the public. But no one wants to see blokes getting their heads taken off by some Les Boyd throwback.
Does Origin deserve special treatment?
Queensland head into next year, looking for five straight, but potentially without some of the old stagers who have been the core of their domination.
However, seeing it’s Queensland, it will probably be hard to tell the difference.
Whatever happens in the future, David Gallop probably had his best night’s sleep in months. Origin 2010 is certainly looking bankable.
Just make sure they bring the biff.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.