Earlier, as the Blues were looking to mount a comeback, Jarryd Hayne scoops a clever chip kick, and before I can jump out of my seat, he has fired the ball over the sideline.
A Maroon jersey makes a player play like Superman; a Blue one is like kryptonite.
The fact is that the Maroons are that good that if the Blues are not on absolute fire for the full 80 minutes, then the result is only going one way.
Things started well enough for NSW: they muscled up and were starting to force errors, it was only right that they would take the lead through Jarryd Hayne.
But eventually Thurston and Lockyer, who go as well together as Rum and Coke, just started sniping away and the big men of the Queensland backline did their thing.
On the verge of winning a fifth straight series, Queensland head home and will be close to welcoming back the likes of Cameron Smith and Ben Hannant, plus 50,000 Queenslanders, who’ve had a skin full at the Caxton before the game.
Yippee.
The question for the Blues selectors, and it seems to be the perpetual question, is: Where to now?
For what it’s worth, I’d put Hayne at fullback, pull Lyon from five-eighth (maybe for Gidley, maybe Barrett), and ditch Ben Creagh for Paul Gallen.
The other wing? I don’t know can we forge a birth certificate for Aku Uate. Bloodly hell, Suva is as close to NSW as Bowraville is to Queensland.
But importantly, NSW just need the same belief as Queensland have always had. When the Blues were scoring tries at the back end of the game, you knew they would come up short.
If the roles were reversed, you would know that somehow Queensland would come up with some amazing play to steal victory on the death.
It’s just the way it goes at the moment.
Football Person 2
Roar Pro
QUEENSLANDAR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :)
Springs
Roar Guru
Double check it then. Test playing nations are: Australia Cook Islands Fiji France Great Britain New Zealand Papua New Guinea Russia Samoa South Africa Tonga These are current RLIF full-member test nations.
The Answer
Guest
yeah the conspiracy of silence surrounding AFL and its benefits is the problem. they really do some marketing in NSW, maybe give the team special concessions to make them more competitive. Oh.....
The Answer
Guest
Let's wait and see before we start proclaiming the Bledisloe will be a sell out. They've struggled in recent years.
Stan
Guest
Not the Willie - he has had many Origin chances and he's not up to it - he has as little firepower now as if Cassius Clay were taking on Danny Green now.....
Kim Hart
Guest
I should elaborate and say they were at their best at the start but at times they looked dreadfully sluggish.
Richard
Roar Guru
The third game is often the decider. In fairness to the true blue RL fans in those states it should be played in Sydney and Brisbane alternately.
Kim Hart
Guest
You take up Andrew Voss's opinion that schoolboy football equals senior football, which it doesn't. Senior in high school does not translate to senior in league. You only bleat about Inglis and Folau because they are good. If QLD had lost for four straight years you would be thanking your lucky stars those two played for us. Hypocrites. Chris they identify their junior clubs, it's pretty simple really. Anyway keep crying over something that is never going to change - that will help your team win a series this decade.
Richard
Roar Guru
You're right. It saddens me as a Blues supporter after years of living in Sydney, but Queensland is in a different class entirely to NSW at the moment. They are terrific to watch and terrifying if you support the other team. The Maroons always looked like they had more in the tank, frequently making NSW look like plodders. They've looked this way for years. How did it come to this?
Stan
Guest
Yeah, when did Burt actually get picked to play for NSW????
Jay
Guest
Might have to double check that, but im sure the only test playing nations are Aus, NZ, England/Great Britian and possibly France. World Cup games arn't counted as test matches in any event. Re Uate, he moved to Australia when he was 14, so that should see him qualify. As for Jarryd Hayne, in RL we have a silly rule were you can change your eligence to particular countries.. Remember the world cup, Toupu was picked for Tonga and Australia?
anopinion
Guest
Craig Polla-Mounter
Banger
Guest
ken nagas.
M1tch
Guest
Trying to verify but I think its the highest ever ratings for Origin last night for the mainland capitols 1 STATE OF ORIGIN RUGBY LEAGUE NSW V QLD 1ST - MATCH Nine 2,455,000 1,179,000 328,000 824,000 62,000 62,000
steve
Guest
Rugby doesn't want Tahu back , please keep him
Springs
Roar Guru
Uh huh, cause of course you know as you have seen Burt play an Origin game and he was way out of his league right?
Stormin Red
Roar Rookie
I think he wanted to play more last year because he had just gotten back in the team. This year he knows that he is in the team no matter how he plays. If he plays bad everybody will say it is cause he is out wide, if he has a blinder thats a bonus. He is the kind of player that can turn a game if he really wants to but he didn't look like he cared last night.
chris
Guest
The State of Origin would sell out Sydney if it was played on a saturday night or sunday afternoon as well the NRL only giving Sydney one game alongside Queensland and let the 3rd game be played on rotation in Melbourne,Adelaide,Perth and Auckland.
hutch
Guest
is this the same swans who struggle to attract 50k playing live on free to air tv, and whose crowds are falling each year? afl on tv is terrible, its not much better live!
MyGeneration
Roar Guru
You should have used the time to catch up with those episodes of Iron Chef you've missed, dirk.