Here are my Queensland player ratings from the victory over New South Wales in the first game of the 2011 State of Origin series at Suncorp Stadium.
Queensland Plater Ratings
Billy Slater
For the most part, NSW did a good job of holding Slater in check, primarily kicking to Queensland’s wingers, not Slater. But in the big moments ‘Billy the Kid’ goes looking for the ball. And despite the fact that half of Australia saw him looming on the inside of Lockyer, he was still able to be in the right spot at the right time to score the match-winning try. It’s not luck, it’s a skill.
Rating: 7.5
Jharal Yow Yeh
Didn’t see a great deal of ball, but made the most of his opportunities. Every time Queensland kicked, he chased the ball hard, and was rewarded with a crucial try in the second half. As I mentioned with Slater, you make your own luck, and Yow Yeh’s dedication earned him a four pointer on debut.
Rating: 8
Dane Neilsen
Was rock solid in attack, and especially so in defence. Whilst his covering tackle on Michael Jennings was undoubtedly his highlight of the game, he barely put a foot wrong all night and obviously enjoyed playing with the abundance of Maroon talent.
Rating: 7.5
Willie Tonga
Was committed in defence, to the point that it neutralised his attack, and may also have cost him an injury. Whilst many think the Queensland spirit is a myth, his toughness in seeing out the game is a testament to Queensland’s dedication.
Rating: 7
Darius Boyd
Was absolutely brilliant in defence, especially when coming off his wing to nail Dragons teammate Mark Gasnier, on at least two occasions. His kick returns were solid, but didn’t see much ball in general play.
Rating: 8
Darren Lockyer (c)
As he so often does these days, the classy five-eighth picked his moments to inject himself into the game. But when he did, it was usually with deft kicks that put NSW under pressure, and contributed greatly to the Blues 6 line goal drop outs.
Rating: 7.5
Johnathan Thurston
Was given far too much time with the ball by NSW, and punished them accordingly. Steered his team around the park beautifully, and constantly threatened the NSW line. Scored the opening try, kicked with extreme tactical nous, and probed NSW’s try line. His only blemish was a couple of missed goals.
Rating: 8
Ashley Harrison
In a team full of stars, sometimes you need someone to simply be rock solid. That’s what Queensland wants from Ashley Harrison, and that’s what it gets. You could almost stamp a ‘7 out of 10’ for Harrison before the game, such is his reliability.
Rating: 7
Sam Thaiday
Brilliant. Damaging. Inspirational. Ran at NSW like a man possessed, both in attack and defence. Sent NSW defenders flying on more than one occasion, and came up in defence as hard and fast in the first minute of the game as he did in the eightieth. Outstanding, and my personal man-of-the-match.
Rating: 9
Nate Myles
Gave Queensland the extra size they wanted in their starting pack, but didn’t have his greatest game in a Maroon’s jersey.
Rating: 6
Petero Civoniceva
In the first set of the game, the old warhorse made two hit-ups, and gained close to 20 meters. After 30 seconds. Truly inspirational. However, he tired heavily late in the game, knocking on and also missing a tackle that led to a NSW try, so coach Meninga needs to manage his minutes more carefully.
Rating: 7.5
Cameron Smith
The classy Melbourne hooker was outstanding. His kicking game was excellent, and led to Queensland’s first try. Was also brilliant in defence, and caught Dugan out of position a few times. Though he certainly wasn’t in a party of one there.
Rating: 9
Matt Scott
The big prop could have easily been the man-of-the-match. Made hit-up after hit-up, and tackled with Origin passion. Damaged NSW early and often.
Rating: 9
Interchange:
Cooper Cronk
Entered the game a lot earlier than I expected, and I’m still trying to figure out what position he was playing! Yet, whilst I think it was lock foward, his position was less important than his actual influence, which provided Queensland with four kicking options (Thurston, Lockyer, Smith and Cronk), which they utilised to perfection. His kicking, passing and running game gave the Maroon’s a diversified and versatile attack – it was hard to defend, and kept NSW guessing.
Rating: 8
Corey Parker
With so much talent in the Queensland ranks, Parker’s job was to come on and simply continue the hard work that his starting forwards has begun. Job done.
Rating: 7
Ben Hannant
Big and strong, and gave NSW fits when he came on. Consistently made meters, and even got his hands free for a couple of offloads in the second half.
Rating: 7.5
Jacob Lillyman
It was an Origin return to forget for the Warriors forward. He’s certainly a lot bigger than the last time he played Origin football, but his major contribution to the game was a litany of mistakes.
Rating: 3
Read the NSW Origin player ratings.
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