What a week it has been in the greatest game of all. As a New South Welshman it wasn’t a perfect week, however I feel confident enough to say that New South Wales played their best footy since Ricky was last in charge, with an inspired defensive effort, to almost come away with a victory nobody expected.
The game had everything: an early try, classic defence, big hits and some great tries. State of Origin football is more than alive and well; the naysayers’ claims that five series wins to Queensland would make the series decline couldn’t be further from the truth.
52,000 fans were at the game, 3.5 million people tuned in, and audiences peaked at over 4 million, despite channel 9 not showing the match live to South and Western Australia, nor in HD. Fans nationwide proved that State of Origin isn’t going anywhere.
Over the past few years the Suncorp double header has become a good and needed tradition for the game. However crowds are starting to slide, and one can’t help think the game being held two days after Origin is the major issue.
This game needs to be played well after Origin, during rounds 22-24. Promotion for the double header was dwarfed by the Origin game
so it gives little chance for this event to be sold out.
For some it might have been an emotional announcement, that Willie Mason has left rugby league and signed with the infamous Toulon Rugby team. For others it was good riddance to a player that hasn’t been more than a human headline that nobody wants to read.
But no negative wishes from myself, he is 31, past his best physically and has signed a big money deal to play rugby union, so everything worked out for the best.
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Fans were sceptical that Izaac Tu'itupou Thompson grounded this properly. How did you see it?
Channel Nine's Allana Ferguson and Billy Slater put Souths under the microscope after this lacklustre defensive effort. Penrith beat South Sydney 42-12.
If South Sydney had put up this much fight earlier in the season, Jason Demetriou might still be their coach. The Rabbitohs responded strongly…
Sunia Turuva scored the first try of the game for Penrith, and by the end of it he was setting them up with ease.
South Sydney copped their second binning of the game, with Jacob Host marched for this kicker contact.
Two horror moments were scrutinised by the Nine commentator with the Bunnies defending Dylan Edwards. The second one resulted in a Taylan May try.
