The New South Wales Blues head to a hostile Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane to take on the Queensland Maroons in Game 3 of the 2012 State of Origin series, with a sellout home crowd cheering on the Maroons to in seven in a row. Join us for live scores and commentary from 7:30pm AEST.
It all comes down to this. The 2012 State of Origin series has been one to remember and will conclude tonight with an explosive encounter between two teams desperate to win.
Queensland will be looking to win their seventh series in a row, thus continuing an Origin legacy that started way back in 2006.
New South Wales will be hoping they can start a legacy of their own by claiming their first series victory in seven years.
If the Blues were to win tonight, it could signal the beginning of a new era of competitiveness for New South Wales, after suffering many years of interstate heartache.
Prediction
For New South Wales to win tonight, halfback Mitchell Pearce will need to pick up his kicking game in the Origin arena. He needs significant improvement if he is to make the most of the strong work the Blues produce upfront.
Although the Maroons are without Billy Slater (knee), Greg Inglis has slotted in to and is just as capable of producing devastating kick returns if Pearce fails to find the grass with his kicks.
If Pearce and Todd Carney can kick intelligently, it will go a long way to putting Queensland on the back foot against a Blues pack that has dominated the opening two Origin encounters.
Paul Gallen, James Tamou, Anthony Watmough, Robbie Farah and Tim Grant were hugely strong upfront for New South Wales in Game 2 and will once again cause problems if Pearce and Carney can win field position with their kicking games.
Maintaining discipline and keeping errors at a minimum will also prove crucial to New South Wales’ chances of winning tonight.
The Blues can ill-afford to put themselves under unnecessary pressure against a Queensland side eager to make a strong impression at home.
Maroons halves Cooper Cronk and Johnathon Thurston in particular will be desperate to perform well tonight given that both players have struggled to really perform for Queensland in the opening two matches.
Playing away from home, the last thing the Blues need to do is offer an invitation for Thurston and Cronk to dominate play, by making errors and giving away stupid penalties in their own half.
Roar expert Tim Prentice expects the Maroons will hit peak form and be back to their “awesome best” when it matters most after being below expectations in the first two games.
With Queensland set to come out all guns blazing, it is important for New South Wales to weather the early storm and stay in the arm wrestle for the opening 20 minutes.
If the Blues do end up conceding first points, Queensland will seize momentum, and at home, they will be very difficult to run down, particularly if Thurston, Cronk, Cameron Smith and Inglis hit their groove.
With history firmly on the line tonight, this may become one of the best Origin deciders in history.
Despite the very promising performances from New South Wales thus far, expect Queensland to go up a few gears at home. Can they emerge victorious against a Blues team that will come out hard, but who have been susceptible to falling away in the dying minutes?
State of Origin III – Photo gallery
Andrew
Guest
Yea great work with your prediction , right on the spot there, I see you have been following the origin for the last 7 yrs
Peter West
Guest
Good on you Diane when the game is over the players on both sides deserve the appreciation of the crowd i am afraid its just the mindset of queenslanders that can't appreciate anything from south of the border a shame really.
Locky666
Guest
What a poor attempt at humour, turned out you were wrong on all your pre match predictions. Talk about counting your chickens! Wishful thinking indeed, never mind, now you can go and eat humble pie, just don't choke on it, cause in your case, that's a pretty big pie to swallow. QLD, reign supreme again, again, again, again, again, again and again. Love it!
Diane Jones
Guest
The one main complaint I have is the disgraceful crowd at Suncorp Stadium for Game 3, I live in Qld but I was ashamed of the Qld crowd because of all the booing that they gave NSW after the game had finished. Haven't they every heard about what is good sportsmanship we are all part of Australia and the least that they could have done was given them applause as well as they did try extremely hard to beat Qld you have to agree that it was a terrific game and a very close result (only a field goal in it). People should applaude a wonderful game like that for both sides who played in the game, as they are all great sportsmen NOT JUST QLD. I am only talking about after the game is finished (I understand why you do the booing during the game but it is a bit much when you do it at the conclusion especially after Qld had won the game) The crowd did exactly the same thing last year when Paul Gallen (who is a great player you all don't mind him when he plays for Australia) spoke at the end of the series I don't blame him for not speaking this time Why would he want to waste his time speaking to a disgusting crowd of people like that. COME ON EVERYONE WE ARE ALL AUSTRALIANS AND SHOULD NOT ACT LIKE THAT, AND GIVE NSW THE RESPECT THAT THEY DESERVE LIKE YOU DID FOR QLD!!!
EM
Guest
Waaaaa waaaaa waaaa - NSW - Never Stop Whingeing!
James62
Guest
Totally agree. NSW need to learn how to be humble and accept defeat. As Johnsie said on his footy show NSW dont know how to be humble in winning or defeat like Qld
Shayne
Guest
Totally disagree - think u need to go to OPSM - Tony Archers decisions throughout the game did NOT favour Qld - have another look
James62
Guest
I have to laugh at people who whinge about score lines and loosing because of ref decissions. look back over the years of state of origin and see how many times Qld lost to a ref decission with forward passes being let go and NSW scoring to win the series. Not once nor twice but a number of times. Its part of the game and if you are whinging about that try why didnt Farrah continue to play the game and try to stop QLD from scoring, but instead he threw up his arms crying because he knew he had no hope what so ever to stop a legal try. Johnsie said on his footy show that QLD are humble in winning but NSW want to rub it in and that NSW need to learn how to be humble in winning. They also need to know how to be humble in loosing and accept they played well but just didnt get there. The supporters of coarse take it hard but eventually it will be your day and in away I hope that is soon for you guys. Whinging about ref decissions is not becoming of good sports. So understand I feel for NSW supporters but I dont take to whinging and whining about loosing the series and trying to place blame on anything but that it just wasnt there night. It will not change you life nor be the end of time. Enjoy the game for what it is and get on with life. No hard feelings but go QLD Reply
James62
Guest
I have to laugh at people who whinge about score lines and loosing because of ref decissions. look back over the years of state of origin and see how many times Qld lost to a ref decission with forward passes being let go and NSW scoring to win the series. Not once nor twice but a number of times. Its part of the game and if you are whinging about that try why didnt Farrah continue to play the game and try to stop QLD from scoring, but instead he threw up his arms crying because he knew he had no hope what so ever to stop a legal try. Johnsie said on his footy show that QLD are humble in winning but NSW want to rub it in and that NSW need to learn how to be humble in winning. They also need to know how to be humble in loosing and accept they played well but just didnt get there. The supporters of coarse take it hard but eventually it will be your day and in away I hope that is soon for you guys. Whinging about ref decissions is not becoming of good sports. So understand I feel for NSW supporters but I dont take to whinging and whining about loosing the series and trying to place blame on anything but that it just wasnt there night. It will not change you life nor be the end of time. Enjoy the game for what it is and get on with life. No hard feelings but go QLD
Adam Bartles
Guest
I never complained about the schooling Johnsie gave us in 2005. That was pure class Rugby League and I was privileged to have witnessed such a great game. QLD lost to a better team and I took my hat off to NSW for constructing some of the most exciting origin football ever played. All I've been hearing since QLD's dominance in 2006 is cheat this, refs that and he's not from QLD. It's been the same every year since. You guys even came up with 'you beaut' excuses about our 3-0 thrashing of NSW in 2010. No graciousness in defeat, just pure whingers.
The TMF
Guest
What you are talking about is obstruction. If you run behind your own player and gain an advantage it is a shepherd. This is not a new rule. It is not a rule that has changed recently. It is the same rule that has been around for decades. The only time you can run around your own player is if he raises his arms above his head while stationary to signal to the defence that he is not in the play. In this case the player that took Hannant would have been able to slide over with the outside defender and they would have had a better chance of defending hodges. Doesn't matter whether they would have got him or not. As soon as you run behind your own player and gain an advantage, your at fault. Given that we won and that in time that is all that most will remember, surely true fans of the game can rally together against this disgusting level of video refereeing so that we don't have to be thinking to ourselves half way through a decider "I hope we win by more than six"......
Eric of Young
Guest
Just touching on Ricky Stuart as coach of the blues, WHAT A JOKE, if he was a club coach he would have been sacked long ago and now the NRL is looking at throwing him $500,00 to stay on. There is more talented coaches out there, why not give one of them a go, surely they cant do any worse.
Stevo
Guest
Since Grasshopper retired, it hasn't gone down hill at all !! Its remained the same.
stillmatic1
Guest
seriously!! do you understand what you have written? the defintion of a shepherd has to involve a player being impeded, with said player being able to make a tackle. again, are you serious?
Stevo
Guest
Take a look at Ricky Stuart's RL achievements and get back to me. That would make 90% of RL players in history losers if you use him as the measuring mark.
Luke M
Guest
referees should not have preconceived ideas about players, every man should be judged equally on the field. Some high shots went by the wayside, but big dangerous looking T Rex gets his arm headbutted and instant penalty.
Sage
Guest
Agreed. A NSWelchman could never do it justice. Would you like some cheese to go with your whine ???
Luke M
Guest
Mate, a shepherd is a shepherd whether anybody is impeded or not. If you run a red light in your car, and dont hit anybody, is that fine too?
Sage
Guest
And Peter Sterling is from Toowoomba. What's your point. He qualifies, end of story. Sooking is so unbecoming.
Jimbo Jones
Guest
Agree that Farah was not as good as he was in Game 2, but the guy was suffering from concussion so he did bloody well. I cant imagine that the next candidate (Ennis) would have done any better throughout the series. Without Farahs kicking it would have never have been as close.