As I sat down at Suncorp Stadium to watch Origin II last night I thought to myself: “what was I thinking.”
I have never been to a more intimidating arena, and the build up with former Origin lock Billy Moore bobbing up everywhere and shouting: “Queenslander, Queenslander” had everyone joining in.
It was deafening, and by the time NSW ran onto the field they had their tails between their legs, and played accordingly.
The ongoing chanting had the opposite impact on Queensland as they all looked and played like goliaths.
They were simply stunning and underlined in big bold print that when they deliver their best game they are untouchable.
The NSW coach got away with using the Roosters halves combination of Mitch Pearce and James Maloney in Game 1 because the forwards dominated with four big men surpassing the 100 metre mark, but last night the two Sharks, Paul Gallen and the Blues best player Andrew Fifita, were the only two forwards to hit triple-figures.
Lewis, Woods, Hoffman, Bird and Watmough all returned poor figures while Merrin registered a pass mark. Is the big prop forward dead?
The Maroons took a big gamble by going athletic and only selecting only one genuine prop forward in Matt Scott, who played his best game in 12 months. It worked a treat, and the extra line speed by the Maroons simply suffocated the Blues, who only made a disgraceful 1,098 metres in total compared to their 1,528m in Sydney.
So how can NSW be 430 metres worse from their previous game? That is equal to running the length of the field over four times.
It was not any single thing but a number of things:
• No doubt the scary, biased crowd that provided an intimidating environment for the opposition and referees which contributed to a 5-2 penalty count against the Blues in the first half was a factor.
• James Maloney stripping the ball on the first hit up was dumb and led to a try one minute later that opened the flood gates. NSW needed to play smart and get into a grind.
• Nathan Merritt was the feel good story when he was selected but he has played first and last Origin game. Hayne should come straight back in.
• If NSW are going to stick with James Maloney, and they will, Coach Daley should consult Roosters coach Trent Robinson on how to protect him. He came to the Roosters as the worst defender in the NRL, but his missed tackle count improved enormously under Robinson.
Last night we witnessed the ‘old’ Maloney who looked like a revolving door, missing five tackles and conceding the Thaiday try in the second minute. It is just not good enough for Origin standard.
• Mitchell Pearce has one last chance to come good. As the on-field general he has led NSW to only three wins in 11 games, but in all of those games he has looked nothing more than a link man. His tactical kicking is always rushed and looks second rate compared to Cronk and Thurston.
If we go back to Round 1 this year when Souths number seven Adam Reynolds pulled Pearce’s pants down in a brilliant display, we all thought we had just seen the new Blues halfback. Sadly we will have to wait until next year when Daley finally gets it right.
• Paul Gallen went into the game with that injured knee, and while he still had great figures he did not dominate like he did in Sydney.
• Robbie Farah had to not only play hooker but also 6 and 7. I felt sorry for him and he remains our most important player.
• Aaron Woods was disappointing and Tamou should come back in.
• Luke Lewis was well marked this time and returned poor figures.
• Ryan Hoffman, like Game 1, made up the numbers and again failed to handle Hodges.
• Josh Dugan dropped one bomb, but apart from that he looked the Blues most likely player to make a break. NSW need his skills if they hope to defeat the Maroons in Game 3. Like Hayne did in Game 1, he will be a star when he plays in a team with good go-forward and field position.
The bookmakers are saying that Queensland will win their eight-straight Origin series in Sydney on July 17 by two points. If the game was played in Brisbane it would be closer to 10 points.
Ideally NSW should have form players Jamal Idris, Adam Reynolds and John Sutton running out with them, but Coach Daley has backed himself into a corner and will stick solid with his convictions. I expect Hayne to come in for Merritt and maybe Tamou for Woods.
Queensland will be unchanged, except they will not have Billy Moore revving up the crowd.
spek
Guest
NSW will bounce back from a poor game in a similar manner to the way Qld did after game one. home advantage and a lot of deserved criticism are great motivators. the biggest worry for NSW is Gallen's fitness. I agree Haynes in for Merritt and leave Dugan at fullback. everything points to a great contest in game three. ps yes I expect Hannet returns for Game Three
Simoc
Guest
You don't seem to notice the obvious. You can't make metres without the ball. Queensland dominated possession. It was pretty much game one in reverse though Qld were better. Based on that it looks like the home team will keep winning. Certainly Qld must start game 3 better than they did game 1. Hopefully a last minute win affair.
blackcaviar&broncos
Guest
NSW will start to be competitive when they remove the following; Mitchel Pearce.. Bret Morris.. To a lesser extent Gallen Watmough Bird Lewis These are the Mathew Johns SOO players. Good NSW players with bad record. NSW Blues need Brett Mullins players. Good players with very good SOO records..
Tiger
Guest
Im a big fan of the Ennis 2013..he's changed..almost zero penalties..great defence..superb leadership..he would thrive in Origin now..honestly he would be a revelation!!!
Elijah Weightman
Roar Guru
You're a big fan of Ennis aren't you Tiger? Unless of course you're a sarcastic Queenslander hoping to destroy all chances of a Blues victory.
Tiger
Guest
Bring back Ennis to captain them and move Farah to 5/8 and Maloney to half!
Roarsome
Guest
Yeah, I hope Hannant will come in. Sydney, as we know warrants a different style of game given the surface and perceived width of the field. For years QLD have gone with big packs under the criticism compared to the NSW mobile pack selection. It's been noted by a few also that the 10 in SYD is more like 12 or 13 at times. Fair to both teams though NSW handle it better.
Roarsome
Guest
I think the only reason Gallen made over 100m is because he takes the first hit up off each kick off. That's worth 20m a run at least.
The eye
Guest
Totally agree with what you said to a fellow poster,your forwards become nullified if forced to do nothing more than run the ball off your line.That was the telling point of the game our kicking game didn't have us down there any where near enough to apply pressure.A photo copy of the roosters storm game a month ago,was mentioned during the call that the roosters have gained the fewest line dropouts in the entire league,Laurie must have that figure,he loses Game 3 he's got to get hooked.
Wozzat
Guest
Whist I am not a fan of either Hayne or Dugan, both will be there for game 3. Hayne is not a fullback - he is so lazy and will not go looking for the ball. At least Dugan will have a go. I feel sorry for Merritt as anyone who has to defend outside Josh Morris is going to have a hard job defending against 2 players. The up and in defense that Morris uses leaves his winger out to dry as he will not slide to cover his own man. NSW will not win unless Farah plays 80mins - why you would replace him with Reynolds, who cannot pass from left-to-right, is beyond me. NSW could not hit the advantage line with his poor service. Don't get me started on the halves. I'd take anyone for Pearce!
Griffo
Guest
Sure you can, just look at Queensland
up in the north
Guest
Jeeze I love a good rant, great work.
turbodewd
Guest
3 of 4 Qld tries had Merritt's failure involved unfortunately. He was rushing up, not marking his man, it failed miserably.
JimC
Guest
Daley should swallow his pride and bring in someone to replace Pearce
seven dollers worth
Guest
Rabbitohs
B.A Sports
Guest
Scott's hate for Maloney is even more boring! Seriously... Still think NSW will be $1.25 to win game 3? As for Dugan. He had 109m because he didn't catch a single ball on the full all night, so had plenty of metres to bring it back. Hayne offers a tripple threat, pass, kick, and run, Dugan has one skill - run. And he is worse in defence than Hayne. There is no way known to man that they can pick Dugan at fullback over Hayne.
oikee
Guest
Hehe, Bring in Trent Robinson to help, ? hehe. What, in french or english. hehe. Scott, Pearce and Gallen are two big problems, Maloney is a speed hump, the penalty is because he is a agreesive player, which i love mind you, same as Josh Renolds, the problem is they dont have the class of the QWueenslanders, i will take your Josh Renolds and James Maloney, and trade them both for Daly Cherry-Evans anyday. Then we have Super Cronk and Jonny Thurston still in control, steering the ship. Mate Queensland will dominate for another 10 years at least, we might not win everyone of those series, but we will be up to the eyeballs in every one of them. I made mention on a blog yesterday, we, Big Mal, have blooded Teo, Gillett, Papalii, Cherry Evans and McQueen, everyone under the radar and while under pressure, these boys will be there for the next 10 years. Now look at NSW rabble, i am not saying they cant rise to win a series, all i am saying is everything fair, Queensland looks red hot. We still have Barba, Napa and Milford, all will get blooded, not to mention Logan, a melting pot of origin players all waiting to succeed,. Why do you think the Broncos have pumped 6 million into a academy into this area. Anyhow cheers, at least they built Suncorp, you should have seen when they packed 50 thousand onto the old mud hills of Langpark , when it was raining, it was a mudbath, not a bloodbath. More action off the field, and anything blue was pelted with cans,. I seen many a blues fan lead away by the boys in blue, who in turn were brave as well. Nobody got killed. Gallen was always going to get that reception, and he is now more hated than Joey in Queensland. Yes, we have chips on both shoulders, are one-eyed and take no prisoners. We also like to travel to Melbourne, eat there food, drink there beer, and party till dawn. hehe. We are the modern day Hun.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
peeeko I was critical of the Roosters for buying Maloney in the first place and told them to their face. The record shows that I was wrong and he has been great for them, but let me tell you why. His club coach has protected him from having to make 1 on 1 tackles and his plan works. Daley needs to talk to him NOW and bring Trent Robinson in to help. The Roosters have a hot team and Maloney has been able to look good, but his short tactical kicking game has been poor both low and high and he remains a poor defender. We saw how SBW went in his place last week and it was grades above anything Maloney has done. Like Mitch Pearce, he is a good club player and nothing more.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Renegade It is unusual to say the game is over in Origin early but after 2 mins I said to my mate just that. You could see that Qld were differnt and NSW didnt want to be there. Dugan and Hayne are different and offer a different mix. They are both world class and are both NSW assets.
peeeko
Roar Guru
good summation Scott, such a stupid play by Maloney to strip the ball on the first set, gave QLD all the momentum. the crowd looked scary and intimidating even a bit feral:)