Numbers one and nine to decide State of Origin Game 3

As both states begin their ten-day State of Origin journey for the last time in 2013, they look back with mixed emotions.

But given the position the battle finds itself at – one-all and heading to a decider in a week and a half’s time – it would be interesting to note who would prefer this more.

I have no doubt heading into this series Queensland would have been more confident than the Blues of wrapping up the series before a decider was necessary.

I assume, even though they would never publicly state this, that NSW would have accepted a 1-all scenario if offered it before the series started so that it would all come down to this final game.

That is simply because this Queensland side is the best ever of either state in any era in terms of size, speed, strength and most importantly execution, and if playing at their potential are near-impossible to match.

Their forwards are solid, and even though not spectacular, are made to look stronger and set that vital and necessary platform through the sheer brilliance of Cameron Smith.

Their backs speak for themselves, with numerous future immortals in there, and the others are all class.

The Blues on the other hand are an interesting team based on their results. Their outside backs are slowly catching up to Queensland’s in terms of class, with the Morris brothers, Hayne, Dugan, Jennings and other’s starting to finally match-up in that area.

NSW also, in most expert opinions, have the advantage in the forwards, especially in the back-row.

Considering it is no secret that forwards are the key to controlling field position, and hence the momentum of the game, it is somewhat interesting that they are staring down eight straight series losses.

This leaves three areas where they must be trailing Queensland, the halves, the hooker and the fullback.

Firstly, on the halves, Maloney and Pearce have done admirably this series to get it to this point.

All four halves from both states have been criticised this series for their kicking games, but it is no coincidence that they have all occurred after their forwards had been dominated in the game (Queensland in game one, NSW in game two).

For this reason I think we are starting to see a new trend in terms of importance of positions, with the two important positions of the modern era now being the hooker and fullback.

It is no coincidence that NSW have become more competitive with both a very good hooker (Farah) and fullback (Hayne/Stewart/Dugan) in the past two years to match Smith and Billy Slater.

These two positions have now risen to become the two most important positions in the modern game.

The fullback’s rise began in the early 2000s, where we began to see all fullbacks in the game becoming increasingly better at fielding kicks and maximising return metres to start their teams set off in a better position, a trend perfected by Slater.

The likes of Hayne and Stewart are again just now starting to catch up, evident in the last two Origin series.

This is why the fullback is such an important position in today’s game, because they provide the field position that puts constant pressure on the opposition, a luxury in Origin that was granted to Queensland in their first five years of Origin dominance.

This fact had inadvertently led to the rise of the role of the hooker.

In a way, this was also the problem that began to set Smith apart from his counter-parts from other clubs to make him arguably the best hooker the game has ever seen and the best player in the competition today, in my opinion.

Smith is a fantastic organiser, an astute operator from all reports, but most importantly the best general-play kicker in the modern game.

Now I’m sure statistics will not back me up in this, but I’m not talking about meters gained or try-assists from kicks.

I’m talking about momentum changes that are subconsciously behind the reasons expert’s such as Matthew Johns are calling him “the best big-match player in the game”.

He doesn’t just lead from the front in terms of tackles and passes.

His real effect in the game is where, in an era of outstanding fullbacks that all hunt to catch the ball on the full with momentum, he is able to dart on the fifth tackle from dummy-half and stab a kick from his own 40m line into the in-goal of the opposition, turning the opposition fullback around and shifting momentum back for Queensland or Melbourne.

It is no surprise then either that New South Wales resurgence has come off the back of the second-best player in the competition at that particular art, Robbie Farah, being included into the side in 2012.

In 2009, when Farah first played, he was still learning the tricks to the trade of dummy-half general-play kicking and it showed, as he wasn’t able to match the diligent Smith as he went about his typical flawless showcase in that area.

When New South Wales dropped Farah from the team in 2009, although not knowing at the time, they did both themselves and him a favour, by allowing him time to master the art.

He went back to his club, the Wests Tigers, and began to kick more, partly because his partner in crime, Benji Marshall, was inconsistent and Robert Lui was just starting first-grade.

But also because that is who he is, somebody who leads by his actions, and that was his team. He has now come back into the side and matched Smith, maybe not to the same level, but he is certainly taking it to him in that regard.

He won the Blues’ player of the series last year, and like the ever-consistent Smith is for Queensland, has been one of New South Wales’ best in 2013.

It is interesting to note that both Smith and Farah’s effectiveness in their general-field kicking has seen others, such as Jake Friend (Roosters) and Matt Ballin (Sea Eagles), begin to incorporate the art into their games in recent times.

Queensland now know this, they know with Farah and Hayne catching up they now depend on more of an impact from their forwards in the game.

That is why Ashley Harrison was dropped, because as fine a player as he is, Queensland needed to adapt to the new change implemented by the for-once successfully proactive New South Wales.

Just as the fullback and the hooker began to dominate the game in the 2000s, so is the role of the mobile forward in today’s game.

In the past, no matter how they were going (although admittedly it was rare for the Queenslandforward’s not to aim up) they could always rely on Smith’s kicking and Slater’s kick-returns to drag and direct them back into the game and regather the momentum.

With Ennis and Gidley at the wheel for New South Wales, no disrespect as they are again fine players.

But they were predictable and didn’t have the number of strings to their bow as their Queensland counterparts to change the momentum of the game back to New South Wales.

This is why between 2006-2011, New South Wales unknowingly were contributing to there own demise.

Queensland, however, now are changing with the times, adapting with New South Wales into this new age of mobile forwards that are today’s trend, being proactive in their reaction to the change in times in an effort to avoid a repeat of NSW’s earlier blunder all those years ago.

However for the time being at least, until sides further understand and execute effectively the new trend of mobile forwards, the hooker and fullback will continue to control the momentum of the game.

It was evident in Game 1 where we saw a dominated maroon’s pack, leaving their halves helpless and vulnerable, and their outside backs ineffective.

Again, in Game 2 we saw the exact same inflicted on the other side, New South Wales.

Experts, including the Queensland coach Mal Meninga, have put this down to desire, the desire of both states for the game.

Others have put it down to execution. Both are right. In game one, Farah and Hayne desired and executed better then there counterparts, controlled field position and led the charge.

Before Game 2 both states supporters were worried, New South Wales that Queensland would not only show desire this time round but also execute like everybody knows they can, and Queensland supporter’s feared that the side again wouldn’t execute.

This time Queensland’s desire was there, but also their execution, led by an instrumental Smith, and a flawless Slater.

The likes of Andrew Fifita, Matt Gillett and Sam Burgess are the future into gaining that ever important field position and momentum in the game of rugby league, but for now it’s over to you; the fullback and the hooker.