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Changes to personnel, coaches and rules have defined this series, and State of Origin is better for it.
Prior to this it was a flagging franchise, six years of Queensland domination dulled the contest.
A big Maroon fan, I was no longer enthralled by the idea of another practice run for the Cockroaches.
But Blue is in the air this year. No longer are Mal Meninga’s Maroons the giant beast who took chunks out of New South Wales’ carcass for fun.
No longer is the firm of Slater, Smith and co able to sentence these mortals in blue another long spell in defeat.
Suddenly, the magician’s wand isn’t working.
Amid a huge sea of blue at ANZ Stadium, NSW won the first match – the first time this has happened since 2008.
The Blues seem to always be playing catch-up football over the recent past and the class of Queensland’s players – Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk, Johnathan Thurston, Cam Smith, Greg Inglis, Justin Hodges – have proven too good in crunch games.
Up steps James Maloney. The Sydney Rooster’s selection was widely debated (this column argued for retaining incumbent Todd Carney).
Yet Maloney’s accurate goal kicking, steady play and excellent running game injected the class his Blues desperately needed. In Maloney, the Blues have a player to match Thurston.
Give him time.
A new coach also gave the blue and whites a cause for optimism.
Laurie Daley’s calm approach was a contrast from the gruff, sometimes volatile Ricky Stuart.
He continued the great foundations started by his predecessor and called out his selections early. Mitchell Pearce was seemingly selected before Christmas.
But how could they defeat the mighty Maroons?
The Queensland rugby league team is arguably the most successful league team of the past decade.
They are well drilled, have great strength as a unit and back each other all the time.
Sustained success creates another issue though – the need to keep winning. When will the rookie finally crack the veteran’s defences for that knockout punch?
The time could be right.
NSW has nothing to lose which is why they replaced the coach and changed some of their players.
Can’t hurt. Compared with Queensland, who have a dynasty and six straight series wins to uphold, and the pressure is squarely on Cam Smith’s men.
Paul Gallen and Nate Myles also played their part in giving this series some new life – by brawling in game one.
It caused the NRL to enforce strict no punching rules to matches, and reduced Game 2 to eleven players after four players were sent off. How will Game 3play out?
Both games this series produced clear winners. Expect the finale to be close.
Whatever the result, State of Origin football in 2013 has given the series the kick it desperately needed. It all bodes well for next year and beyond.
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