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.
Jay bee
Guest
go QLD
Richard
Guest
There should have been a penalty to NSW at the end when McManus was talked in the air by Boyd!
Scott Capell
Guest
""QUEENSLANDER" shout it long and proud.........
Scott Capell
Guest
It was also wonderful when the REDS beat the WARATAHS last Saturday night in the Rugby....... It does not get any better than that.........
Scott Capell
Guest
We (Australiia) expect to beat the Poms and NZ and 9 times out of 10 we do...... So ho hum......,!!!!! But to beat NSW is always so enjoyable and special......... It is no accident that the great chant "QUEENSLANDER" is shouted with so much pride, passion and gusto by all Queenslanders when playing NSW at State of Origin.... No sorry there is no better feeling in sport then as a proud Queenslander to beat NSW...
Andrew Marmont
Roar Guru
+1. Test footy is most definitely number 1, the real thing, nothing compares! Origin is it's own little entity now.
Andrew Marmont
Roar Guru
Thanks Renegade. Scott, c'mon bud.. better to beat NSW than England or New Zealand? You are kidding right?
Renegade
Guest
Nah, not really. I'd take beating the poms and kiwis in anything as more special...
Scott Capell
Guest
Test football is boring--There is something so much more special in State of Origin games. It is so much better to beat NSW than England, New Zealand or New Guinea......
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Test football IS the real thing. It's potential is blindingly obvious.
Johnno
Guest
Disagree, this has been the most lifeless, controversial and meaningless series ever: Why? -Awful schedule. 6-8 week build up is too long, even big Mal said it in his column he want the origin schedule changed, as he said his players have had to take it easy in the build up and would find it more exciting stand alone. Former Blues coaches Gus Gould and Bellamy , want stand alone SOO. -Also all the biff taken out, has hampered it too, less exciting. -And maybe the realisation, test footy is the real thing, and SOO is just 2 states in OZ. As that being your showpiece event .a state battle is embarrassing.
maximillian
Guest
QLD winning 7 series in a row has reinvigorated Origin. I remember when the Blues won 3 in a row & the media were all saying Origin was dead, but when Qld keep winning we get record tv viewings, sellout stadiums & overhyped matches. Could you imagine how dire it would be if the roles were reversed & NSW had won 7 straight series? The NSW biased media would again be saying Origin is over & its a waste of time watching 1 sided matches because NSW is the greatest thing since sliced bread etc.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Okay then, one extended mismatch with mini mismatch early on. All my error in reply showed was that I got sucked into the hype of Origin myth making.
Eric Peters
Guest
If I was a NSW selector I would pick Tod Carney in for Mitchell Pearce..Tod can trouble the Qld defence coz he have few tricks up his sleeves..and if u read the stats at club level the 2 Roosters halves av the low percentage of forced line drop outs in than any other club in NRL..my point is they won't put Qld under pressure to get repeated set of six coz they did not do that very often at club level.
TriangleFlatDog
Guest
Sadly, as a Blues fan, I have to agree. I can't see how NSW are going to score points. How Pearce is still in the side beats me.....
Jay C
Guest
Did you write this before game 2 and forget to send it in? Qld were very dominant in that game, as dominant as they have been at any time throughout the 8 year reign. The fact of the matter is still, that at their best QLD are at another level to the blues. Mitchell Pearce is a mistake and unfortunately he will now go down as the longest serving blues half back of all time.
Aaron Fraser
Guest
Two complete mismatches? NSW didn't score a point for the last 43 minutes of Game 1, and didn't score again until 70 minutes into Game 2. NSW's first try was off the back of a dubious knock on call, and their second a piece of individual brilliance rather than a strong team try. It's hard to see anything but a QLD victory based on strong defence and an ability to actually unleash their backline. I would hate to be a winger outside Pearce.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Reborn? We've seen two complete mismatches so far this series. And much of the hype surrounding them has been of the usual rose-coloured glasses type. Nothing new there. Of course, one can say that Origin as earned the right to be hyped the way it is.
Andrew Marmont
Roar Guru
Editing now.
Kim Midgley
Guest
Mr Marmont must be dreaming. I thought Qld were playing for their 8th straight series. There seems to be a few technical errors in his statement.