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Could Queensland’s eight-year Origin reign be about to finally end this year?
Well, that is the question being asked after New South Wales claimed the opening match of the 2014 State of Origin series 12-8 in front of over 50,000 stunned fans at Suncorp Stadium to take a 1-0 lead in this year’s series.
The Blues’ rather unexpected but deserving victory, which was built on their rock solid defence, sees them enter the second match in Sydney with their biggest chance yet to claim their first State of Origin series victory since 2005.
Much of the hype had been around the Maroons and whether they could continue their recent dominance on the Origin arena, having won the previous eight series in succession and looking to extend it into a full decade.
Only one change had been made to the team that were victorious in Sydney last July, with Roosters forward Aidan Guerra making his debut in the place of injured Broncos forward Sam Thaiday.
And the Maroons could be forced into another with starting halfback Cooper Cronk suffering an arm injury in the first ten minutes of the match and failing to return.
Cronk’s substitution out of the game meant that Daly Cherry-Evans, who many rate as the best player in the NRL at the moment, was injected into the game early, and although the Maroons would struggle in attack against a committed New South Wales side, he was far from disgraced.
Mal Meninga’s men could only cross the line twice, both times through Darius Boyd.
The Newcastle backman was denied what could have potentially been the match winning try when former team-mate Brett Morris held him up over the line in the last 15 minutes.
By contrast, the Blues once again made wholesale changes to the team which were narrowly unsuccessful ten months ago, with Jarryd Hayne and Paul Gallen coming back into the side after both missed last year’s decider through injury, and yet another new halves combination being trialled in the form of Bulldogs pair Josh Reynolds and Trent Hodkinson.
It appears as though the Blues have finally found the right team to knock the Maroons off their perch. But whether they can do it again in the return match in three weeks’ time will be another question.
They chose a halves pairing which are clearly the best in the NRL this season, a form fullback in Jarryd Hayne, the dangerous right-hand side of Daniel Tupou and Michael Jennings and the most committed Blue of them all in Paul Gallen.
All this done without ironman Greg Bird (suspended) and forwards Andrew Fifita and Boyd Cordner, both out with varying injuries. And not to mention, Mitchell Pearce was omitted after his infamous drunken night out at Kings Cross earlier this month.
With Bird guaranteed to come back for the second match, it will boost the Blues’ chances of finally ending their Origin drought and ending one of the greatest dynasties in world sport.
Pearce will also press his claims for a recall, but with the Blues having one hand on the Origin shield, they may be tempted into retaining Reynolds and Hodkinson as their starting halves for the return match in Sydney.
As for the Maroons, their final tally of eight points was their lowest in an Origin match at home since losing a dead rubber 18-4 in 2007, and it was also their first loss in a live Origin match at home since 2005.
Overall, it was their first home loss since that spiteful dead rubber in 2009.
With Cooper Cronk set to miss possibly the rest of the series, it would make sense for Daly Cherry-Evans to start at halfback alongside Johnathan Thurston for the return match in Sydney. This would be only their third pair of starting halves since 2008, when Darren Lockyer missed the entire series that year due to a knee injury.
But you have to give credit to a side that has obviously dominated State of Origin for so long. They pressed for victory in the final minutes, but in the end it was the commitment of the Blues in defence that won the southerners the match.
So the Maroons will head to Sydney under pressure for the first time in a long time to keep the series alive.
The last time they lost a series opener in Brisbane was way back in 2003; they then lost the second match in Sydney before thrashing the Blues in the dead rubber in what was Cameron Smith’s debut Origin match.
While it may be party time in New South Wales, the job still isn’t done yet. Although the second match is in their home backyard, it does not guarantee them victory yet.
You never know, the Maroons might bounce back!
And if the Maroons do bounce back in the second match, it could still even set up a grandstand decider back in Brisbane on July 9, where they will look to make it nine Origin series in a row.
What a game!
Bring on Game 2 in Sydney on June 18.
[roar_cat_gal]
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