First off, well done to New South Wales. In a tough, hard fought and niggly battle the Blues won Game 2 of State of Origin, and with it the series.
The image of Jarryd Hayne, standing proud and triumphant, overlooking the adoring masses as he delivered their first win in eight years, will stand the test of time.
I predict it to become immortalised, much as Wally Lewis’ statue adorns the entrance to Lang Park, in time he will grace those as they arrive at the stadium to see the new gladiators enter the arena.
Oft are comparisons to Jesus made (at club level) – expected to perform miracles and carry the 12 other apostles – but this series he has done more than that. His line breaks in the first game were amazing, his consistency in the second was similarly awesome – let’s face it, a flawless game.
He may not be carrying the team, but when a New South Welshman thinks of a talisman, surely they think of Hayne. There were also other players on the field, and State of Origin will forever be a team endeavour, but it is amazing how a player contributes and how he can lift a team.
The Blues forwards, let’s face it, struggled. They never gained ascendancy. In a lot of ways, it was always going to come down to a clutch play.
Let us spare our judgments concerning the referees, the abilities of the players, where Queensland lost it and where NSW won it, the injuries and the fortuitous moments. This is the time for the players.
The honours should go to both teams for providing an entertaining spectacle. These are surely the modern gladiators. The fact that after eight straight losses the series never looked liked being cancelled is remarkable.
The fact that after 79 minutes into the second game the series was alive and well is remarkable (who could say that Billy Slater wouldn’t have scored that try?). The fact that State of Origin remains the most brutal of contests and the most important on the calendar is testament to its enduring qualities.
Brent Tate leaving the field, with an unknown injury, epitomises this contest. This is a man who clearly loves the game. There he was playing his guts out for Queensland, yet this was a man who has struggled throughout his career with season-ending injuries. No one would begrudge him taking his pension in peace, yet still he fronted up for this match.
It is the nature of Origin itself. It is the challenge thrown down, the fight against the might. Regardless the result, and no matter the odds, this remains to Australians the purest form of contest.
I hope State of Origin lives for another 1000 years, for then they may say that this was its finest hour.
Suburban boy
Guest
Hi Code 13 What do you mean when you say The Roar is not a League discussion site and then add "for the record the tabs at the top of the page should be a dead give away" At the top of the page it says The Roar Your Sports Opinion and the tab is called "League". You know that looks to me like a place where people discuss League. I know you are fixated on numbers and I agree that the numbers watching SOO are impressive, especially outside the heartland. It's just that after I left Brisbane I lived first in Perth and now in Melb. And if you think in these cities there is passion for SOO like there is in Brisbane and presumably Sydney, well you're kidding yourself. I suggest its not even 1% of the interest in these cities. In both Perth and Melb I have never gone to work and heard a discussion about SOO, plenty about AFL and some about A League or Euro soccer, even a bit about Rugby Union in Perth. And Perth doesn't even have a side in the NRL and Storm, despite being a great team, are a blip on the sports radar in Melb. So numbers may say one thing, but my experience of living in these places doesn't indicate great interest in SOO and I am a sport loving person who talks about sport a lot . Believe it or not Code 13 I actually hope it does take off around Aus, imagine in 50 yrs SOO Vic v WA with a sold out AAMI, wouldn't that be great.
Tad
Roar Rookie
Love SOO, nothing better than seeing RL players belt the living suitcase out of each other , with the football being secondary, has it always been this way.
Tad
Roar Rookie
I guess that then begs the question of why ACT born players represent NSW ?.
code 13
Roar Guru
Well for starters, I don't consider The Roar to be a RL discussion site - for the record the tabs at the top of the page should be a dead give away. Secondly, until 'passion-o-meters' are installed in viewer's television sets most of what you're saying is just subjective speculation. For years Origin was effectively blacked out by Channel 9 in places like Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne. I do not consider the ratings in those states to be a passing fad, people don't just tune in because there's nothing better on. People aren't forced to watch at gunpoint. There's an obvious appeal that keeps them tuning in again and again. For example Game 2 was Perth's highest rating match ever. You don't keep breaking new records in those markets unless there's a sizable following and one that reflects growing support for the game across Australia. Sure, it might not be as extreme as the fanatical support in NSW & QLD and that's to be expected but it is still quite large - even rivaling traditional AFL television audience numbers in those states - and its getting bigger. If Origin can be on par with the major sporting code in those regions, it does stand to reason that the sporting contest is supported Australia wide. Ultimately though time is likely to prove you wrong. State of Origin has done all this with effectively a one-sided contest for the past 8 years. It's likely to get even bigger now the ledger has been squared up.
Suburban boy
Guest
HI Code 13 Yes no doubt a lot of people watched it including many from outside the traditional RL heartland and it's good entertainment but as I said in my post above, outside NSW and QLD SOO is pretty much just another sporting event on week night TV. Not a lot of passion or care about the outcome. To me, to be Australia's greatest sporting contest people across Australia need to care about the outcome. Others such as yourself Code 13, may disagree and point simply to the number of people who watched it, and that may well be a valid criteria. Actually as write this I think maybe there is no such thing as Australia's greatest sporting contest, instead there are great contests in particular geographic areas of the country or in particular sports or codes. How they are rated depends so much on the individual person's interests and outlook. Personally I think SOO is a great contest, for me there are also a couple of other sports and games that usually provide a great contest as well. Rating them is an individual exercise, I suppose on a RL discussion site it's not surprising that SOO is favoured.
code 13
Roar Guru
Well let's use your comparison - England vs Australia in cricket. The Ashes last December was peaking just under 3 million viewers nationally and the average was around 2.5 million. Last night's Origin match averaged at 4.193 million viewers nationally with AFL size numbers in WA, SA & VIC. It peaked at 4.751 million viewers. Around half the people in Australia watching TV on Wednesday were watching Origin.
Rumpy
Guest
Australia's greatest sporting contest by far is whoever is fighting Mundine. It unifies a nation, and EVERYBODY cares about the outcome
Rusty
Guest
A lot of people couldn't care less about the Melb cup so that takes that out of the equation, Cricket? Well that's between two countries so that's out of the equation too. So SOO is the best.
Suburban boy
Guest
Sorry for delay been at work all day. A few points 1. Goodness sake don't be so sensitive, I m not deriding League, nor am I a head in the sand AFL type. I would describe myself as a casual League watcher on TV and occasional match attender. 2. I lived in Brisbane for 5 years and went to 3 SOO games at the old Lang Park. Loved it, fantastic atmosphere, great passion and energy, a great sporting contest.,anyone who enjoys sport would love it. 3. So why do I think SOO is NSW and QLD's great sporting contest but not Australia's? Well I think it comes down to emotional ownership. This is what makes the game so important in QLD and NSW, where people strongly identify in an us v them sense, our good guys v those bastards from the other state. This is what powers the passion and competitiveness. Yet when I moved from QLD I found that passion missing. In other parts of Australia SOO is another sport on TV, interesting to watch but no real care about the outcome. And that's not surprising, how many people in QLD or NSW have an emotional investment about the outcome of a Sth Aust v Tas or Vic v WA game in any sport? Not many I'd say.. For the same reason I agree the AFL Grand Final is not Australia's greatest sporting contest. 4, So I think to be Australia's greatest sporting contest there needs to be emotional ownership of the outcome by people all across Australia, not just in parts of Australia. Probably the best I can come up with is the Aussie cricket team playing England at the MCG or SCG or in a World Cup final. Maybe one day the Socceroos, but not yet,
swesty
Guest
Suburban Boy, are you one of these head-in-the-sand AFL-types, who just look at the name of the teams and the people of that are as the only ones who 'need to care about the result'? Well, what would that mean for a North Melbourne v Carlton match, or a Penrith v South Sydney match (to be fair)? Seriously, move on. You don't need to be directly connected to love the contest; plenty of my non-NSW born mates will attest to that. Why do the ratings keep growing outside of the traditional markets? Why are games brought to Melbourne? Why does the Melbourne media have it's annual "Do we need to bring Origin back" discussion around this time every year? And to say that about half the population couldn't care less...
The Link
Guest
Suburban Boy, Australia's greatest domestic sporting contest would be more accurate. The teams have to be from somewhere in Australia and by definition some areas will have more invested in the result. Besdies, TV audiences show that you are wrong. And its funny how the ACT is always convieniently left out when people deride Rugby League. This was not two suburbs playing each other
waterboy
Guest
What do you think is Australia's greatest sporting contest then Suburban boy? It obviously cant be a rugby league or AFL contest on your criteria, so that leaves us presumably with The Melb Cup or cricket? I think the author meant contest, when he said contest in the pure sense of the word. Not most popular, Nothing consistently matches SOO for the passion, willingness and competitiveness of the opponents. As a rugby league game last nights game was to be honest a poor one, but because of the three elements detailed above it was an enthralling one.
Suburban boy
Guest
A great sporting contest - yes no doubt about that. Australia's greatest sporting contest , well no. To be Australia's greatest sporting contest I'd say people across Australia need to care about the result. And most people in 4 of 6 states, about half the population, couldn't care less. I think it's more like NSW and QLD's greatest sporting contest.
Zedman
Guest
The first half was far from a entertaining spectacle, more like a throwback to the 70s. Full of niggle,cheap shots and foul play, the games hierarchy couldn't be happy with the rubbish served up.Nowhere near Australia's greatest spectacle.