Last Wednesday night, the greatest winning streak in Australian sport was officially broken. For eight long years, the Queensland Maroons took their cross-city victory tour from Sydney to Brisbane, with the occasional stopover in Melbourne, promising and delivering the same result for almost a decade.
The series win must have felt equal parts triumphant and relieving for Paul Gallen, Jarryd Hayne and others who had been there during the darkest timeline.
The Blues’ football has been marred with inconsistent team selections, players playing out of position – and sometimes out of form – and a generally mind-boggling capacity to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
The wait was more than long enough for this long-suffering New South Welshman, but after a few days of enjoying the win and soaking in our stature as defending champs, one has to ask: what does this really mean for the Blues?
Don’t call this a Blues bashing article. Look at it more as bringing balance to the force, in the face of some wild conclusions reached by fans and journalists alike in the wake of the win.
Let’s get this out of the way first: NSW deserve to be proud of their victory. For the first time in a long time, the team showed a commitment to excellence, bravely dumping the out-of-form Bondi halves in preference of their Belmore-based rivals.
The offence did just enough in tandem with an incredible defensive effort, winning two games that were about as far away from cakewalks as can be.
But fleeting pride comes a step before crippling arrogance, and sustained pride is exactly where the Queenslanders have us beat. Every year, the State of Origin is a two-horse race. The percentages tell us we have a 50 per cent chance of winning. The law of averages says you can expect to hoist the shield once every couple of years. To put it simply, one hit in nine shots ain’t good enough.
For the last few years, it hasn’t been a matter of if NSW will win, but when.
Obviously, Queensland can’t win all the time, so eventually a changing of the guard would have to take place. It just so happens that that guard held office for two terms, and while there are plenty of bright signs in the Blues’ future – mainly the fine play of rookies like Aaron Woods, Anthony Tupou and Josh Dugan – let’s just hold off on that shipment of bronze for Gallen’s statue, as some outlets have so ludicrously reported.
Come on, what would it say? ‘Here stands Paul Gallen, he won exactly one series in eight years’? Not exactly Wally Lewis material.
Speaking of kingly comparisons, Hayne has deservedly been treated as nothing less than the second coming for his heroic efforts this year. That’ll mean plenty for him in 2015 once he’s swapped the sky blue for a shade of Honolulu, catching touchdowns out of the slot alongside Reggie Bush in Detroit.
Actually, scratch that. Wouldn’t want to give him any ideas.
In a series where the Blues won two games to one, they scored 34 points to Queensland’s 42. The scoreboard doesn’t exactly scream dominance. In Game 3 alone, the Maroons, boasting a full-strength side for the first time all series, almost matched the Blues’ entire 2014 points total.
The start of a fearsome dynasty, this is not. Cooper Cronk proved just how valuable he is to that team of titans, and with the recent insanity of the NBA’s offseason, he and his Melbourne brothers can once again lay claim to the title of ‘most formidable Big Three in world sport’.
Painful as it may be to hear, it would be to the surprise of absolutely nobody if next year’s series proves the catalyst for another two or three straight championships for Mal’s men.
Last week, Queensland sounded an ominous warning that they are far from done. The question is: will NSW be better, or struggling to keep up?
Paul
Roar Rookie
Cronk may or may not have been the difference to QLD winning or losing the series, truth is we will never know. NSW have beaten QLD before when Cronk was playing. Last years decider came down to 2 points, NSW didn't have, arguably their best player , Jarryd Hayne. You can't say they would of won if he had been playing. 2012 decider came down to a field goal. In all of QLD's dominance over the last 9 years they have won a series 3 nil, once. It's a rare occurrence to win 3 games in 1 series. The blues were up against it this year, new halves, 2 games in Qld amongst other things. Qld were very good in game 3 but you have to judge a dead rubber for what it is, a dead rubber. QLD had more to play for than NSW. In 2006, when QLD' won their first of 8 series wins, were'nt thinking we wouldn't have won if Andrew Johns was playing.
Chappy
Guest
Agree Peeko, but Hodkinson is still a step up and class above Mitch Pearce and was the difference in this years series victory.
peeeko
Guest
i still dont think NSW have solved their halves problem. cronk showed the difference in game 3. Hodkinson had some moments but is still not near the class of DCE,JT and cronk
peeeko
Guest
thanks for the tip Phil, queensland have also previously complained about the same thing
Phill
Guest
luck whether the refs get it right?, is the refs performance meant to be luck is it, from professional refs to get something wrong all night? QLD for the last eight years have had to hold the trophy up in NSW territory, suddenly you win one and you want to change the game?, this is where you guys south of the border go so wrong, stop trying to change the game to suit you. Respect the tradition, trophy is lifted at the end of the series, when the work is done, makes it even more special when you get to see it in your own state. Stop being soft.
Chappy
Guest
The only connection to the series win and to the losing ones is no Pearce and Hayne fully fit playing fullback. Losing those previous series had nothing to do with Gallen, who just happened to be named man of the series
Elma Dudd
Guest
I for one think Daley will have to come up with Something a little more imaginative next year or it will be another dour series and a QLD win. QLD were a bit complacent after 8 in a row . Hopefully Gallen will retire on the back of this because I think there is a definite connection between him and the losing streak . Pearce was always the scapegoat and deservedly on some occasions but a fish rots from the head down .
Gappy
Guest
This series was not the best for open play but for defence, which is what wins in the end. As a NSW supporter, I'm happy that NSW final got the run of the green/luck which is want you need to win. This is also the first series in which NSW have had a easy time in selection and Qld have problem after problem. The refs had a big say in what happened in the games. Game 1 - Qld knock the ball over the line get the scrum feed and score in that set of six Qld are behind and kick the ball into Hodkinson who doesn't play at it the ball goes backwards and jumped on by Tupou and it's a knock on????? Hodges get tackled on the left side of the field, play is stopped GI get to play the ball so hodges and get back to his side of the field????? Game 2 - After Hodkinson scores Woods touches the ball as it goes out on the full??? Game 3 - New refs, had pre conceived ideas bout the way the game should be played - Qld have 60% of the ball and a huge penalty count in there favour The niggle has been bad but was done by both teams and if Qld couldn't handle it they should have stayed out and don't do it back. JT slap was trying to get NSW players to throw punches and get sent off. Next year should be good but Qld need to get more younger players in there squad, yes they have the players but in origin experience is everything, look at DCE. NSW are in the same boat so next year should be good but think NSW will have the edge and they know how to win and have more experience in key position - Dugan/Hayne at fullback, Dugan/Morris/Jennings at centre, Morris/Tupou/McManis at wing, Woods/Gal/Tamou at prop, Hodkinson/Reynolds/Maloney in the halfs, and T-Rex/Gal/Lewis/Bird/Scott/Merrin/Hoffman in the back row.
Chappy
Guest
The scoreboard doesn't scream dominance and it doesn't have to. It screams NSW victory and that's all that matters. Get that up ya Qld, go Blues
Avatar
Roar Guru
"In a series where the Blues won two games to one, they scored 34 points to Queensland’s 42. The scoreboard doesn’t exactly scream dominance." The Blues actually scored 26 points (12 + 6 + 8) for the entire series and Queensland even outscored the Blues' series total in ONE GAME (32-8)! And the Maroons scored 44 points throughout the series (8 + 4 + 32). By aggregate, the Maroons won the series, but the Blues won the category that mattered most: two games to one. Queensland are far from being a spent force as we witnessed in game three. That should make for an interesting 2015 series especially with one match to be played at the MCG.
Steve b
Guest
Its a game of luck whether the refs get it right,the bounce of the ball, their is so many factors when you have two teams so closely matched . But in saying that you can not take anything away from the toads they take anything on offer and turn it into an advantage they are a great team and it will take a mammoth effort by the Blues next year to try and keep the shield in NSW . And may common sense prevail if whatever team wins two in a row award the shield on that night dont wait until the dead rubber .
Roarsome
Guest
NSW got lucky this year. There was a BRILLIANT tackle from Morris at the end of Game 1, a game that could have gone either way. QLD outplayed NSW in Game II, it was a scrap of a game with poor control of the ruck and a narrow 10. QLD were always going to win Game III when the game was open and the ruck and the 10 maintained. NSW got lucky, but the same could be said about QLD in 2013.
Jack Henry
Guest
As I said elsewhere, as a NSW fan, I may or may not agree with the premise of this article. On one hand, we can only play what's in front of us. On the other hand, though, the fact that Cronk's return resulted in a 24 point victory for Qld is - at least - a spectacular coincidence. The credibility of the Gallen statue speaks for itself, and geez, here in NSW we certainly know the meaning of self-congratulation don't we... Anyway, in my opinion, the real test will come next year: Origin legitimacy comes from winning back-to-back series. That's the only way we're really going to put to bed this narrative that QLD weren't at their best.