If Rex Mossop was still with us, he would be sitting in front of his television tonight at his Balgowlah home muttering to himself “bring back the biff”.
Somehow Origin 2 might just erupt into Rex’s dearest wish.
STATE OF ORIGIN LIVE SCORES – GAME 2
NSW skipper Paul Gallen has virtually assured that by accusing Queensland of cheap shots in Origin 1 that won’t be tolerated by the Blues tonight.
More:
» State of Origin Game 2 Preview
» State of Origin Game 2 Teams
» State of Origin Fixture
» State of Origin
Had the injured Gallen played in Origin 1 there would have been retaliation as sure as the sun rises in the east. Gallen didn’t play, and NSW didn’t retaliate.
That won’t be the case tonight with NSW boasting a fired up Gallen, James Tamou, Aaron Woods, Beau Scott, Robbie Farah, Ryan Hoffman, David Klemmer, Boyd Cordner, Josh Jackson and Trent Merrin.
And Queensland have plenty of fire-power as well with Cameron Smith, Nate Myles, Matt Scott, Aidan Guerra, Sam Thaiday, Corey Parker, Josh McGuire and Matt Gillett.
So what will the referees do if an all-in breaks out?
With a likely record 90,000-plus crowd and millions watching around the world, the refs won’t want to ruin a marquee promotional game for rugby league – the code’s Holy Grail – by binning or marching a number of players.
In short, the refs will be between a rock and a hard place, they will be damned if they do, and damned if they don’t take action.
Let’s face it, Origin is vastly different from club games, it’s the toughest arena on earth, and nowhere for the faint-hearted.
But any over-physical displays will be directly against ARLC-NRL policy as they have dramatically sanitised the code on a regular basis.
Having said that, why did the refs let so many cheap shots go unpunished in Origin 1?
By backing off, they have effectively opened the door to bringing back the biff tonight.
Rex would be pleased.
Renegade
Roar Guru
Yeah it's only the sydney media.... Courier mail is the bible - no rubbish in there.
Renegade
Roar Guru
James is saying that neither side is actually completely filled with the best players in the game right now.... And it's true.
nerval
Guest
I have Jason. I still don't get if David wants the return of biff or not.
V.O.R.
Guest
Blame a whole teams failure on the halves....and you see a connection there to Australia losing to NZ...why because of the NSW halves?...yer sure...
V.O.R.
Guest
Not what I said Sideline Comm. I questioned the narrative perpetrated by the SydneyCentric press that at their age QLD stalwarts are not going to continue to perform at the level that won the Maroons 8 series in a row. Different thing. Slater, Smith, Thurston, Parker, Hodges are all playing for teams that are in the top 4 of the NRL competition....Geeezzz, how did that happen?..such a tough competition, week in, week out...those old farts are really dropping their game. A myth my friend. Do yourself a favour and go back the last 3 or 4 years and listen to Ray Warren and Phil Gould intro the State of Origin and then come back and till me that the Sydney media is pushing this rubbish.
V.O.R.
Guest
Tom, you are a true product of the SydneyCentric press. The NSW team and a bunch of sore losing fans still have not gotten over a decade of dominance dished out by QLD. The attack on the characters of these great QLD and Australian players is just plain low...it's State of Origin for crying out loud...seriously you mob should just tie pretty sky blue ribbons in your hair, have a cry and be done with it.
Jason Hosken
Guest
Read it again.
Fight fair.
Guest
What like Inglis , Simms ect.
steveng
Roar Rookie
That's their go, and Hodges was and still is a grub, so nothing has changed there. But we've had Lewis, Conescu and many more who were the instigator of many a biff to upset the balance of a game and/or to win games for them. But what amazes me is that the Queenslanders (since day one) have always expected that all decisions be they forward passes, double movements, penalties and any other improprieties in the game go Qld's way and if it didn't (especially at Lang Park) all hell would break lose. This is not their fault because that is how the SOO series was made and rigged for the Queenslanders and made to get the 'MONGREL' out of the NSW teams and fans. Prior to 1980 it was not called SOO, it was just NSW vs QLD and it was just an ordinary game that very few people had any interest in or attended or knew about.
jamesb
Guest
Agree. Parker is one of the good guys running around. Great role model.
steveng
Roar Rookie
Are you kidding? The game is harder now then its ever been, its faster, bigger men play the game with more speed and the hits in some of the tackles are enormous and bone shattering. Hard men are not determined by a lowlife hit on a defenceless player that cannot defend himself, which is what the BIFF really is in a tackle, or unless its a 'one on one' which is illegal and a so called 'SIN BINNING' and/or a 'SEND OFF' offence, which btw is not implemented by the ref's at all these days.
steveng
Roar Rookie
SIN BIN??? WHAT IS THAT??? That is the biggest (sorry) the second biggest joke in league, the first is a SEND OFF, its never been used and I'm sure that the ref's have forgotten that those rules exist. But if they do use it and this especially applies to Qld we might have a repeat of the 1988 'Thunder Down Under and the Rain of Plastic Bottles'[ which the ref's are scared of and they don't have the guts to implement.
nardio
Guest
Despite the hysterical pre-match press coverage in the News Ltd press there will be no biff.....tough as you like, but no biff (ie punch-ups, stiff-arms, off the ball incidents etc).....The "no punch "edict has ended all that. Nardio
Chris
Guest
Yeah well the world has moved on and condoning punching on a sporting field is ridiculous . That's why these rugby league players go out and get arrested for punching people in nightclubs. Grow up buddy
Bails
Guest
agreed Jara, it is a smokescreen set by Daley to excuse the blues to go full back into niggle mode
turbodewd
Guest
I just want to know if NSW can score more than 14 pts! Their offense is tepid.
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
I do believe Parker suffers from Benjamin Buttons disease. In which case youth will be the one that catches up with him.
big J
Guest
Agree bring back the biff. The time in right for an all in brawl tonight with everybody betting the living crap out of each other. Lets have a repeat of that classic fight from 1995 probably the last time the game was for hard men and allowed to be that way., these days all the players are just a pepped up , supplemented, tuna eating bunch of blokes that aren't allow to throw a punch it. Plus it would show those AFL pussies in Victoria how real men play a sport. The refs should just let them go and allow the crowd to enjoy.
Wolly
Roar Guru
I don't think he means that. The players you mentioned are champions of the game as much as it hurts to admit it but no matter how good you are age will catch up with you, it's inevitable.
Rod
Guest
I don't care about the Biff, but give me some good hard legal tackles(not this three man dance), big legal hits off the Kick off(Can't we have shoulder charges back). Back lines standing a little deeper and good early ball to player like Inglis Morris and the likes. We can only hope we get that tonight. We must be due for a Great Origin game!