If the referees do crack down on players from either team for wrestling in State of Origin 2, that will be a good thing. Whenever they crack down on wrestling it’s a good thing. The problem is, they don’t crack down on it nearly enough.
When you consider what’s at stake, it was no surprise Queensland coach Kevin Walters got angry – or at least as upset as the generally affable Walters can get – at his pre-match media conference on Tuesday.
State of Origin 2 coverage
» Match report: Maroons win to force series decider
» Five talking points from Queensland’s last-gasp win
» Check out all the highlights from the thrilling Game 2
» WATCH: Andrew Johns unleashes a furious rant about the Blues’ woeful second half
Earlier, Laurie Daley told reporters that the fans “want to see an open game of footy”.
“They don’t want to see two teams just trying to slow it down and wrestle their way through it,” the NSW coach said.
“I think rugby league showed what it’s capable of doing in Game 1 and that’s to play a game of football where both teams get every opportunity to showcase their skills.”
Walters responded with this: “I’m a bit disappointed with Laurie and the NSW players with all that. I mean, last time we were here for an Origin game the penalty count was 12-4. At halftime it was 11-1 to NSW.
“I just don’t think it’s in the right spirit of the game to try to use the referees to influence the game in some way.”
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Daley could say he took the moral high ground by calling for both teams to play open football and avoid the wrestle, but since when did coaches care what the fans wanted to see?
If slowing the game to a crawl was the best chance the Blues had of winning, then that is surely what their coach would have them try to do.
But what does this indirect exchange between the coaches say about Game 2 at ANZ Stadium tonight?
Pretty simple, really: the Maroons want to slow it down and the Blues want to speed it up – and because of that, the referees are going to have a huge influence on the result.
NSW clearly won the forward battle in Origin 1. Even allowing for the changes Queensland made to their team in the wake of a 28-4 loss at home, it’s going to be very difficult for them to stop the Blues from gaining an edge up front again.
So if the Blues gain momentum through the forwards and the Maroons decide to push the envelope in trying to slow them down, then it’s up to the referees to decide what they’re going to do.
Can you see them allowing Queensland to repeatedly get away with negating a fair and reasonable advantage NSW have established, by using excessive wrestling tactics?
No. If the Maroons are going to win, they will have to match the Blues in the forward department from the very first minute, and when you look at the rival forward line-ups that is a huge challenge.
Queensland are going to rely on a slower, more slippery surface in Sydney to help them achieve that and NSW have got to make it a priority to keep getting quick play-the-balls.
If the Blues are successful in doing that and the Maroons decide to take obvious risks by delaying the play-the-ball that could lead to penalties, then we’ll see where the referees stand.
Should either team go too far in trying to slow down the play-the-ball, they should be penalised.
Even with Queensland fielding a stronger team for this match than they did in Origin 1, NSW still have the advantage. They will be a stronger team as well, purely from the confidence they will have gained from their big win in the opening match of the series.
Dr Yes
Guest
Interesting comment, and understand why you'd think that. Checkout Matty Elliot's The Breakdown video. Both sides have a few masters of the flat pass. On that video, plenty of NSW & Qld cases where ball travels forward relative to line marking, but all of them are AOK - inch-perfect sideways relative to the passer charging downfield.
jasper
Guest
The biggest consistent issue is the foward passes ??? are NSW going to get away with forward passes that lead to tries .. Where are the referees on this issue, where do the NSW fans stand on this issue?
jasper
Guest
Sideline, why comment when your not going to address the statement made Longarm?
jasper
Guest
cat still got your tongue lol
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
Let's face it. Playing the ball with the foot is one of the stupidest rules ever thought of. Not only does it slow down the ruck, it's almost completely unenforceable. I understand the concept being that the defensive line isn't supposed to move up until the foot has touched the ball but does that 0.05 seconds between a player rolling a ball and tapping it with his foot really matter? To that end though. Why oh why are players being allowed to play the ball sideways again? This in comparison is 100x easier for the ref to control yet flat out isn't. Rapana and most wingers for that matter are the worst offenders. In fact I believe rapana played the ball while facing his own goal line and received a penalty for "crowding" earlier in the year.
jasper
Guest
HAHAHA!! while your at it eagle, why not comment on all the forward passes let go by the refs??, cat got your tongue ... #N(SW)RL
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Forget the whingeing about wrestling. If the NRL: had any cajones, they would have stepped in right away and banned it as being detrimental to the sport.
JVGO
Guest
Their only chance is to get offside, slow the NSW play the ball and Thurston pin NSW in their own 20 for 17 line drop outs. That is the game plan and the way they've won for the last couple of years. Blow some penalties ref!!!
Daniel Watts
Guest
On another issue. Deliberately conceding penalties in the attacking 20. If the refs don't use the bin how about the call- 'Captain, advantage?' Captain to respond yay or nay. If yay, Ref says- 'Play on, 6 again.' Would rub it out in the first weekend. Sorted.
Albo
Guest
Yep ! If the officials were fair dinkum about adjudicating the rules of the game properly, there would be a penalty rightly blown every play the ball until the dills stopped cheating ! But we know this will never happen, so it becomes a lucky dip left to the whim of the on-field officials as to when & where on the field they will blow a penalty. Half a dozen to each team will likely be their aim tonight , so as to avoid any accusations of bias and to keep the game flowing to please the sponsors & media outlets ! So the result will quite likely be at least influenced somewhat by the officials whims !
Daniel Watts
Guest
How about looking at correct play the ball?
Wayne
Guest
Good to see the NSW contingent "towing the company line" and getting behind Loz' blatant attempt at influencing how the game is refereed.
Remo Shankar
Roar Pro
McGuire is an enigma. How can you explain a guy whose nick name is 'jail bait' and yet professes to have a deep and profound love for the works of Shakespeare.
bbt
Guest
Ben Ikin and his mates on Foxsports summed up the problem with adopting Storm type wrestle tactics at Origin. Storm have a pack who train at how to do the wrestle, in his words - "tidily". An SOO pack are not together long enough to replicate that training.
Dragonrider57
Roar Rookie
Hi Greg, I agree and the ruck issue is much bigger and is being abused continually because the refs generally ignore most ruck breaches. The rules of play the ball as in stand before placing the ball and not touching the marker, or the attacker and not moving forward after the tackle is complete are broken in 99% of rucks. The defensive line moving before the the ball has been "played backward" is not only common, it is the norm. Players moving sideways, or into the marker when playing the ball is very common and this takes the markers out of the game and gives the attacking team an unfair advantage. Generally the ruck is a lottery and the part of the game where most advantage is gained and the refs either can't, or won't control it. If the game can't be played by the rules, the rules, or the adjudication process needs to be re-assessed.
steveng
Roar Rookie
Qld (if they lose) will make sure that next series, that will be something that will be considered eg put in a similar, 'Grasshopper' Gomersall, RIP.
steveng
Roar Rookie
'If you can’t beat ’em, wrestle ’em' that's why the Maroons have selected a few more Storm players, they are the masters of the 'Wrestle' and we should be prepared to see and be entertained by this most boring form of rugby league.
Duncan Smith
Guest
Get the excuses in early, that's the way boys.
steveng
Roar Rookie
McGuire should have been reported and I would go as far as binned, the bloke is a grub and in the second half all he went out to do is to hurt anyone and everyone. This is the sort of things that the refs should clamp down on, it won't get any objections from the crowd. Everyone wants a fast and entertaining game. McGuire was very lucky to be allowed (continually) to come in late when a player is already tackled. These are the things that the refs should be very aware of and should penalise or take evasive action(s) and if a HIA is required due to the tackle then, that player should surely be either, penalised, reported of binned. The refs have to take control early, so that we can have a great game like we had in SOO1.
Chook
Guest
Yes sorry I just realised