Cleary and Maloney face Origin axe
While the grand opening of this year’s State of Origin bonanza is still a few months off, for the incumbent NSW halves, it should feel a million years away.
Match Highlights: The Queensland Maroons have bounced back in State of Origin Game 2 against a disappointing New South Wales Blues side.
It was all New South Wales in the first half as they jumped out to a 16-6 lead at half time.
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
The Blues run rampant over a flat Queensland outfit – Brett Morris, Jarryd Hayne and Mitchell Pearce all crossing over in the first forty minutes.
Uncharacteristic mistakes by the usually reliable Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk meant New South Wales went into the sheds full of confidence and sensing a series victory.
But the Blues dropped their bundle in the final half hour as the Queenslanders stormed home with two unanswered tries.
Johnathan Thurston kicked a clutch conversion in the 78th minute to give the Maroons a two-point lead.
Needing a try to win the game, Boyd Cordner’s men could only dish up two insipid sets of six as Queensland sent the series to a historic decider.
Dane Gagai was outstanding for Queensland, crossing over for the first and last tries and consistently punching holes in the New South Wales defence.
Andrew Johns was furious with the New South Wales performance after the game, unleashing a furious tirade after the Blues’ collapse.
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While the grand opening of this year’s State of Origin bonanza is still a few months off, for the incumbent NSW halves, it should feel a million years away.
We’re only heading into Round 3 of this year’s NRL competition, but that certainly hasn’t stopped the media talking about State of Origin.
The Sheffield Shield final has arrived, with the Victorian Bushrangers set to take on the New South Wales Blues in one of the biggest grudge matches this country has to offer. This is The Roar’s guide to streaming the match online, and watching it on TV.
The 2019 Sheffield Shield final will feature minor premiers the Victorian Bushrangers, and the New South Wales Blues. The match is scheduled to start on Thursday, March 28 at 10:30am (AEDT).
We’re not even one month into NRL season 2019 and already it’s almost impossible to watch or listen to a game without hearing about this year’s State of Origin series.
Here are some of the most important takeaways from Round 2 of the NRL.
