Origin 2 was won by Queensland on Thursday June 8, thirteen days before the two sides ran out onto ANZ Stadium and four days before the teams were even announced.
Cast your mind back to Round 14: Cronulla Sharks versus Melbourne Storm at Southern Cross Group Stadium.
Something happened on that cold night in The Shire. Andrew Fifita was off, Jack Bird struggled. On the other side of the field, Cameron Smith and Billy Slater owned a result that should never have belonged to them, something only true champions can do.
With the Storm trailing by a point with bugger all time left on the clock, Slater spotted a chink in the Sharks’ armour. While most teams would have been setting up for the field goal to level the scores, ‘The Kid’ took the ball to the line at speed and fed Felise Kaufusi what can only be described as an absolute Christmas dinner.
Full time: Storm 18 Sharks 13
Man of the match: Cameron Smith.
Match winner: Billy Slater.
New found insomnia: Laurie Daley.
While it seems borderline insane to consider a club game nearly two weeks earlier as the catalyst for one of the great Origin triumphs, I am utterly convinced Melbourne’s victory over Cronulla in early June was exactly that. Cameron Smith was masterful, showing the Sharks’ Blues contingent (and the rest of NSW) that he’s still the man. For Cronulla, Andrew Fifita, James Maloney and Jack Bird were all well below their best.
(AAP Image/Julian Smith)
A psychological blow was dealt that night in the Origin tug of war. NSW, for all their youth and enthusiasm, still had a few ageing legends standing in their way.
Cronulla meanwhile, have continued to struggle. Missing their Origin stars, they overcame a woeful Tigers outfit at the death the week after before being absolutely flogged by a rampant Manly side on Sunday. This time, James Maloney was abysmal, Bird was non-existent and Fifita was given a serious serving of Kapow.
In better news for Blues fans, the Hayne Plane was sizzling on Friday and Mitchell Pearce showed new found composure to send a golden point field goal over sailing the sticks against who else but Melbourne the following night.
The struggles in the Shire shouldn’t be ignored however, as NSW need Fifita and Maloney in particular to fire come Game 3 if they are any chance of coming away victorious in two weeks’ time. With Boyd Cordner apparently at long odds to line up due to a calf injury, added emphasis will also placed on the shoulders of Wade Graham.
While a rest may be needed for at least of them this weekend, here’s to hoping they all soon wake from their slumber in time to deliver the Blues a shield they so badly need.
Get it done, boys.
Squidward
Roar Rookie
So was all 4 Sharks playing a masterful role in Origin 1 the result of the 2016 premiership? Wishy washy theories
Bugo
Guest
Moyloney
The Spectator
Guest
I'm on board, I noticed something in game 2 when jt and Pearce got close near kick off that gave me goosebumps. Pearce is intimidated by JT, no ifs, no buts, watch his body language when they get close to each other, Pearce was all alpha till JT made eye contact. Unfortunately for Pearce, whether he knows it yet, ready to admit it or not, it's there.
Emcie
Roar Guru
Oh, I didn't realise that QLD were so irrelevent to the outcome of the game, I'm surprised they bothered to show up
Gary
Guest
Agreed X 1000
Albo
Guest
Emcie, I have only " plastered this comment" on articles questioning why NSW didn't wrap up the SOO series last Wednesday ! This is my opinion why they lost the golden opportunity to win the series, and it is appropriate to any article on the subject. Especially where someone confects a reason for the Blues loss as being because QLD applied pressure for the first time in a half ? Like QLD hadn't applied any pressure in the previous 3 halves of SOO? NSW blew it all on their own.
Emcie
Roar Guru
how many different articles have you plastered this comment on now? I don't know why you seem to think that QLD were going nowhere untill their first try, which was only ten minutes in mind you. It's not like QLD were struggling to get out of their own half, they were consistantly getting within attacking range and bar one set NSW were forced to start their sets from within their own ten or twenty
Albo
Guest
"...in the only half of footy where QLD started to really pressure them they folded,..." QLD were going nowhere even in that 2nd half except head long towards a series defeat , until a spate of terrible missed tackles by the NSW left edge defence on McQuire & Chambers led to that 60 m try from nowhere. Then followed a bunch of dumb NSW plays losing the ball , giving up penalties and poor kicking options, none of which had anything to do with QLD applying pressure ! NSW simply conceded the match all be themselves in an error filled and undisciplined 2nd half of footy.
Emcie
Roar Guru
Ah, Origin, the only form of the game where winning three out of four halves of footy is more relevent then winning one game out of two. In all seriousness though, the biggest issue facing this NSW team is that in the only half of footy where QLD started to really pressure them they folded, they went from averaging 15 points a half to being kept scoreless despite making more meters and twice as many offloads as QLD and went from conceeding two tries in three halves to conceeding two tries in one half. NSW's strike power allows them to take adventage when momentum swings their way by scoring quick flurries of tries in short periods of time, but if momentum is denied their attack is blunted by the increased defensive workload and become much more vulnerable
SewingMachine
Guest
As the season goes on the loss of Ennis is becoming more apparent..in particular the way he steered them around the park.. The GF was a perfect example..the Sharks fell behind because they were going too sideways..he corrected it..Fifita scores.. Anyway when their on their game they still are a massive threat to the premiership..
The Barry
Roar Guru
He was and possibly even worse than Pearce. But he has far more upside than Pearce does. I don't think they'll make a single unforced change but there are problems with this side that were papered over in game 1 because of the win and even more evident after game 2. It doesn't really matter how many first halves you win if you're behind after 80.
Remo Shankar
Roar Pro
Maloney was equally MIA in the second half, as well as missing tackles and giving away stupid penalties. Let's just stick to the team as is - this team has proven that out of three of the four halves of football played, they are good enough to win up in Brisbane. This team deserves, at the very least, a chance to learn the lesson that was painfully doled out to them in Game 2.
up in the north
Roar Rookie
I've got a theory that Mitchell Pearce is overawed by JT and whenever they face one another Pearce's game goes to pieces. Now that JT is ruled out of game 3 I'd expect Pearce to have a reasonable night - not great - just reasonable.
The Barry
Roar Guru
#Maloylan
The Barry
Roar Guru
If the best thing the Blues have going for them is Hayne "sizzling" at Campbelltown on a 6 degree night in front of 4K and Pearce kicking a one point win against a depleted Storm side we're in bigger trouble than I thought. Hayne was very good against the Tigers but it was against the Tigers and it was from fullback not centre. Pearce just shouldn't play for NSW again. He's not the player to step up and take control of an origin game. I thought he was good in game one before he got injured but his MIA act in game two was not good enough. I'd move Maloney to 7 and bring Moylan in at 6.
jeff dustby
Guest
a bit of a stretch, the starting team is hardly Sharks heavy