The Queensland Maroons have won their 11th State of Origin series in 12 years, completing another year of the dynasty with a 22-6 win over the NSW Blues in Game 3 at Suncorp Stadium.
The Maroons played a clinical opening 40 minutes of rugby league and were unlucky not to take more into the halftime break than their 12-0 lead.
More Origin 3 coverage:
» GORE: Hang your heads in shame, NSW
» Liebke Ratings: State of Origin Game 3
» ELDRIDGE: Queensland own us, now and forever
»NSW Blues Player Ratings
» Queensland Maroons Player Ratings
» Game 3 match report: Maroons keep their dynasty alive
» Five talking points from Origin Game 3
» WATCH: Highlights from Origin Game 3
» How it happened: Re-live Game 3 with our live blog
A double to Valentine Holmes in the first half an hour had the Blues reeling but Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk both missed out on big chances to get over the line late in the first stanza.
The Blues fought hard in the second half to come back in the game, reducing the gap to six points thanks to a flying effort from Josh Dugan in the 48th minute.
Failure to capitalise on a period of pressure on the Maroons line came back to haunt New South Wales as Holmes completed the hat trick with 19 minutes to go.
Jarrod Wallace continued to bring the pain just over five minutes later to take the game away from the Blues and seal the series.
New South Wales didn’t recover from Game 2
The Blues played beautifully for one and a half games and looked like a genuinely strong side that could put an end to the dynasty.
They then proceeded to play terribly for one and a half games.
With Game 2 and the series in their hands at Sydney, New South Wales capitulated under pressure and they gave it away.
That same form of capitulation carried right over to Game 3 and they were run all over the shop in Game 3.
They looked like the same side that was stumbling their way around the park at the back end of the second game, as if they were still suffering from the hangover of a demoralising defeat.
A spirited fight in the second half wasn’t enough to overcome the same kind of footy that cost them so dearly in Game 2.
As soon as Holmes had his third, they looked lost, they looked like they were already beaten despite still being well and truly in the game in terms of the scoreline.
That’s the difference between the two sides. When Queensland were behind and reeling in Game 2, they rallied, they fought and they won. New South Wales slip behind and they collapsed, they fell, and they lost.
(AAP Image/Glenn Hunt)
Smith, Slater and Cronk still own State of Origin
Despite all being born in 1983 and certainly sitting in the elder statesman side of the dressing room, Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk proved once again why they are three of the greatest of all time.
While the Blues may have come out in the first half with plenty of hope and aggression, it was the magical trio that quickly sucked the life out of them with relentless and clinical footy.
The first half, in particular, was a masterclass with Smith running out of dummy half and racking the metres, while Slater was a never-ending source of support on the inside and across the park.
Cronk had the Blues defence in tatters, leaving them sliding sideways and backwards as he took on the line, played on the inside and outside, leaving New South Wales with no idea what he had in store for them next.
His crossfield kick to Holmes for his second in the opening half was as pinpoint as it was quick-thinking and perfect for the situation, showing off the big game knowledge and pressure absorption he’s become famous for.
Slater was a star in attack and it was the usual burst of acceleration through even a hint of a gap that had the Blues scrambling all over the shop.
He was still running around in broken play late in the game, proving that his legs may be short, but they still have plenty of endurance in them.
With Slater missing Game 1 and Cronk looking like calling it a day after this season, many would be forgiven for thinking they were on their way out and not up to the Origin arena at this stage of their careers.
The amount of times the commentators were saying Smith, Cronk, Slater in succession was getting ridiculous by the end of the game, but the fact is that that triple combination continued to work time and time again.
How oh how do they continue to prove us wrong.
Valentine Holmes the next Origin legend?
From the veterans to the next generation, at just 21 years of age, Valentine Holmes has had the perfect start to his Origin career.
He has played just two games after making his debut in Game 2. From those two games he has two wins, a series victory and a slightly ridiculous four tries already.
Is that enough to call someone a future legend of the game? No way, but as sports fans we love to speculate till the sun goes down and rises again so that’s what we’ll do.
Who else can you remember having such an explosive start to their rep career? Greg Inglis, Wally Lewis, Jarryd Hayne, Jonathan Thurston.
There is an elite group of players who have been able to take to State of Origin like a duck to water and nearly all of them have gone on to become some of the best Origin players since the interstate rivalry took off into a new era in the 80s.
He’s not just the beneficiary of a super side on in his inside either, he’s able to show off his incredible finishing skills in tight situations, soaking up the pressure of the game.
(AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
Pearce will continue to be the scapegoat
Ah, poor old Mitchell Pearce.
The man has played 17 games across 10 years and hasn’t won a single series. He’s the easiest target of them all in every post-game wrap and series defeat for the Blues purely because of his severe lack of winning.
Pearce didn’t particularly play terribly in Game 3 but he has the unfortunate task of being shaped up to his opposite number in Cooper Cronk.
Cronk won his side the game and the series, Cronk took control of his team and demanded they follow his lead, making Pearce look terrible for his failures to do the same for his troops.
There’s no doubt Pearce will cop it from the media and the fans for another failed series venture in the halves and while he has struggled at times in Origin, his 2017 series shouldn’t put him in the scapegoat role again.
The team as a whole ran out of gas in Games 2 and 3, there were countless other players who continued to make mistakes at the wrong times and give away penalties.
This series loss was a team effort, give Pearce a break.
The dynasty will last another 12 years
Because of course it will.
The Maroons have now won 11 series in the last 12 years and that is just insane. Seriously insane for a team to dominate so convincingly for so long in any code of sport.
The worst part about it for New South Wales is that it’s not going to end anytime soon.
Just look at the depth the Queenslanders have, just look at the way they are coached and the way they play under pressure. The culture of their dominance and the way they make it look so easy.
It’s going to take a long time to turn that around for the Blues and more series losses like this will continue to hammer their confidence, even leading into next year and beyond.
The player depth is outrageously superior to that of their southern neighbours and they will continue to drive them through the ranks year after year and blood them into the next generation of champions.
Good luck New South Wales.
Griffo
Guest
Don't do that. He'll be playing for the Cowboys next year so I don't want him playing for NSW.
Griffo
Guest
2001?
The Barry
Roar Guru
And thinking further...after two losses in the opening two games in 2016, Moylan and Maloney were paired at the scrum base. NSW win. Both played well, yet come game one 2017 Maloney is shifted back to 6 and Moylan is axed for guess who?
The Barry
Roar Guru
How lame... No Queenslanders have ever misbehaved? Stay classy
The Barry
Roar Guru
Perfectly reasonable and well put Dr Chop...certainly didn't deserve the immature response. This probably won't be a popular view but your line "it's the halfbacks job to win the game" got me thinking about game 2 2014. NSW down by a few with about 10 to go. Hodkinson gets the ball, takes on the line and scores a series winning try in just his second game. Josh Reynolds played two games in 2013 for a win and a loss and two games in 2014 for 2-1 and a series win. I'm not claiming either are the best halves around but they did step up when needed. After years of chopping and changing, NSW had found a series winning halves combination who were also a club combo. Next season J Reynolds got dropped (why bother picking him for two series?) and Hodkinson paired with guess who? at 6. I'm not suggesting for one second that NSW would have won with those two in the halves but it seemed really strange at the time to blood Reynolds off the bench then into a starting role, he wins a series and then gets dropped and we go to a new and unfamiliar pairing. I never felt it was properly explained.
The Barry
Roar Guru
What are you on about Roger Ramjet? Are only former NRL players allowed to have an opinion? What are your credentials seeing as you've asked everyone else? Pearce was ordinary last night. He has played 18(?) origins now. Has he put in one great performance in that time? How many of those 18 games do you remember? How many Origin highlights has he had? How many times has the NSW attack looked cohesive with him at the helm? How many times has he dominated a game with his kicking? I can't think of any. And that's just not good enough for someone with 18 games under their belt and playing in the most important position on the park. Pearce is a good footballer. He's certainly better than all of us here. He's not solely responsible for NSW's losses. But he's not an Origin winning halfback. There's 10 years of proof of that and you don't need to be a former NRL player to realise it.
Neville Gray
Guest
I think NSW players read too much of their own press, with stories of how the big NSW forwards were going to 'monster' Munster etc etc, as it turned out Munster had the last laugh and was one of the best on ground.
Emcie
Roar Guru
Yeah, but we seem to have a glut of wingers that could play centre...
jewboy
Guest
Not a Pearce lover but main problem is the big boppers in front of him. They play as individuals,run one out and expect to run over their smaller opposition,but go nowhere. Queensland have smaller forwards but they run as a pack and tackle as a pack. How true is the old saying,,,,",It's not how big the dogs in the fight but how much fight in the dogs that counts,"
Matt h
Guest
You care enough to come on and comment about it.
Matt h
Guest
Obviously he would have to show something, but lucky for him, centre is probably where we have the least depth, post Hodges.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
lol hindsight... it was obvious from well before the series.
Mals
Guest
"The Maroons have now won 11 series in the last 12 years and that is just insane. Seriously insane for a team to dominate so convincingly for so long in any code of sport." Not really considering it's a two horse race and the quality of the other race horse is more often than not like a donkey.
rakshop
Guest
Its an interesting way to look at. But I would like to flip that notion around by saying that therein lies the problem with NSW in one single post. I think most people would say that NSW had a better team (the bookies certainly did) on paper and yet Queensland still found a way to win. In the decade prior to the dynasty starting in 2006, NSW had a farrrrrr superior team. And yet over that period NSW won 6 series, Queensland 2, with 2 drawn and Queensland retaining the shield. Queensland finds a way to beat NSW when their back against the wall. NSW dont. In fact I wrote a post that in the 37 series of Origin, NSW have only won two series when they were considered the series 'underdog' - 1994 and 2014 with an argument possibly over 05. And yet Queensland has 80,81,82,95,98,06, and now 17, with arguments over the two drawn series. Why? Because Queensland love being the underdogs. They love the fight. They thrive on this notion that NSW are better than them. And yet, NSW seem to struggle when the roles are reversed.
Emcie
Roar Guru
I think he's saying that when the series is live and the result is on the line NSW aren't nearly as good as they shoud be for a rep team
kiwijack
Guest
Of course Pearce will get it but he wont be alone. Most of that team need to have a good look at themselves and then never put their hand up again to play SOO.
TB
Guest
YOU ARE RELATED TO PEARCE!
TB
Guest
Tiger ste you related to Pearce?
TB
Guest
They still didn't win and you are forgetting the entire third game. Kidding self.
TB
Guest
I agree with Roger. All of the NSW team played poorly and couldn't match it with the class of QLD.