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Fake news is not just refined to President Trump and the White House; it is alive and well in the Sydney media following the long overdue Blues’ State of Origin Series win.
As a News South Welshman who resides in Sydney, the post-match reporting on Origin was embarrassingly inaccurate, and I found myself turning away from the sports section over breakfast and preferring The Project and Home and Away when NRL 360 came on at 6:30pm.
It was relentless and biased.
We are to believe that we have just witnessed the dawning of a new era, with a new team and coaching staff mentored by Gus Gould.
The records will show the Brad Fittler’s Blues did win games one and two clinching the 2018 series and kudos to all involved as it has been a wonderful spectacle so far.
Not even frostbite on the player’s toes from early morning barefoot walks could stop the Blues from going two-zip.
“We have witnessed a new Blue spirit”.
“Freddy had these guys so tight that they all play for each other”.
“This is the fastest team I have ever seen”.
“Gus was in tears; his speech to the players was inspirational”.
Most of these, and similar comments are correct, but here is what was not reported.
This current NSW Blues team is inferior to the 2017 teams that ran out in games one and two last year.
Not only does Freddy’s ‘Baby Blues’ team deliver lower ratings than Laurie Daley’s team, but they have done so against a significantly inferior Maroons team that does not have legends Johnathan Thurston, Cam Smith, Cooper Cronk and, for good measure, Matt Gillett.
Six crucial disciplines that are weighted highly when measuring a team’s performance include tries, run metres, try assists, linebreak assists, linebreaks and tackle breaks.
The Blues 2018 list was inferior to the 2017 teams, including being down a massive 67 tackle breaks.
Even though the Maroons lost Game 2 18-14 this year, the general consensus is that they were the better team, but inaccurate goal kicking killed off any chance of taking the series to a Brisbane decider.
Queensland coach Kevin Walters would have almost certainly been able to win the all-important Game 2 had he had the services of just one of his recently retired greats.
Everyone south of the Tweed is happy for Freddy and the Blues to win the series, but let’s not let the facts get in the way of a homecoming.
The fans deserve better than what has been reported; they want the facts; that’s what they pay for.
The real story is that NSW have not improved, and a full strength Maroons would have beaten them.
The upside for the Blues is that they are very young and the new combinations will only get better; they also will be able to introduce the future world beater, Payne Haas, probably next year who will be a ten-year Origin player.
The Maroons after just retiring Thurston, Cronk and Smith will also farewell Billy Slater in Game 3, but before we start celebrating the start of a new Blues Origin era, Walters’ Maroons re-build may have something to say.
Kalyn Ponga, the game’s most exciting young player, will be the new Maroon fullback next year and try assist genius Ashley Taylor will press his claims as the new dominant half.
To counter the Blues sensation Payne Haas, the Maroons will also have the brilliant schoolboy champion David Fifita at their disposal.
If the facts and figures are put to one side, an unbiased comparison of the Blues in 2017 to 2018 based on video analysis comes down to a non-pass to a winger in the clear, or a video ref decision being overturned.
Now that’s not fake news!
| 2017 G1, G2 | QLD G1 | QLD G2 | TOT QLD | NSW G1 | NSW G2 | TOT NSW | Hi Rated | MARG |
| Tries | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 8 | NSW | 4 |
| All Run Metres | 1661 | 1517 | 3178 | 1815 | 1607 | 3422 | NSW | 244 |
| Try Assists | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | NSW | 1 |
| Linebreak Assists | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 8 | NSW | 3 |
| Linebreaks | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 10 | NSW | 2 |
| Tackle Breaks | 49 | 34 | 83 | 57 | 42 | 99 | NSW | 16 |
| 2018 G1, G2 | QLD G1 | QLD G2 | TOT QLD | NSW G1 | NSW G2 | TOT NSW | Hi Rated | MARG |
| Tries | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 7 | NSW | 2 |
| All Run Metres | 1649 | 1632 | 3281 | 1681 | 1409 | 3090 | QLD | 191 |
| Try Assists | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | QLD | 1 |
| Linebreak Assists | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | QLD | 2 |
| Linebreaks | 1 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | QLD | 3 |
| Tackle Breaks | 24 | 28 | 52 | 53 | 32 | 32 | QLD | 20 |
| Games 1 & 2 | NSW 2017 | NSW 2018 | TREND |
| Tries | 8 | 7 | -1 |
| All Run Metres | 3422 | 3090 | -332 |
| Try Assists | 5 | 3 | -2 |
| Linebreak Assists | 8 | 3 | -5 |
| Linebreaks | 10 | 3 | -7 |
| Tackle Breaks | 99 | 32 | -67 |
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