State of Origin 2 took place on Sunday night in front of a record crowd of 59,721 at Perth’s Optus Stadium. Despite steady rain affecting most of the game, the New South Wales Blues dominated Queensland to level the series at one win apiece.
Queensland won Game 1 in Brisbane 18-14 despite going into the match as considerable underdogs. New South Wales rang in the changes for Game 2, replacing seven players in total, which effectively saw both sides at equal money to win the match.
More Origin 2
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» Match Report: Blues belt Queensland to force decider
» WATCH: Video highlights from Origin 2
» Re-live the match with our live blog
However the Blues got off to a quick start and lead 18-6 at halftime, before continuing the onslaught in the second half to win 38-6.
The biggest talking point from the game though came in the 13th minute when Will Chambers was awarded Queensland’s sole try for the match, albeit via a penalty try.
Ben Hunt grubbered the ball into the Blues in-goal, with Will Chambers the only Maroons player chasing through. In his pursuit of the ball and a potential four-pointer, he was clearly pushed off his line, just enough, by Jack Wighton, causing Chambers to stumble briefly, before regaining his feet and making a lunge at the ball, however it just beat him across the dead ball line.
The video referee was called to adjudicate on a potential penalty try and it was awarded.
This has divided fans – mostly by the border divide.
However it does raise a growing trend in the NRL – of referees and the bunker awarding penalty tries.
Penalty tries were seldom seen in the first century of Premiership football, but in the last several years, it feels like we see a penalty try awarded on a near weekly basis. Sometimes they irrefutably correct. Sometimes there’s a lot of conjecture.
As for this try by Chambers, it was ruled that, had he not been bumped off his line by Wighton and knocked off balance briefly, then he would’ve got to the ball before it went to dead and thus scored.
(AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
Herein lies the problem. Yes I agree that he would’ve got to the ball on time, however we have no idea whether he would’ve regathered the ball and scored cleanly. This is a doubt that should be taken into account when determining whether a penalty try should be awarded or not.
If Chambers was carrying the ball and was fouled in the process of scoring the try, then I have no issue with that being awarded, as the illegal act has changed what would normally be a certain outcome (a try) into a missed opportunity.
This situation though was different. Chambers was chasing a fast-moving ball, rolling along the ground and had no New South Wales players around him when he tried to score. His attempt to score saw him get a finger or two on the ball but not quite ground it, irrespective of where the line was.
Who’s to say that had he got there three steps earlier, that he wouldn’t have replicated the same result then too?
Today, referees appear to be too hasty to award penalty tries. In this situation, no penalty try should’ve been awarded. Rather, Jack Wighton should’ve been sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes and Queensland awarded a penalty.
When you consider that New South Wales scored just four minutes later, it’s quite possible that the penalty try to Queensland actually did them a disservice as opposed to helping them out.
If Queensland had have scored after Wighton was binned and then the New South Wales try four minutes later never happened, Queensland would’ve been right in this game at halftime and a whole heap of dynamics are all ultimately changed beyond that.
As was the case though, and we’ve seen it happen this year and in those past, the team who conceded the penalty try managed to hit back shortly after, thereby nullifying the penalty try entirely anyways.
It’s time to start punishing teams and players more harshly for illegal plays. Instead of awarding penalty tries in questionable situations, how’s about declaring a professional foul, where the perpetrator gets ten in the bin, and the side that was fouled gets an immediate seven-tackle set.
Something different needs to happen. As it stands, penalty tries are being dished out like points for behinds in AFL.
soapit
Roar Guru
i dont disagree but lets see how it goes with consitently awarding penalty tries for a while before going that way. its a big jump from what has been happening til recently.
Larry1950
Guest
Yeah, I asked my wife why the clock went from 35 minutes back to 31 minutes after the ad break & she thought I was loopy. Obviously someone forgot to hit pause, as a Qlder I wish the 35 minute time had stood.
steveng
Roar Rookie
Larry1950, lol mate, this is a bit rich coming from a Qld supporter “Sick of fatty Vautin sucking up to his NSW commentary mates every time they blow up about the blues getting the thin edge of the wedge” in the old days, we use to watch SOO to see how big of a joke the refs will be and how many games they will give Qld lol that was SOO’s biggest attraction! The bias has been with Qld since game 1 in 1980 and has given Qld the majority of games and series, there is no “thin edge of the wedge” its always been apparent (even in this G2 2019) that Qld always get a leg up, its an inherited pattern that SOO works on, the only thing that worries me is, that in G3 this could have a big impact!
Carlos Marrickvillian
Roar Rookie
Tough one because 10 in the bin may have been a better outcome for QLD... This was however with out a doubt a penalty try. If Wighton hadn't checked Chambers run, he scores for sure. The question is how to best deal with this scenario and the answer is IMO 8 point tries. If it's a penalty try there needs to be an actual penalty for the foul play. Just make the try an automatic 8 points (no conversions) and kick off from the 20m line. The 10 should be used as it generally is. It's too much to award a try, and then also send a player from the field as some people are suggesting. They shouldn't be gun shy about awarding either... it's not a murder trial. Benefit of the doubt should go to the attacking player.
Larry1950
Guest
Look, I think you've all got to cool off and accept the neutral arbiter's decision. Gus Gould reckons Boyd Cordner's penalty try decision was 100% correct and Chamber's try was very doubtful. Who can argue with the unbiased judgement of one of the game's true gurus. Sick of fatty Vautin sucking up to his NSW commentary mates every time they blow up about the blues getting the thin edge of the wedge, happy for him to switch sides and wear their jersey because the maroon gloss from 1995 has worn off with his constant sycophantic approach.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
Kicking goals at 2/3 the value of a try was an advantage to the attacking team. As it is now a good defensive team is encouraged to commit illegal acts because they know they can keep their line from being crossed so there is no penalty. They changed the value of the try because people whinged about wanting to see more tries and not wasting time kicking goals even though it was an advantage to the attacking side.
John
Guest
Or how about this. Make it a penalty try and a sin bin for the professional foul. We are definitely seeing a penalty try every week. You know, all 3 of them this year so far. We should be trying to discourage escorts, shepparding, etc. as much as possible. Penalty try and sin bin seems to be the way to go considering how often it is starting to happen.
Flexis
Roar Rookie
Good guy Jack strikes again! *pun completely unintentional
mushi
Roar Guru
Definitely but deliberately letting Chambers be involved in general play ahs to be beyond the guideline. I'm actually think Wighton was now just trying to help QLD out because he could see how we were getting detroyed in the ruck. He worried about our morale if he let Chambers bobble another one.
The Barry
Roar Guru
I agree with that Mush. When you look at it, Queensland didn’t really get any advantage from the foul play. They got a PT, which by definition was the likely outcome anyway. They got to take the kick in front of the posts, but it was scored close enough anyway. I think they should consider the PT and a sinbin or give a PT as an 8 point try that you get a conversion attempt AND a penalty. You could then possibly explore the option of a team taking a tap ten metres out rather than the shot at penalty goal, although that might be overdoing it.
Ian_
Roar Rookie
And I say that relaxation is a good thing. There was a long time where the standard for a penalty try was just about impossible to meet. Pretty much like the standard for a send off these days. In last night's case, Chambers got to the ball about 30 cm over the dead ball line. Wighton's obstruction slowed him down by at least a metre or more. Simple equation.
thomas c
Guest
At the twenty minute mark, losing a player for ten minutes would be tire your team out with time enough for the other team to capitalize. With a minute to go, you might commit deliberate fouls if penalty tries were unlikely. But the rules does seem overly subjective. If you require absolute certainty, then the video ref having an imagination becomes a problem. There's always the possibility of dropping the ball cold over the line under normal conditions.
blue4ever
Roar Rookie
Correct Ken !
blue4ever
Roar Rookie
Take James Maroney's philosophy, just get on with it immediately, these things happen in any game and SoO is no exception. Besides, we all know any player in any game, no matter what level, will do anything and pray they get away with it. Will Chambers prayers were answered. NSW Players do a lot too and don't get caught. (GO BLUES NEXT GAME!)
The Barry
Roar Guru
I’m not saying hand them out on a weekly basis. If there’s cover defence or the ball goes well dead before anyone can get near it, then it’s not a penalty try. My point is, if the only argument for not awarding a penalty try is “well, he might not have been able to dive on a ball on the ground” then it should be awarded.
adam smith
Guest
Chambers “is” a debacle. That is the worst performance that I’ve seen in in 30 years of watching Origin. Butchered multiple scoring chances (again), & according to some statistical sites, 9 missed tackles. Doesn’t deserve a bench spot at the Storm, let alone Origin.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Convolution is fun... :)
Insider
Roar Rookie
Lol, you know when you see an organisation the size of Ch9 and even the NRL and they can’t do something as simple as keep time they deserve the humiliation coming
Emcie
Roar Guru
Ease up mate, it's not like it's one of the biggest games of the year or anything...
Rob
Guest
TB, Do you think coaches may start instructing attacking players to start instigating contact or falling over to milk the potential of a penalty try? My biggest concern is without the Bunker analysing the play it’s even more guessing the officials don’t need to criticism about. Imagine what is going to happen at juniors if this is a trend. I’m actually more upset about random hold down penalties being awarded while prowlers and head contact is blatantly let go, especially when players jump and ride blokes to the ground around the neck. Scoring a try is meant to require a level of skill if we start having penalty tries handed out on a weekly basis where will it end? Put players in the bin. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and getting the ball in the net is difficult they don’t start handing out goals at every opportunity. You have to earn them.