The Maroons were valiant right to the end. They dug as deep as any Queensland side I’ve ever seen. But they just didn’t have enough high-calibre players to prevail.
Conversely, while the Blues never truly looked like a cohesive, well-organised or focused side, they had James Tedesco making and taking every opportunity.
They had Damien Cook weaving his magic when it mattered.
They had Blake Ferguson making no errors and playing brilliantly in attack.
They had Jack Wighton absolutely pounding his opponents in one of the most aggressive outside-back defensive displays since Laurie Daley wore the sky blue.
They had David Klemmer and Boyd Cordner taking the really hard runs when they mattered.
They had Tyson Frizell tackling like his life depended on it.
While Daniel Saifiti’s position in the side may not yet be fully secure, all other 16 NSW players are bona fide representative players.
The same just can’t be said of the Maroons line up.
Sure, Cameron Munster was huge all night and Josh Papalii was magnificent. The hard-to-like Josh McGuire never gave an inch either. They were the match of anything the Blues put up.
Josh McGuire (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
However, the arm wrestle between the rest of the troops saw the Blues come out on top. Not because the team was more cohesive or better organised – I’d argue they weren’t – but because, pound for pound, the NSW team had more talent.
If Jai Arrow, Matt Gillett and Kalyn Ponga had been available, perhaps the story would have been different, but Queensland just didn’t have the depth to cover their injury-enforced absences.
The likes of Dylan Napa and Jarrod Wallace earlier in the series, and Tim Glasby, David Fifita, Christian Welch, Will Chambers (eight missed tackles) and Dane Gagai (seven missed tackles) just weren’t able to measure up to the quality of their opponents.
And it is what decided the series.
Sure, there was the case of Ethan Lowe – who this time last season was languishing in the Queensland Cup and I probably wouldn’t have picked in a club 17 this week – making 53 tackles, breaking five, running for 102 metres and performing a brilliant charge-down that brought his side right back into the game.
Lowe’s performance is what we’ve come to expect from the meat-and-potatoes players picked to wear maroon. They grow an extra leg. They find something extra. But many of his teammates just weren’t able to go with the curiously coiffured Rabbitoh.
While the Maroons fought back valiantly to level the scores at 20-all with two minutes to go, NSW had the strike power to hit back even when their side looked to be totally on the back foot.
James Tedesco (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Every time it seemed that Queensland had taken control, Tedesco – the rightful player of the series – was at the core of the Blues wresting back the ascendency.
In the 34th minute, with his side looking disorganised, the fullback went on an awesome run that led directly to the Paul Vaughan try. In the 51st minute, he spied an opportunity and had the strength and speed to get across the line.
The ever-obnoxious Jimmy Maloney then put the conversion over from the sideline.
The home side were back in control.
More Origin 3
» NSW Blues player ratings
» Queensland Maroons player ratings
» WATCH: Match highlights as Blues seal epic series
» WATCH: James Tedesco ices victory with last-play winner
» WATCH: Kaufusi scores first try of Origin 3
In the 60th minute, Damien Cook spied tired defenders and sent David Klemmer barrelling into them. Cook urged a quick play from the big unit and then blasted off from marker, through the line, stood up the valiant Munster, and scored to take the lead out to what seemed like a winning margin.
Ben Hunt just didn’t pose any sort of danger at dummy half for the Maroons.
But somehow Queensland rallied. First McGuire barged over, and then when Josh Papalii crossed the line and Ethan Lowe converted beautifully, you just knew that Mitchell Pearce was destined to never win a decider or a series.
He was actually the albatross.
But that wasn’t the script this time.
With 40 seconds to go, Pearce threw a cut-out pass to Tom Trbojevic, who in turn set Blake Ferguson free down the touch line. Corey Norman desperately tried to bring Ferguson down but the big winger stepped out of the attempt, stayed in, then got the pass away to – guess who – Tedesco, who appropriately won the game for the Blues.
Mitchell Pearce (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
As close as Queensland got – as brilliantly as they had done in wresting back the ascendency – the Blues just had more firepower. They had more individual talent.
Perhaps Kevin Walters is now reaping the inevitable yield of having such a stable team for the best part of a decade, with only a trickle of players being blooded at this, the most elite tier of rugby league in the world.
You won’t find a Queenslander who regrets any part of that golden era of those 11 series wins in 12 years though.
But that era is over. That dynasty is gone. To the victor rightly has gone the spoils.
The after-match coverage was full of celebrations. Sure, there were moments when they got a bit carried away – such as when Josh Addo-Carr said that Blake Ferguson was a role model for all kids – however, the Blues players were justified in being euphoric in victory.
It was fittingly capped off by footage of Maloney, Wighton and Cordner in electric-blue fright wigs, and of course coach Brad Fittler skolling a beer.
We’ve just witnessed the first back-to-back wins for NSW in 14 years. Not since 2005, the last time the Blues came back from a one-nil series deficit, has that happened.
And this is just the third time in Origin history that the New South Welshmen have come back from one-nil to lift the shield. In 38 series, it is only the fifth time they have won a decider – and there have been 20 of them.
Unless the Maroons start developing new talent – and quickly – this may be the start of a NSW era of dominance.
A glance at the current NRL table shows all three Queensland teams in the bottom four. That doesn’t bode well for any immediate improvement in the player options.
I’d be pretty worried if I was a Queenslander because you gave the New South Welshmen a hard time for a long time and you weren’t at all gracious about it.
You’d better be bringing some A-Grade cattle through – and fast – or things could get really ugly.
Mushi
Roar Guru
Those games happen when one team is well above the other on talent. If the "lesser" team is off (they aren't robots) then it's a pasting.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
Too much footy is not nearly enough Nat . Must have been a great week. One crap result but what a game it was.
elvis
Roar Rookie
The series is a means to an end, not something played in isolation. By drawing they won. At the end of game 3 I was praying for a Qld golden point victory, to shove it up the NSW whingers who changed the rules because they couldn't hack losing to a draw. A draw would have given the shield to NSW under the old rules with no opportunity to go to golden point.
Nat
Roar Guru
Hey Jimmmy. It was a great game - fkn fkrs. Very quick game. I'll say I was one questioning Lowe, he hasn't played that well in yrs. His kicking was ala '17 finals run. Kaufusi was another I thought stood out from where I was. I had to eat some humble pie, I was up Fergo all night to do a 'Fergo' and he comes up with the winning play. TBH I still haven't seen the stats or replays. It's been a week long footy tour. Last Sunday Broncs v Sharks (I nearly needed a police escort out of Shark Park haha), Origin, Knights/Dogs last night and some local footy in Taree today. So far so good for the quality of games with one crap result.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Nope. They won four series. There were two drawn series. As holders Queensland retained the shield but the series themselves were drawn and not won by either team.
MarkD
Guest
Thanks for the reply. I like him and players like him. Hard working no nonsense types, always there for the hard hit ups no one else wants, desperation for the loose ball, charge downs, cover defense , but unfortunately/fortunately very little between his best and worst . I rated him and thought we made a mistake letting him go but with JT13, Cooper, Asiata, Maguire, Hess , Dunn and a few others all going for lock/ second row it made it hard to see when he would get good game time especially with Green preferring the bigger bodied players. Personally I thought he added balance to the cows back row , he plays big minutes allowing JT13 , Maguire/Hess and Asiata to be rotated for maximum impact. I would have kept Lowe and moved Cooper on. I hope he goes well for your mob and you get to see the best of Lowe, just not against my Cows.
steveng
Roar Rookie
Yes good comment, as he will get plenty of chances now with the Bunnies as GeorgeB is off and after his SOO performance, all we want is for him to take that forward and play like that for the Bunnies.
MarkD
Guest
G'day steveng ,it's funny how people see things differently when watching the same games. I work with 3 rabid rabbitoh fans who are quite happy with Lowe and especially his versatility and with me being a cows fan, I have been constantly asked why we let Lowe go ? To which I have batted away with the customary 'he was looking for more game time ', followed by the usual banter , you know, along the lines that with the Burgess boys constantly suspended he will get plenty of game time. He might not be a game winning superstar but I reckon every team needs an Ethan Lowe type player, reliable, consistent ,versatile 2nd row/lock/centre and a +75% goal kicker . They are all in consensus on Gagai ,pi$$ed that he has never performed at origin level for the rabbits.
farkurnell
Guest
yeah keep dreaming Gus one year you might win the shield back.Maroons in decline now its our turn to shine!!
Gus O
Roar Rookie
What’s his name? Are you referring to Carney the bubbler? Or Dugan the disrupter? Or Pearce the dog poker? Or the perpetually injured Jarrod Mullen and Terry Campese? My memory is that NSW could never keep a halves combo together for two consecutive games because of injury or self inflicted stupidity.
Gus O
Roar Rookie
You mean Carney the bubbler? Or Dugan the disrupter? Or Pearce the dog poker? Or the perpetually injured Jarrod Mullen? My memory is that NSW could never Keep a halves combo together for two consecutive games because of injury or self inflicted stupidity.
Gus O
Roar Rookie
NSW... it’s not about commitment for a week of camp, it’s about continuous commitment and focused 80 minute competetive effort throughout a career. Jake and Tommy Turbo have it, Dale Finucane has it, Tyson Frizell has it, Damien Cook has it. This seems to be a big part of what people see in Cleary. Hopefully Teddy and Luke Keary are being fast tracked in the maturation as professionals with Cronk as mentor. Maybe this is the turning point, not the raw talent or potential but the professional application of these talented footy players. Maybe NSW lost too many in a row to want to shoot themselves in the foot again? 2019 SOO is great for Pearce, but the 2016 drunken dog incident as a “mature” player and team leader cost his team an entire season, so forgive me if I don’t care. Thankfully he is gone and the club has respected leaders in Mini and Cronk. Ignore the press whose job is exaggerated hype, keep your egos in check and stay focussed. Please don’t blow it... again.
Gus O
Roar Rookie
I agree... and we had a potential long term rep halfback in Carney blow up an entire season for his club and his rep career (twice), as did Bird, as did Dugan and Ferguson, as did Pearce, and we lost Wade Graham for how long with the Shark’s supplement ban... there are always injuries, but these were all self inflicted, shooting ourselves in the foot. Everyone who wants to congratulate Qld on so many back to back series wins might reflect on how many times stupid, stupid and selfish off field BS cost NSW. Cost us stability in a halves combination, cost us capability and progress as a team. Cost the Raiders and the Sharks how many seasons where they could have been competitive? Queensland won because their creative and talented spine were more professional and competetive at club level week in and week out, season after season. You know the names: Locky, JT and the Melbourne spine and talent nursery, aided an abetted by the best coach in the modern era Craig Belamy at club level who does not suffer disruptive clowns.
Gus O
Roar Rookie
I agree... and we had a potential long term rep halfback in Carney blow up an entire season for his club and his rep career (twice), as did Bird, as did Dugan and Ferguson, as did Pearce, and we lost Wade Graham for how long with the Shark’s supplement ban... there are always injuries, but these were all self inflicted, shooting ourselves in the foot. Everyone who wants to congratulate Qld on so many back to back series wins might reflect on how many times stupid, stupid and selfish off field BS cost NSW. Cost us stability in a halves combination, cost us capability and progress as a team. Cost the Raiders and the Sharks how many seasons where they could have been competitive? Queensland won because their creative and talented spine were more professional and competetive at club level week in and week out, season after season. You know the names: Locky, JT and the Melbourne spine and talent nursery, aided an abetted by the best coach in the modern era Craig Belamy at club level who does not suffer disruptive clowns. NSW... it’s not about commitment for a week of camp, it’s about continuous commitment throughout a career. Jake and Tommy Turbo have it, Dale Finucane has it, Tyson Frizell has it, Damien Cook has it. This seems to be a big part of what people see in Cleary. Hopefully Teddy and Luke Keary are being fast tracked in the maturation as professionals with Cronk as mentor. Maybe this is the turning point, not the raw talent or potential but the professional application of these talented footy players. Maybe NSW lost too many in a row to want to shoot themselves in the foot again?
Gus O
Roar Rookie
No limit to the number of fullbacks selected to play in a rep team. I’m remembering back to an Australian team with Slater at fullback, Tommy Turbo and Darius on the wings, Inglis and Hayne in the centres, Locky at 6, Ben Hornby at halfback... and we had Munster on the bench. I remember the world cup where Thurston won the golden boot, Hayne was brilliant playing in the centres and could have easily nabbed two of the man-of-match awards that went to JT. What do Qld do now that they want Munster at fullback? Where do they play Ponga... I reckon he will learn the Matt Gidley offload and be unstoppable playing at centre. It will be line break after line break.
elvis
Roar Rookie
You mean 6
Gus O
Roar Rookie
The end of the era was GI losing the Australian captaincy after playing injured for so long, and then retiring. And for the first time in forever Qld was no longer the captain and spine of the Australian team. GI, what an incredible footy career. One thing Melbourne and Qld have tried to do is bring through the next gen, including Morgan, Munster and Ponga in preparation of retirements of their entire spine. But NSW now has Cronk mentoring Keary at the Roosters and this will be to the long term benefit of NSW who really need a halves combo we can stick with that has a whole lot more creativity and match awareness (game management) than Cleary.
Gus O
Roar Rookie
Who do you pick ahead of Chambers? Is someone else banging the door down to be selected or do you want to take Gagai away from the incredibly valuable roving role he plays for Qld?
Gus O
Roar Rookie
You can’t be an Isaac Luke fan if you don’t appreciate forward passes :)
Gus O
Roar Rookie
I agree Teddy and Cook are outstanding, but Jake and Tommy T are also outstanding and if Teddy was injured Tommy T would still leave NSW with a world class fullback. Ponga and Munster are also outstanding. Both teams are spoiled for choice at fullback and both teams need to settle on 5eir best halves combination. But Qld really needs to find a quality 9 with a dangerous running game.