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Origin referee Ashley Klein’s meeting with Brad Fittler after Origin I came under the spotlight in game two when a sin-binning against the Maroons shifted momentum towards the Blues in Perth.
Felise Kaufusi scored the opening try for the Maroons but ended the half in the sin bin at the end of five straight six again calls from Klein that left former Origin coaching foes Phil Gould and Paul Vautin united in opposition to Klein’s call.
The Maroons led 12-8 when Kaufusi was marched. The Blues scored almost immediately to claim the lead and then battered the Maroons into submission winning 44-12 to level the series at 1-1.
“It’s a gee up – and no one knows what they’re for,” said Vautin. “No one here knows, no one at home knows, we don’t know. (And) we’re so called experts.”
Gould was also up in arms as the Blues made the most of the extra man, crossing just before the break and then dominating the early stages of the second to cross again and go out to a 20-12 lead.
“I’m disappointed in the sin bin for the game’s sake,” said Gould. “I hate sin bins at the best of time, let alone in an Origin. I don’t think there was ever a warning, he just got frantic and ruled four or five six agains in the space of a minute then had enough and sent him off.
“They’ll justify that, but in Origin football or any football I don’t think it should have got to that point.
“All of those he gave to get them into sin bin territory you’d need a magnifying glass to find out what’s gone wrong or why they’ve been penalised.
“The fact they’re six agains and not penalty kicks for goals means they’re giving them away like smarties. You don’t need it.”
Queensland legend Darren Lockyer said the decision was a game changer.
“It is a big loss for Queensland. It is going to hurt. But that will help in game three, said Lockyer.
“Nathan Cleary has had it on a string but he has had time compared to game one where the Maroons gave him no time. The sin bin was the turning point. It sucked all the juice out of Queensland. But they have played
well tonight, the Blues. Well done to them. But Queensland will be back.”
At halftime Maroons coach Billy Slater said having to hang on another eight minutes without Kaufusi was “a great opportunity” for his team. But the Blues were brutal, bending the Maroons defence out of shape before Daniel Tupou crossed two minutes after Kaufusi returned to the field.
“How much extra defence since Kaufusi was off have Queensland had to do,” said Andrew Johns. “They feel like they’re really wobbling at this point.”
Queensland had defended stoutly and looked strong until the sin-binning.
“The have been more incisive,” said Gould. “NSW looked frantic in the first half. Maybe it’s the 1-0 series situation that’s feeding into their psychology. They look a little more nervous and more desperate – Queensland looked composed and lethal.”
It couldn’t have been a starker difference in the second half as the Blues ran riot against an exhausted opposition.
Johns was full of praise for Fittler, who made five starting changes.
“He was canned in the media and said nothing,” Johns said. “He made a big call, but he’s done it before.”
Nathan Cleary was immense and Matt Burton had a debut to remember including a first half try.
Cameron Smith said the difference was the Blues outside backs.
“They have been fantastic,” Smith said. “Their ability to gain good metres. They have played the ball quick tonight, the Blues. They have played it faster than the Maroons. And they have put their key players, like Cleary, and Luai and Yeo and Tedesco, in good positions early in the tackle count to allow them to attack the Maroons.”
Queensland’s Cameron Munster said it was too tough an assignment for his team after the sin-binning.
“We tried to match their energy in the first half. We did that – in the second half it was tough with Kaufusi off the field obviously,” said Munster.
“We dug deep for 10 minutes but it obviously took a toll on us in the back end of the game and when they have the ball too much, they score points. We were very poor tonight.
“It was a big moment in the game. We did well for 8 minutes, but like I said, it took its toll in the back end of the game and they scored heaps of points. Fingers crossed we can improve and be better in game 3.”
Blues skipper James Tedesco said his team needed to respond after losing the opener.
“We were hungrier,” said Tedesco. “We spoke about that during the week. We had to be more brutal, more hungry. No second chances. I felt we did that.
“The discipline didn’t let us down. The second half was pleasing.”
He was full of praise for man of the match Nathan Cleary.
“Yes, there was unwarranted criticism after the first game (on Cleary). But it shows what a champion player he is.
“He comes out in game 2 and puts on a clinic with a lot of pressure on him. He is one hell of a player.”
Klein and Fittler met after game one where Fittler felt the ref was poor in adjudicating around the ruck.
This week Brent Tate said he would be fascinated to see how much of a factor Klein would be in Origin II.
“I don’t like the fact we are talking about Ashley Klein, I don’t like the fact that Freddy has met with him, I think at the end of the day it is a really tough one,” Tate said on Fox Sports.
“The refereeing and the officiating doesn’t determine the game, you do, by going out there and getting the job done.
“Is it Blues whinging? Absolutely it is so let’s hope it doesn’t influence the outcome too much.
“It is going to be fascinating to see how he refs the match because there has been so much in the media and so much talk around ‘Freddy’ Fittler meeting with him,” Tate said.