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Opinion
This year’s State of Origin series is all tied up and one of the most anticipated deciders is just a week away.
There’s nothing better than an Origin decider being held in Brisbane.
The atmosphere and excitement beats any type of fixture held on the rugby league calendar. Leading up to kick off, the walk past the Caxton, the wild pack of Maroon jerseys stirring the pot with Blues fans and of course Suncorp Stadium in general is just a world class stadium.
Lang Park hosts a decider every few years, which is why we must cherish the pinnacle of rugby league.
Both sides have named their 1-17 and although there are not many changes to the game two teams, there is still much to discuss.
The New South Wales Blues are full of confidence after taking down the Queensland Maroons in a second-half bloodbath in game 2.
There shouldn’t be many changes to the Blues at all, however, the centre pairing was a great headache provided for Brad Fittler.
They’ve decided to stick with the centre duo which was selected in the previous match. I don’t mind this choice, as Steven Crichton had a solid game 2 and Matt Burton was tremendous on his Origin debut.
The man who is left out is Jack Wighton who I thought had a blinder in game 1, but due to his combination with fellow Penrith players, I believe Crichton has proved himself enough to retain his spot at left centre.
Jordan McLean will debut for the Blues in the number eight jersey after Payne Haas was ruled out, due to a shoulder injury.
Haas’s absence is a huge blow for the Blues, although the Brisbane prop hasn’t been anything out of this world in the opening two matches and didn’t seem too up to scratch against North Queensland on Saturday night. His current season has been heavily interrupted by injuries, especially his left shoulder as of late.
He hasn’t been 100 percent fit, however, he’s continued to take part in matches, which has just been causing further damage to his shoulder. I don’t think McLean is the right option, he’s improved this season, although not enough to earn an Origin jersey.
Jacob Saifiti is unlucky to miss out and I thought he would be the man to play off the bench and Junior Paulo would be sent into the starting side. This was obviously not the case and McLean will have a lot to prove on his debut.
Tom Gilbert is another Cowboy who will be introduced into the Origin arena, and he fits into the Maroons side perfectly.
Gilbert has been doing a superb job at the Cowboys and will be off to Redcliffe next season. His club is in the race for a premiership; however, he will be focusing on his deserved Maroons debut.
It’s very disappointing as a Broncos and Maroons fan to not see Corey Oates named. By no means did Murray Taulagi have a game to knock your socks off, in fact, he was underwhelming, as well as obviously the rest of the Queensland team.
Oates should have been in his spot in the first place for game two, but to overlook him in game three is a horrible decision. Queensland will be fighting, once again with their backs against the wall in a decider at Suncorp.
(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
They will be looking to display a repeat of 2020 and win the shield on home turf. They have a higher quality team compared to game 3 of 2020, however, it doesn’t change the fact that they’ve already been wrote-off before a second is played.
The one thing NSW can’t do is underestimate this QLD team and listen to the background noises who say the series is already won by the Blues.
No matter what the Queensland team looks like, we’ve learned over the years that the culture of the Maroons is one of the best in sport. They will fight until the very end, especially at Lang Park.
Queensland has defeated the Blues in their last ten matches at Suncorp, which shows a great statistic in support of how hard it is to beat the Maroons in enemy territory.
NSW could possibly win their fourth series out of the last five and Queensland will be wanting to win their 23rd ever Origin series. Expect a blockbuster and this game can of course go either way. I can’t go against my heart as a Queenslander.
Queensland by 2
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