Blues save Best till last as Bradman runs amok to deny Maroons series clean sweep, both coaches could head for exit

By Paul Suttor / Expert

NSW restored some battered pride by avoiding an Origin clean sweep but whether it’s enough for Brad Fittler to dodge the sack remains to be seen after the Blues blazed past Queensland 24-10 on Wednesday night. 

Despite the invisible malaise which hovers in the background of a dead rubber, this match had a high level of skill, intensity and highlights but just seemed to lack that added punch that only comes when the famous shield is on the line. 

That was reflected by the fact the match was not sold out with 75,342 turning up at Accor Stadium, leaving nearly 7000 seats empty.

Fittler finishes his sixth year at the Blues helm with three series wins and as many losses but it’s been the nature of the past two years to a seemingly much-better prepared Maroons outfit under Billy Slater that has led to calls for NSW to give Freddie the flick.

Slater also indicated in the post-match media conference that he wasn’t certain to be back and he would weigh up the decision with his family before committing to going around again in 2024.

Bradman Best celebrates scoring his first try. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

The Blues made seven changes after their 32-6 embarrassment in Brisbane three weeks ago with Fittler recalling plenty of experience in veterans Cody Walker, Jake Trbojevic and Reagan Campbell-Gillard while also investing in the relative youth of Bradman Best, Keaon Koloamatangi and Jacob Saifiti. 

They ended up having an average age of nearly 28, around two years older than Queensland, so while they may not have set the team up for the future, they have at least avoided embarrassment by bringing back some of their old hardheads.

Best, a controversial selection in the lead-up to the game, enjoyed a dream debut with two tries, and nearly a third, to toally outplay Valentine Holmes on their edge out wide.

“He came out tonight and showed he belonged on this stage,” Blues assistant coach Danny Buderus said.

Freddie not ready to say whether he’ll be back

Fittler was honest in his appraisal of his prospects of remaining Blues coach after the win, saying ultimately it would be up to the NSWRL directors to decide whether the Origin III victory was enough to convince them to stick by him.

“That may have had a bearing on what the board may think because they’ll decide who’ll be the coach going forward,” he said.

“They’ll speak to me about how I feel and if I’ve got the energy or if I want to do it,” he said.

“Their playing well and winning … the consequences of being beat by 30 would be different. We’ll wait and see.”

Brian To’o is tackled. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

Bittersweet success but Billy unsure of future

You would think Slater would be looking to settle into a lengthy stay as Maroons coach after series wins in his first two attempts but he said it’s not that straightforward.

“We’ll enjoy this series win and then that’ll sort itself out in the future,” he said.

When a reporter hit back with “you can’t leave this guys, can you?”, he added: “We’ll see.

“I’ve got to sit down with my family. I’ve really enjoyed the last two years, it’s been great. Queensland means a lot to me, this team means a lot to me and it’s been an enjoyable journey. I’ve got to make sure I’m doing the right thing for everyone.”

There are no obvious NRL vacancies on the horizon with his former club Melbourne seemingly locked into a succession plan for Jason Ryles to take over from Craig Bellamy at the end of next year while the four Queensland clubs have their coaching set-ups locked in long term with Todd Payten re-signing at the Cowboys, Des Hasler starting at the Titans next year and Kristian Woolf due to take over from Wayne Bennett at the Dolphins in 2025.

Slater said NSW had “a lot of energy about their defence and they beat us in that area”.

“It wasn’t our night tonight but it was still our series,” he said.

Reuben Cotter. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Slater added that he thought the team was ready to go despite it being dead rubber “but we just weren’t willing to earn it tonight, NSW were”.

“We didn’t give ourselves enough opportunities to build pressure. A few short-cuts here and there,” he said.

Maroons assistant Johnathan Thurston said Walker cut them to shreds in concert with Rabbitohs teammate Cameron Murray.

“When you’re just a percent off that’s the difference,” Thurston said.

“I thought Cody was the difference tonight. Defensively we were just off a little bit. When you’re playing against the best players, they make you pay.”

Blues counter-punch as Maroons fall flat

NSW were denied a try early by the bunker when a clumsy couple of kicks down the left edge robbed Best of a try with his first touch in the Origin arena.

Much like large portions of the first two matches, NSW dominated possession and field position for the opening 10 minutes and as soon as Queensland got a sniff up the other end they made a mark on the scoreboard.

A Cameron Munster high kick was batted back for David Fifita to open up a 6-0 advantage.

But unlike the first two matches which ended in defeat for the side in sky-blue, they hit back immediately when Best sent Josh Addo-Carr streaking away down the left flank and the hosts spun the ball the breadth of the field on the next play for Brian To’o to slice over in the right corner. He also benefited from a debutant’s deft touch with Keaon Koloamatangi batting the ball along at pace.

And pace was a factor again at the mid-point of the first half when Addo-Carr found space again down the sideline, chipped over Maroons fullback AJ Brimson and regathered to score a spectacular try.

The Foxx glided across the turf to give the chasing Maroons no chance of reeling him in as the Blues went 10-6 up. 

It was reminiscent of Billy Slater’s classic four-pointer in a 2004 Origin at Brisbane “but this time he was onside” mumbled Olympic-class grudge holder Andrew Johns in commentary.

Best wasn’t to be denied the second time he surged over the stripe just three minutes later when five-eighth Cody Walker dug into the defensive line and delayed his pass perfectly for the Newcastle centre. 

A 16-6 buffer would have been a fair reflection of the first half but the Maroons pegged the deficit back a few minutes before the break when Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow touched down, as he had done in his previous three Origins, sparking a try out of thin air with a clever kick behind the line. 

NSW booted a penalty goal to make it 18-10 at the interval and with the players united in their game-day media ban due to the protracted CBA dispute, Nine sideline reporter Danika Mason had to make do with chatting to former Blues captain Paul Gallen walking off with the modern-day stars.

Neither team could establish a stranglehold on the momentum in the early stages of the second stanza and a Queensland near-miss was brought undone after Lindsay Collins was ruled to have knocked on in a cover tackle by To’o.

However, replays suggested he had possession knocked out by the NSW winger’s head and picked up by an offside teammate, which should have resulted in a Maroons penalty.

Cody Walker. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

“I dont think there’s a knock-on there and I think everyone knows who I’m cheering for,” Johns added in commentary.

The Blues went perilously close to extending their lead in the 61st minute when Isaah Yeo scored after a short Maroons line drop-out but the bunker ruled Stephen Crichton propelled the ball forward in the aerial contest with Tabuai-Fidow.

But it didn’t matter a short time later when James Tedesco skirted around Daly Cherry-Evans near halfway to send Best sprinting away for a 24-10 lead heading into the final 15 minutes.

Tabuai-Fidow nearly had a second try when Murray Taulagi batted a bomb back to him and even though referee Ashley Klein awarded it, even Maroons assistant coach Cameron Smith conceded in commentary that he had knocked it on before the bunker officially did likewise.

Holmes had another chance to spark a trademark Maroons late surge but he fumbled a bouncing kick over the line with eight minutes to go.

The Blues got a chance to reset their defence and get a precious extra couple of minutes of breathing space when a pitch invader disrupted play but they held their nerve to hold Queensland scoreless in the second half.

The Crowd Says:

2023-07-14T08:42:58+00:00

jimmmy

Roar Rookie


He don't get it DP. It certainly wasn't a dead game for the Blues.

2023-07-13T15:16:26+00:00

Nick

Roar Rookie


The 75,000 fans who turned up were not there to watch a dead rubber. Yes, they were. It is a fact it was a dead rubber. Most of the tickets were sold long before game 2's result and considering the price of the ticket, they still wanted to turn up. Players were getting their cheques no matter what. Qld, particularly in the last 20 minutes, stopped caring. NSW would not have played like that in the first half if it was 1-1. They were throwing from wing to wing in the opening minutes... Tell me the last time you saw a team do that in a live series match? Slater wouldn't have meddled around with Grant/Hunt if it was 1-1. Ponga, not Brimson, plays if it's 1-1. It was experimental for Slater. To be sure, Qld would have been trying to win at first, but they absolutely dialled it down in the second half.

2023-07-13T13:53:17+00:00

dogs

Roar Rookie


So my left field suggestion would be for Walker to be the 7 at the Warriors after Johnson retires. I see a fair few similarities in them (more younger Johnson) and reckon it would be a good fit. But I think he stays at the roosters. He wasn’t dropped for shocking form, he just wasn’t going great, but neither were the whole team (still aren’t), they needed to try some stuff to get going. If he didn’t get injured I reckon he would have been back in top grade a month or so ago. I reckon they stick with him. Young smith hasn’t been too bad either, and I think they see that pair as their long term future. That said the last top notch half the Roosters brought through from a young age was probably Pearce. So their track record in developing halves is not stellar, but most teams are not better.

2023-07-13T12:06:16+00:00

DP Schaefer

Roar Rookie


Rubbish to you, what game were you watching?? JOC's effort was in stark contrast to the lacklustre poor attitude he had in game 2 so don't tell me they didn't care. Walker put in the best performance he has ever done in NSW colours so don't tell me he didn't care. Best got to show what he can do and looking at his joy in scoring don't tell me he didn't care. Actually watch the game next time and don't take your bias in and save me from wombat comments.

2023-07-13T11:32:25+00:00

Kurt S

Roar Pro


Am with you in that it was good for NSW to win. I personally would have been happy with 3 zip as well but this result for good for the 2024 series. As a northerner, have no objections to the current coaching staff of NSW to stay on place. Their consistency in picking partially fit player out of position, causing confusion with players, their roles and their futures whilst sticking blindly to other players is great as far as I am concerned.

2023-07-13T10:38:25+00:00

NSWelshman

Roar Rookie


What rubbish Lolol…. Of course if QLD won the headlines would be a whitewash. What’s your point? Get over it mate. NSW won’t be winning any series anytime soon with Fittler as coach! Not dumb at all lol.

2023-07-13T10:34:42+00:00

Emcie

Roar Guru


No backsies!

2023-07-13T10:30:15+00:00

Bloke7

Roar Rookie


How many beers had you had by 11.20pm last night when I sent that message with my pudgy intoxicated fingers on my tiny phone?

2023-07-13T08:53:31+00:00

Succhi

Roar Rookie


QLD broke early from the national anthem and were laughing and joking, looked like they had been out the night before. Great, Freddy won a game that didn’t mean much, NSW celebrating like they have won the series. Great crowd and an entertaining game - that was the highlight for me.

2023-07-13T07:02:17+00:00

Tetley

Roar Rookie


Cody was good, no doubt about it but I wonder how he would have gone in a grinding game 1 scenario. The play was definitely a lot looser last night, on both sides.

2023-07-13T07:00:55+00:00

Choppy Zezers

Roar Rookie


Billy, Cam, Daly and that mullet headed Wally Lewis medal winner should all "resign" from Queensland.

2023-07-13T06:58:14+00:00

Choppy Zezers

Roar Rookie


NOOOOOOOOOOOOO :thumbdown: :thumbdown: :thumbdown:

2023-07-13T05:44:29+00:00

Hoy

Roar Guru


The Collins call was challenged and examined by the TMO wasn't it? I could not figure out why they came up with Knock On.

2023-07-13T04:17:03+00:00

Noel

Roar Rookie


Whatever happens, one thing he will always need is his very own Tunza Tony Carroll taking care of him. Big fan of the kid.

2023-07-13T04:07:47+00:00

Rellum

Roar Guru


Off the top of my head, the Broncs and Dolphins are the best options for Walker. Melbourne would be good but the is no room in first grade for Walker. Dolphins are probably perfect for him.

2023-07-13T03:57:34+00:00

Noel

Roar Rookie


If nothing else mattered, where would you advise him to go, purely for development? Reynolds seems to be doing a great job with young Mam. I tend to think that Townsend's influence on Dearden is overstated, but Payten's may not be (I think the Broncos did him wrong more than NQ have done him right). Playing outside Cleary?

2023-07-13T03:36:28+00:00

Beast

Roar Rookie


Yea… I was waiting for the stoppage that didn’t come. How do they miss that?

2023-07-13T03:35:32+00:00

Beast

Roar Rookie


Agree. The 75,000 fans who turned up were not there to watch a dead rubber. There was plenty at stake in this game… and the best team won! That’s huge going into 2024.

2023-07-13T03:33:04+00:00

Beast

Roar Rookie


Rubbish. If QLD won 24-10 the narrative would be around NSW getting smashed. Fitler is 3 from 6. That 50% … not great, not terrible. I’m a NSW fan. I say Fitler stays for the long term… Throwing away 6 years of Origin experience including plenty of wins, some massive… is just dumb.

2023-07-13T03:25:57+00:00

Rellum

Roar Guru


Walker needs to get out of the Roosters. Would love him back at the Broncs to take over from Reynolds but he needs to go somewhere that will help his development. The Roosters is not the place for a young half

More Comments on The Roar

Read more at The Roar