Roar Guru
Joined June 2014
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There has certainly been no lack of drama in the league world since the final siren sounded on the last day of September.
It’s been a week since Game 3 of Origin and with pretty much any discussion on the game revolving around post-match drama I figured I’d take the opportunity to remind everyone that a game did in fact take place prior to the awards ceremony.
I’ve been putting this article off for a while now. It has been sitting in my hard drive under various iterations since the Game 1 State of Origin loss for Queensland.
After the retirements of Queensland stalwarts Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk, the state’s first Origin team for 2018 was always going to have a different flavour to it.
Well here we are, nine rounds in and already the football is starting to distract from the true purpose of the early season – providing context to present fans their preferred NSW Blues line-up for Game 1 of State of Origin.
If you’ve been following this series you’ll already be aware which teams have made my all important top five, but now it’s time to place them in order and list arbitrary reasons for doing so!!
Well here we are. With part 1 and part 2 covering teams 9 through 16, it’s time jump into the top eight.
With the bottom five teams established in part one of this series, we find ourselves about to delve into the meat of the season.
‘Tis the season to dress up complete guesswork as research and statistical analysis.
Watching the eighth-placed Cowboys knock out both the fifth-placed Sharks and the fourth-placed Eels in succession got me thinking.
Referee-bashing, it’s existed since the dawn of sport. Yet here we are at the business end of the season and it’s all anyone can talk about.
It’s that time of year again. Queensland have walked away with yet another State of Origin victory and every man and his dog is laying into New South Wales over various perceptions as to why and how they lost.
What just happened? The dynasty was over, Queensland had been weighed, measured and found wanting.
Ease up mate, it’s not like it’s one of the biggest games of the year or anything…
Chambers’ State of Origin penalty try a debacle
Maybe they didn’t know about nines clock. The timer on the TV screen is purely there for the audience, it’s not the official time piece. All that happened was some intern or something forgot to pause it for penalties and scrums during the first half. Didn’t have anything to do with the kickoff.
Chambers’ State of Origin penalty try a debacle
It was just the channel nine clock that didn’t get stopped during timeouts. Scott had to refer to the nrl. com blog for the time during the call so I doubt the official time was wrong.
Chambers’ State of Origin penalty try a debacle
To be fair Nat, Wallace has had 6 cracks at Origin and he’s only made more then 54m twice (and in both of those NSW was beaten across the park and he still didn’t crack 100m) with a low of 22m in a game. Origin performance has always been the priority over NRL performance for QLD and by that bench mark he falls well short.
Queensland Maroons player ratings: Origin 2
Yeah, I know qld has a history of average players standing up, but Wallace has had multiple opportunities and has yet to show anything for it. But like half the team at the moment, they’re not exactly first choice picks.
Really not sure what the game plan was with the forwards though, Wallace and Glasby on together was never going to be threatening and it didn’t seem like the starters had clear instructions about what to do.
Queensland Maroons player ratings: Origin 2
Exactly, if the possibility of a player fumbling the ball is included in considerations then the rule is entirely redundant as there’s no possible circumstance where one could be awarded.
Chambers’ State of Origin penalty try a debacle
I thought the same after game 1, but the more I see hunt at 9 the more in favour of throwing a rookie like Turpin I to the ring I get…
Queensland Maroons player ratings: Origin 2
If they weren’t the only points QLD got all night I might agree with you. But being a man down isn’t the death knell it used to be. Latrell was binned last game and NSW came within an intercept of coming out on top in that 10 minutes.
Chambers’ State of Origin penalty try a debacle
Did you miss the packed out Suncorp for a dead rubber last year? Oh, sorry, who am I kidding, that claim wasn’t based on anything legitimate…
Five talking points from State of Origin Game 2
Bring in Turpin, he might have only played firstgrade seven more times then I’ve been to the Moon but he’s miles ahead of Hunt as a hooker
Five talking points from State of Origin Game 2
Yeah, when you’ve got guys like Pearce letting slip that the team’s really been working on their escorts (among other “basics”) in a post match interview you know things have changed
Chambers’ State of Origin penalty try a debacle
I think it’s more a case that a single play can only have one ruling. eg, if two players do something illegal in a single tackle midfield the attacking team isn’t given two penalties. Maybe they need to bring in the MRC into proffesional fouls and put players on report for it, like they do for high shots. The attackers still get the penalty and the player doesn’t get off scott free
Chambers’ State of Origin penalty try a debacle
Arrow and Joe O were both really missed, but that probably says a lot about their replacements. Wallace and Glasby just don’t offer much when not playing a supporting role to more dominant props, and certainly not when on the field together.
Queensland Maroons player ratings: Origin 2
Not sure the guy getting the ball before the forwards gets to use a beaten pack as an excuse, and given he’s there to direct the forwards around I don’t see how that would play into his favour anyway. He can’t blame the weather for his service, you’re always going to be slow if you stand up and look around before passing it, and it’s not like his service was anywhere near crisp in a dry game one either.
You say that there’s no one going better, but if any actual hooker played like that for QLD they’d get absolutely panned. Hell, McCulough got dropped for better preformances then Hunt gets praised for.
Queensland Maroons player ratings: Origin 2
He’s never been that kind of prop though, he’s there for his impact not to be a metre eater. He provided impact and intensity in game one, the diffreent was that Joe O and Arrow were there to provide the metres and workrate. At any rate, there’s not much any type of player can provide when they don’t make it back on the field. Playing a prop with a broken wrist didn’t work out so well.
Queensland Maroons player ratings: Origin 2
“absolute certainty” was never in the rulebook, it was just thrown around by commentators disagreeing with calls for long enough that people started believing it was.
Chambers’ State of Origin penalty try a debacle
He did alright in game 1, apparently playing with a broken wrist isn’t a great idea though…
Queensland Maroons player ratings: Origin 2
If he’s denied the opportunity to get to the ball he’s also denied the opportunity to stuff it up. The only thing in question is whether the try was on or not and if he was deliberately impeded, which is a resounding yes on both counts
It’s not exactly surprising that penalty trys and professional fouls are on the rise when so much of modern tactics involve contesting opportunities rather then the ball.
Chambers’ State of Origin penalty try a debacle
What are you on about mate? Foxsports has Hunt as QLD’s best and Oates as one of the worst! !
In all seriousness though, its hard to be critical of the halves, they were just never given a platform to work with. Hell, the forwards weren’t even given a platform to work with.
The worst part is that I honestly couldn’t tell you what the game plan was outside of one out hitups. What score do you give Kevvie?
Queensland Maroons player ratings: Origin 2
It only looked empty cos the lights were out
NSW Blues dominate Queensland in Game 2 to force State of Origin decider
From what I gather their domestic comp has been on hold for a year or so due to a breakdown between players and the administration (according to the players) or just simply time taken for clubs to become compliant to new regulations and standards imposed to improve their competition (according to the administration). Doesn’t seem to be enough information available to support either side at the moment, but we’re certainly only being presented with the players side of the story.
Lebanon players threaten Test boycott
Yeah, there’s a few specific individuals that I never get notifications for
Did Gus Gould play a hand in Latrell Mitchell's Origin 2 omission?
No one’s luck is that bad surely
Hey Freddy, NSW only lost Game 1 by four points. Wholesale team changes weren't needed
Isn’t Mary a Parra fan?
Hey Freddy, NSW only lost Game 1 by four points. Wholesale team changes weren't needed
Omg, I’ve lived up here this whole time and I never even noticed it died! What a sad state of affairs indeed…
Nice work Freddy, now bring on Game 3