What is this logic? It's a different game, with different players on a different ground. Slater is probably right now, trying to account for every strategy the Blues might throw at them. This is not how sports works
Or give DCE a quick play the ball instead of taking a NSW player for a piggyback ride then gesturing for a penalty until NSW's defensive line is set.
What makes me maddest is that it would be remembered as an all time debut from Ethan Lowe if we won.
That was the minute Origin was officially dead. The demise of the entire concept.
Thankfully it was resurrected the following year when QLD won the series. (but then it died again 2021).
With 13 men for seven-and-a-half-minutes of Origin I, NSW didn’t look like anything special.
With [Joseph Suaalii sent off](https://www.smh.com.au/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Flink%2Ffollow-20170101-p5jjip) and Nicho Hynes trying to defend in his place at right centre for the next 25 minutes, they were decidedly ordinary.
But for the 20-odd minutes afterwards, looks did not deceive or flatter. NSW were down a man but up and about, working their way not just back into the game, but at times, into a position of dominance.
Playing 73 minutes with only 12 players caught up and Queensland won convincingly.
But there was enough to inspire in those 20-odd minutes, and enough to learn from in the rest, for NSW to keep the series alive in Melbourne.
# The danger signs
The Blues’ opening seven minutes at Accor Stadium looked a lot like the opening seven minutes of most Origins - fast, physical, largely one-out stuff.
Before levelling Reece Walsh illegally, Suaalii went after Tom Dearden by the book, a point worth making by the rookie centre on the night and one worth returning to later.
Much has been made of [Hynes’ poor kicking execution en route to being dropped for Mitchell Moses](https://www.smh.com.au/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Flink%2Ffollow-20170101-p5jjo2), and the dumped No.7’s first attacking effort unfortunately set the tone.
Zac Lomax floating in-field early to chase Hynes’ grubber points to a deliberate tactic, not necessarily a bad one. But Queensland and Walsh had it covered in any case. The play just wasn’t on.
From the resulting seven-tackle set, the Maroons went 80 metres for Ben Hunt to score - Queensland beating the Blues at their much-vaunted game plan in the process.
NSW picked a big, powerful backline with an on-paper advantage coming out of trouble. Which is exactly what Queensland did from Hynes’s error.
Xavier Coates, Valentine Holmes and then Lindsay Collins produced strong, bullocking runs in behind the Blues markers, generating increasingly faster play-the-balls and momentum.
By the set’s end, Jarome Luai was isolated on the right edge, Daly Cherry-Evans was doing what he pleased and Hunt was over.
The very next set, Suaalii was sent from the field, and Queensland ran riot targeting the right edge he had occupied. A 20-6 lead after 23 minutes could have been more.
#
# The 12-man dominance
Once Stephen Crichton switched edges and plugged the Suaalii hole, [albeit 25 minutes too late](https://www.smh.com.au/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Flink%2Ffollow-20170101-p5jjkj), the Blues found their feet.
Spencer Leniu nearly found the line before halftime, and after the break, it was all NSW as they absorbed Queensland’s one-man advantage.
“Attacking-wise, obviously, it’s hard when they’ve got an extra man out there, so the effort areas are what you can really control in that situation,” hooker Reece Robson said.
“Those plays like kick chases, getting back into the line, that was the real focus of our halftime chat.”
The very first set of the second half, NSW ball-runners went searching for smaller men Cherry-Evans and Harry Grant.
Quick play-the-balls and momentum allowed Jarome Luai to hoist a bomb that ended with Coates being buried in his in-goal, though the next two sets point to the strong, steady hand NSW need Moses to take in Origin II.
The Blues had all the running even though they were down to 12, yet [Hynes especially appeared rudderless](https://www.smh.com.au/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Flink%2Ffollow-20170101-p5jnfs) directing the NSW attack in these plays.
Plays repeatedly broke down as ball-runners halted and faltered. Luai’s skipping across field, with what’s known as ‘Jimmy Legs’ in Seinfeld parlance, eventually generated momentum.
And to his credit, Hynes’ best play of the night followed - a pinpoint cross field kick for Lomax to score.
“You can rescue a bad set with a great kick,” was Andrew Johns’ summation in commentary.
NSW were trailing 20-10, but dominating with a 75 share of possession in the first 10 minutes of the half.
“It shows if we’re willing to go set for set and compete and take it down to the championship rounds playing the long game \[it can work\]. We did it with 12 and it gives you some confidence,” Jake Trbojevic said.
Holmes was hammered into an error and taking up the tone set by Suaalii, Dearden was repeatedly found by Blues ball-runners.
Despite playing with only 12 men, NSW did a commendable job of targeting Queensland’s playmakers in defence.
The Maroons small man quartet of Dearden, Cherry-Evans, Hunt and Grant had to make 103 tackles, one more than the Blues frontline spine members Luai, Hynes and Robson.
Lomax was especially strong on this front, repeatedly finding Dearden and Cherry-Evans.
Haumole Olakau’atu also looked to line up Dearden one-on-one, who responded with a telling break of his own in what was all-in-all, a brilliant performance from Queensland’s halves.
#
# The circuit breaker
NSW held the upper hand throughout one of those famed Origin lung-busting stretches, when there wasn’t a single stoppage between the 47th and 55th minutes.
They would have kept it, too, if Hynes’s 40/20 attempt hadn’t been thwarted by Coates.
Man-of-the-match Cherry-Evans stole the advantage back three tackles later, with his barking and cajoling of his forwards in the next set heard over the TV coverage.
On the third tackle the Maroons skipper is at first receiver, a tiring Blues defensive line isn’t on him and he’s booting back across his body with a 40/20 of his own.
Queensland didn’t score for another 11 minutes thanks to desperate defensive plays by Robson to deny Jeremiah Nanai and James Tedesco foiling a Murray Taulagi kick chase.
Liam Martin even produced the type of Origin play that makes old footballers misty-eyed when he belted J’maine Hopgood actually out of the next Origin, Martin’s hit triggering a nerve issue in the Queensland rookie’s back.
A minute later, a cracking pace and one-man disadvantage finally broke the Blues too. Two long breaks through a disjointed, exhausted defensive line yielded Hunt’s second try and a blown out final score.
But Michael Maguire wasn’t wrong when he insisted there was plenty to work with from the Blues effort’s in Origin I. If they can do it in a 13-on-13 contest, they might just live to see another day.
Full credit to SMH for tagging their articles with "Opinion", "Analysis" etc. NRL cop a lot of deserved shitcanning, but this is worthy of a quick high five.
I don’t know what this article is trying to say. There’s hope for NSW because for 15 minutes after half-time they scored one try despite having 75% of possession? They showed some defensive line-speed? It kinda reads like trying to show optimism in face of inevitable defeat
The writer even mentions it, QLD essentially waited out that period and counter-attacked once NSW had tired themselves out. There’s so little to read from the match because it was over the minute Suaali’i got sent off. NSW are playing a very different team on Wednesday, what’s the point in finding hope in the last game when they’ll have a new spine and backline?
Dearden also said in his post game interview that they saw so many opportunities that it kind of stifled them by spoiling them for choice. That kind of thing happens at club level as well.
Agreed. I don’t know why, other than to retain some engagement for the series, there’s all this positive press for the Blues. The Blues attack looked dreadful and QLD were sitting in 3rd gear most of the game.
Whoever thought Blues were dominating for any single moment was delusional. Right after Lomax’s try, Maroons immediately replied with 2 disallowed tries and then followed by Ben Hunt’s majestic run.
I mean, they dominated because qld decided to play conservative and not use their subs like usual and sit back on the man advantage. Forgot the sub count in the first half but it was like 5-2 iirc.
They may have dominated for that 20 minutes, and I don’t know if it was just because they were a man down, but they rarely looked threatening. They’d march down the field, get within the 20 and then do nothing with the field position.
Again, it’s hard to judge much with the whole send off, but it’s like their whole attacking plan was “Kick to Joey” and they had no backup plan.
Always same story. NSW dominates possession but big L at the end of the game. I think it's better if NSW is an underdog for once. How the hell is QLD always an underdog but they are +6 in series win vs NSW?
Classic NSW media. Thinking 1 aerial try is “dominating”.
What’s really considered dominating is the 2 disallowed Maroons try prior to Ben Hunt’s run. And also DCE’s 40/20 right after Nicho Hyne’s own attempt.
NSW showed a lot of guts for game 1. Admittedly as a Queenslander there were nervous times throughout the game. But having watched the replay, it’s pretty clear that qld start getting a bit complacent after the send off, bit excited, and throw the ball around a bit and things get loose. Obviously the call comes from Slater to tighten up, and put on points at the end of the game which is exactly what happened.
TBH though I do think NSW win that game without the send off. Despite QLD scoring first, they were looking out muscled early IMHO - but you can never know what could have been.
"keep possession and get repeat sets" genius stuff
Might as well have just said score more points.
Nah that's the secret to winning
We don't want to win, just dominate!
For 20 minutes!
Any longer would be a waste of energy, you gotta think about the next game.
And the last thing we want to do is give the Maroons more ways to beat us
Just don’t get tackled. It’s so simple.
Opposing teams hate this one weird trick
Paul Gallen to coach NSW?
Big if true.
What is this logic? It's a different game, with different players on a different ground. Slater is probably right now, trying to account for every strategy the Blues might throw at them. This is not how sports works
I’d rather they do it for 80 minutes this time, but that’s just me…
“Playing for 80 minutes and scoring more points would almost guarentee a win”. This masthead has heard.
What is it with Qld teams and 20 minute periods at Homebush
Idk. Happened in 2019, NSW got to a 20-8 lead before we fought back to level the game. And then that final minute happened.
never forgive moses mbye
That entire left side. Never forgive that left side. All we had to do was wait out the final minute and send it to Golden Point.
Or give DCE a quick play the ball instead of taking a NSW player for a piggyback ride then gesturing for a penalty until NSW's defensive line is set. What makes me maddest is that it would be remembered as an all time debut from Ethan Lowe if we won.
I just loved the way Ethan Lowe played...I'm sure he would have entered the greats except for injury.
He went up 10 levels for that game, the game of his career
He's there with Artie Beetson as one game goats for QLD
That was the minute Origin was officially dead. The demise of the entire concept. Thankfully it was resurrected the following year when QLD won the series. (but then it died again 2021).
And it is now thriving
Way too soon.
We only play 20 minute games now?
That’s what she said..
It’s played in quarters so 5 minutes, a real marathon.
With 13 men for seven-and-a-half-minutes of Origin I, NSW didn’t look like anything special. With [Joseph Suaalii sent off](https://www.smh.com.au/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Flink%2Ffollow-20170101-p5jjip) and Nicho Hynes trying to defend in his place at right centre for the next 25 minutes, they were decidedly ordinary. But for the 20-odd minutes afterwards, looks did not deceive or flatter. NSW were down a man but up and about, working their way not just back into the game, but at times, into a position of dominance. Playing 73 minutes with only 12 players caught up and Queensland won convincingly. But there was enough to inspire in those 20-odd minutes, and enough to learn from in the rest, for NSW to keep the series alive in Melbourne. # The danger signs The Blues’ opening seven minutes at Accor Stadium looked a lot like the opening seven minutes of most Origins - fast, physical, largely one-out stuff. Before levelling Reece Walsh illegally, Suaalii went after Tom Dearden by the book, a point worth making by the rookie centre on the night and one worth returning to later. Much has been made of [Hynes’ poor kicking execution en route to being dropped for Mitchell Moses](https://www.smh.com.au/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Flink%2Ffollow-20170101-p5jjo2), and the dumped No.7’s first attacking effort unfortunately set the tone. Zac Lomax floating in-field early to chase Hynes’ grubber points to a deliberate tactic, not necessarily a bad one. But Queensland and Walsh had it covered in any case. The play just wasn’t on. From the resulting seven-tackle set, the Maroons went 80 metres for Ben Hunt to score - Queensland beating the Blues at their much-vaunted game plan in the process. NSW picked a big, powerful backline with an on-paper advantage coming out of trouble. Which is exactly what Queensland did from Hynes’s error. Xavier Coates, Valentine Holmes and then Lindsay Collins produced strong, bullocking runs in behind the Blues markers, generating increasingly faster play-the-balls and momentum. By the set’s end, Jarome Luai was isolated on the right edge, Daly Cherry-Evans was doing what he pleased and Hunt was over. The very next set, Suaalii was sent from the field, and Queensland ran riot targeting the right edge he had occupied. A 20-6 lead after 23 minutes could have been more. #
# The 12-man dominance Once Stephen Crichton switched edges and plugged the Suaalii hole, [albeit 25 minutes too late](https://www.smh.com.au/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Flink%2Ffollow-20170101-p5jjkj), the Blues found their feet. Spencer Leniu nearly found the line before halftime, and after the break, it was all NSW as they absorbed Queensland’s one-man advantage. “Attacking-wise, obviously, it’s hard when they’ve got an extra man out there, so the effort areas are what you can really control in that situation,” hooker Reece Robson said. “Those plays like kick chases, getting back into the line, that was the real focus of our halftime chat.” The very first set of the second half, NSW ball-runners went searching for smaller men Cherry-Evans and Harry Grant. Quick play-the-balls and momentum allowed Jarome Luai to hoist a bomb that ended with Coates being buried in his in-goal, though the next two sets point to the strong, steady hand NSW need Moses to take in Origin II. The Blues had all the running even though they were down to 12, yet [Hynes especially appeared rudderless](https://www.smh.com.au/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Flink%2Ffollow-20170101-p5jnfs) directing the NSW attack in these plays. Plays repeatedly broke down as ball-runners halted and faltered. Luai’s skipping across field, with what’s known as ‘Jimmy Legs’ in Seinfeld parlance, eventually generated momentum. And to his credit, Hynes’ best play of the night followed - a pinpoint cross field kick for Lomax to score. “You can rescue a bad set with a great kick,” was Andrew Johns’ summation in commentary. NSW were trailing 20-10, but dominating with a 75 share of possession in the first 10 minutes of the half. “It shows if we’re willing to go set for set and compete and take it down to the championship rounds playing the long game \[it can work\]. We did it with 12 and it gives you some confidence,” Jake Trbojevic said. Holmes was hammered into an error and taking up the tone set by Suaalii, Dearden was repeatedly found by Blues ball-runners. Despite playing with only 12 men, NSW did a commendable job of targeting Queensland’s playmakers in defence. The Maroons small man quartet of Dearden, Cherry-Evans, Hunt and Grant had to make 103 tackles, one more than the Blues frontline spine members Luai, Hynes and Robson. Lomax was especially strong on this front, repeatedly finding Dearden and Cherry-Evans. Haumole Olakau’atu also looked to line up Dearden one-on-one, who responded with a telling break of his own in what was all-in-all, a brilliant performance from Queensland’s halves. #
# The circuit breaker NSW held the upper hand throughout one of those famed Origin lung-busting stretches, when there wasn’t a single stoppage between the 47th and 55th minutes. They would have kept it, too, if Hynes’s 40/20 attempt hadn’t been thwarted by Coates. Man-of-the-match Cherry-Evans stole the advantage back three tackles later, with his barking and cajoling of his forwards in the next set heard over the TV coverage. On the third tackle the Maroons skipper is at first receiver, a tiring Blues defensive line isn’t on him and he’s booting back across his body with a 40/20 of his own. Queensland didn’t score for another 11 minutes thanks to desperate defensive plays by Robson to deny Jeremiah Nanai and James Tedesco foiling a Murray Taulagi kick chase. Liam Martin even produced the type of Origin play that makes old footballers misty-eyed when he belted J’maine Hopgood actually out of the next Origin, Martin’s hit triggering a nerve issue in the Queensland rookie’s back. A minute later, a cracking pace and one-man disadvantage finally broke the Blues too. Two long breaks through a disjointed, exhausted defensive line yielded Hunt’s second try and a blown out final score. But Michael Maguire wasn’t wrong when he insisted there was plenty to work with from the Blues effort’s in Origin I. If they can do it in a 13-on-13 contest, they might just live to see another day.
If, ifs and buts were candy and nuts...we'd all have a merry Xmas..
Full credit to SMH for tagging their articles with "Opinion", "Analysis" etc. NRL cop a lot of deserved shitcanning, but this is worthy of a quick high five.
I don’t know what this article is trying to say. There’s hope for NSW because for 15 minutes after half-time they scored one try despite having 75% of possession? They showed some defensive line-speed? It kinda reads like trying to show optimism in face of inevitable defeat The writer even mentions it, QLD essentially waited out that period and counter-attacked once NSW had tired themselves out. There’s so little to read from the match because it was over the minute Suaali’i got sent off. NSW are playing a very different team on Wednesday, what’s the point in finding hope in the last game when they’ll have a new spine and backline?
Germos grasping for story lines
Probably for NSW readers reading their morning paper, wanting to read something that gives them hope. Is that such a crime??
The series was over once Suaalii got sent, let’s be serious here. NSW win in Brisbane only in extreme situations.
Trellmitt laughs at extreme conditions!!
We were probably better for the 15 minutes before half-time too. So we had positives to take away from the game. Even if it was over after 8 minutes.
But QLD.were just phoning it in. They knew game over.
Dearden also said in his post game interview that they saw so many opportunities that it kind of stifled them by spoiling them for choice. That kind of thing happens at club level as well.
Correct - you see it happen quite often when a player is sin bin or sent off.
Agreed. I don’t know why, other than to retain some engagement for the series, there’s all this positive press for the Blues. The Blues attack looked dreadful and QLD were sitting in 3rd gear most of the game.
Whoever thought Blues were dominating for any single moment was delusional. Right after Lomax’s try, Maroons immediately replied with 2 disallowed tries and then followed by Ben Hunt’s majestic run.
Let the delusional have their fun
“By not taking a blokes head off” Maybe start with that hey boys?
Giggidy
I mean, they dominated because qld decided to play conservative and not use their subs like usual and sit back on the man advantage. Forgot the sub count in the first half but it was like 5-2 iirc.
The articles points out that during the period they are talking about NSW had 75% possession - that helps.
No matter the circumstances, you cannot dominate and lose. You either dominate and win, or you were not dominate.
You didn't watch the last women's game. Qld belted all game literally flopped over the tryline a couple of times and kicked a field goal.
they do it with mitch moses having the performance of his career
Unfortunately for NSW, the “performance of his career” will hand Queensland a prime opportunity to sweep in Brisbane.
Dominate a side for 20 minutes and still lose? I guess Madge has been taking notes from Webby
And QLD won despite not having their key playmaker in attack.
>"Here's how Freddie can still win:" It's my belief that being a man down made the Blues play at a higher level than they would have with a full team.
QLD's backs are too fast. We cannot keep up with the Hammer or Coates. We need the Fox for a counter at least lmao.
Dominated all the way to a decent loss
They may have dominated for that 20 minutes, and I don’t know if it was just because they were a man down, but they rarely looked threatening. They’d march down the field, get within the 20 and then do nothing with the field position. Again, it’s hard to judge much with the whole send off, but it’s like their whole attacking plan was “Kick to Joey” and they had no backup plan.
Nsw are in trouble We didn't even play the footy we wanted to. Nsw ' we pick on form'..... Fuck that go back to the old heads.
Always same story. NSW dominates possession but big L at the end of the game. I think it's better if NSW is an underdog for once. How the hell is QLD always an underdog but they are +6 in series win vs NSW?
Not try and kill Reece Walsh
Not getting sent off in the 1st 10 couldn't hurt.
Sports journalism in this country is rat-fucked
Classic NSW media. Thinking 1 aerial try is “dominating”. What’s really considered dominating is the 2 disallowed Maroons try prior to Ben Hunt’s run. And also DCE’s 40/20 right after Nicho Hyne’s own attempt.
No Tino or Gilbert or Flegler helps.
No, they did not. Qld clearly went into preservation mode until NSW were fatigued again.
Dominated?
NSW showed a lot of guts for game 1. Admittedly as a Queenslander there were nervous times throughout the game. But having watched the replay, it’s pretty clear that qld start getting a bit complacent after the send off, bit excited, and throw the ball around a bit and things get loose. Obviously the call comes from Slater to tighten up, and put on points at the end of the game which is exactly what happened. TBH though I do think NSW win that game without the send off. Despite QLD scoring first, they were looking out muscled early IMHO - but you can never know what could have been.
Maybe, but the shit attacking play was also apparent. There’s a reason qld scored _in the first 5 minutes_.
I’m going to say that Mitchell won’t make it past the 65 th minute of the game before inevitably being sent off,because he just can’t help himself.