Game details
Date: Wednesday 8th June 2022
Time: 8.10pm kick-off
Venue: Accor Stadium, Sydney
Tickets: still available from Ticketek because NSW doesn't care
Team list - New South Wales Blues
- James Tedesco (c) Sydney Roosters
- Brian To'o (Penrith Panthers)
- Kotoni Staggs (Brisbane Broncos)
- Jack Wighton (Canberra Raiders)
- Daniel Tupou (Sydney Roosters)
- Jerome Luai (Penrith Panthers)
- Nathan Cleary (Penrith Panthers)
- Payne Haas (Brisbane Broncos)
- Damien Cook (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
- Junior Paulo (Parramatta Eels)
- Cameron Murray (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
- Tariq Sims (St George Illawarra Dragons)
- Isaah Yeo (Penrith Panthers)
- Stephen Crichton (Penrith Panthers)
- Liam Martin (Penrith Panthers)
- Regan Campbell-Gillard (Parramatta Eels)
- Ryan Matterson (Parramatta Eels)
Team list - Queensland Maroons
- Kalyn Ponga (Newcastle Knights)
- Selwyn Cobbo (Brisbane Broncos)
- Valentine Holmes (North Queensland Cowboys)
- Dane Gagai (Newcastle Knights)
- Xavier Coates (Melbourne Storm)
- Cameron Munster (Melbourne Storm)
- Daly Cherry-Evans (c) (Manly Sea Eagles)
- Tino Fa'asuamaleaui (Gold Coast Titans)
- Ben Hunt (St George Illawarra)
- Josh Papalii (Canberra Raiders)
- Kurt Capewell (Brisbane Broncos)
- Felise Kaufusi (Melbourne Storm)
- Reuben Cotter (North Queensland Cowboys)
- Harry Grant (Melbourne Storm)
- Lindsay Collins (Sydney Roosters)
- Patrick Carrigan (Brisbane Broncos)
- Jeremiah Nanai (North Queensland Cowboys)
Game preview
It's game one of the 2022 Origin Series, and a new Queensland coach will be hoping to put a stop to what has become a period of NSW dominance. It's no great surprise that this period has coincided with a downside in the fortunes of the Queensland-based NRL teams. With both the Cowboys and Broncos performing well, that is beginning to change. Ten of the QLD seventeen play in NRL teams in the top four, so we have a group of players in form teams that know how to win. Mind you, the NSW seventeen includes six players from Penrith, and that's the best form we have. The combinations of Yeo, Cleary and Luai are a large part of their success. If they can replicate that at Origin level, they'll be nigh on impossible to beat. That said, Origin is next level, so all three will need to be on song. There is some talk that NSW will 'spring' a late team change, bringing another Panther into the starting thirteen (Crichton to replace Wighton). This gives the Blues another Panthers connection in the backline, and perhaps some additional assistance on that edge from any aerial assaults by the Queensland attack. It doesn't bring me any joy to say this, but I'm leaning to the Blues in game one. They have an enormous pack of forwards and a home crowd to lift them. Combine that with what is likely to be an astute kicking game from Cleary and a Panther-ish backline and I expect they can get the job done. And they need to of course, with the last two games of the series played outside of Sydney. The brains trust for Queensland has plenty of fresh faces, with Slater in his coaching debut and a collection of his former Queensland team-mates (Smith, Thurston, Inglis and more) in his corner. It's a group that understands Origin, it's a group that knows how to win, and it's a group of some of the most competitive footballers you're ever likely to come across. It's a steep learning curve and they'll learn a lot on Wednesday night. I think they can win the series from 1-0 down. Fingers crossed.
Verdict - NSW 25 QLD 12
Player of the match - Nathan Cleary
Comments
Submitted by The Thinker on
Feel free to share your thoughts on the squads etc in the comments.
Submitted by Buzz105 on
I do like the Qld team, a little surprised that Hunt is starting at 9, but he has been in great form this year and Grant will be dangerous coming on when the forwards are tiring
I don't care about the blues squad, they're all scum :)
Submitted by The Thinker on
Hunt is a polarising figure (mostly because of a dropped ball in the 2015 grand final), but he's (I believe) on top of the Dally M Leaderboard right now, playing in a team outside the top eight.
Grant is also carrying an injury, so the number nine role in an Origin match would be quite a test. I too like the idea of injecting him off the bench.
Submitted by Christine on
QLD all the way ...
Submitted by tigerholic on
Buzz, Buzz, Buzz, come on mate calling the NSW Blues all scum is hurtful.
I can see that you are happy with the selected QLD team but I sense a level of nervousness and trepidation (look that up if unsure) when you cast your biased eye over the Might Blues.
SOS sees the best 34 players from each state go head to head, there is always a surprise or a Billy Slater moment that leaves us in awe.
Looking forward to the banter around SOS.
Tiger
Submitted by Rocket Ryan on
Tigerholic i sense a decade of domination (look that up if unsure)
Queensland look good
Submitted by Christine on
I sence a bit of ego there , may the better team win ...
Submitted by The Thinker on
A bit of controversy around leaving out Josh Addo-Carr, and understandably so.
That said, I note the two Qld wingers (Coates and Cobbo) are both absolute guns under the high ball.
I suspect Fittler was worried about having To'o and Addo-Carr trying to compete with them.
Cobbo - 190cm
Coates - 194cm
To'o - 182cm (apparently)
Addo-Carr - 183cm (apparently)
Tupou is 196cm (definitely) and one of the safest pairs of hands under the high ball in the game.
Submitted by Buzz105 on
Hi Tigerholic,
I'm just stirring : )
in all honesty it should be a great series this year. Both States seem to have plenty of depth to choose from this year.
Your right always a bit of nervousness and trepidation about the NSW when its announced, their squad always looks strong on paper : )
Submitted by MGM on
During the Dogs v Dragons match last Sunday Addo-Carr came rushing out of the defensive line inside his own 20(or 10) only to miss the tackle on TWO occasions and was directly responsible for the resulting TWO tries against his team (and they lost by 10 points).
I remember thinking at the time that such poor, irresponsible defense like that wouldn't be lost on Freddy.
If the Dragons outside edge can make him look like an amateur , imagine what the Maroons would do to him.
Just can't have him costing the Blues a win like he did to his poor old Bulldogs.
Submitted by MGM on
Hey Tigerholic,
what the heck is SOS ?
That's soo confusing!
:-)
Submitted by Rocket Ryan on
It's the international distress signal and the Blues supporters commonly known as cockroaches will be in much distress and most likely sending out a lot of SOS
Submitted by tigerholic on
MGM
State of Origin Series, maybe the Intellect Rocket Ryan can advise you on what some of these terms stand for.
Cheers
Submitted by mark ashford on
Tiger
I like how you tried to get out of that gaff mate but it's just game 1 on Wednesday not the entire series!!
I agree with the Thinker, the Penrith boys in SoO 1 worry me but I'll stick my neck out and say (in a close game) QLD 12 NSW 10.
Submitted by The Tide Head on
State versus state + mate verses mate
Verdict - NSW 12 QLD 23
First try scorer - Selwyn Cobbo
BOG - Cameron Munster
Submitted by MGM on
Not you too Tide Head , have you been hanging out with Tiger?
Took me a minute but I guess you're changing "Man of the Match" to "Best on Ground" .... Sounds like a term borrowed from Scrappyball(AFL)!
I can understand amending it to the more politically correct "Player of the Match" , but this weathered old man is growing weary of the current trend of changing things that don't need changing .... IMHO
Submitted by The Tide Head on
Hey MGM - NOPE... Not with Tiger. I've played both codes. So, lost in translation. Anyway, The Bunker will probably decide who wins tonight ;)
Submitted by Mary S on
Hi Tidehead,
That looks like a very reasonable score/result for tonight's SoO.
Cheers (will be sending out plenty for Maroon tonight),
Mary
Submitted by The Tide Head on
MaryS - my tipping has been woeful lately. So, you might be better off drinking plenty of maroon (red wine) tonight!;)
Submitted by MGM on
I agree with the majority here that tonight will be a close contest and a great game of football.
But I seem to be in the minority in predicting a NSW victory ... come on you Blues supporters , lend your voices to the banter here!
I think N.Cleary's kicking game and the familiarity with so many fellow Panthers will prove the difference at least for the first match (a lot of new combos in the Maroons that will take more than a few training sessions to gel).
GO THE BLUES !
Submitted by MGM on
Heya Rocket,
"international distress signal" - very funny!
Have you been to Specsavers yet?... things are starting to change a bit for Gummy!
Submitted by Rocket Ryan on
Gummy is a special and if you listen very carefully shortly tiger will send out an SOS
Submitted by Steel Panther on
I see normal transmission resumed last ngt. NSW favourites & QLD win. If I had a dollar for every time that's happened over the years, I'd be a rich man...
Submitted by mark ashford on
It was Maroons of old last night. Well done to Billy the kid and all the boys. Just hope there are not too many injuries to either team.
Submitted by The Thinker on
@Steel Panther
Someone didn't get the memo, and put $100,000 on the Blues to win last night. I hope it wasn't anyone here.
Submitted by Steel Panther on
Thinker,
It may have been the Voyeur??
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