New South Wales Blues vs Queensland Maroons – Wednesday night (14th July) at 7.50pm – Cbus Super Stadium (Gold Coast)
Blues
- James Tedesco (c)
- Brian To'o
- Latrell Mitchell
- Tom Trbojevic
- Josh Addo-Carr
- Jack Wighton
- Mitchell Moses
- Junior Paulo
- Damien Cook
- Dale Finucane
- Cameron Murray
- Tariq Sims
- Isaah Yeo
- Api Koroisau
- Angus Crichton
- Payne Haas
- Liam Martin
- Nicho Hynes
Coach - Brad Fittler
Maroons
- Kalyn Ponga
- Valentine Holmes
- Dane Gagai
- Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
- Xavier Coates
- Cameron Munster
- Daly Cherry-Evans (c)
- Christian Welch
- Ben Hunt
- Josh Papalii
- Kurt Capewell
- Felise Kaufusi
- Tino Fa'asuamaleaui
- AJ Brimson
- Francis Molo
- Moeaki Fotuaika
- Thomas Flegler
- Kurt Mann
Coach - Paul Green
Game preview
For game two I suggested QLD were lacking the cattle to contest the Origin series. That issue doesn't resolve itself in a fortnight. While the return of Ponga helps, QLD are confronting an opposition that has the equivalent of three Pongas lining up in their backline. All three have been in outstanding form and, as I see it, are in a three-way contest for the Wally Lewis medal. While QLD gains a Ponga we lose a Fifita at the judiciary and an Arrow at the house of stupid, so two of QLD's stud bulls are in the paddock (not the football paddock...the other one). While NSW have lost their extraordinary young halves (and let's be frank, we've been waiting a long time for NSW to have a great pair of halves), Moses and Wighton get an opportunity in a game with less on the line. It reduces the pressure on them...a little, and every little bit helps. My read on the short, sharp press conference by QLD coach Paul Green is that he's a man feeling the pressure - and who could blame him? There have been a lot of changes to Maroons personnel off the field, and the whole campaign has been somewhat cursed by injuries to some pretty important players. All that and they face a NSW outfit that includes twelve of the Kangaroos starting thirteen. Three games in QLD...for three losses. It's been hard, and it's been hard to watch. QLD has a bright future when it comes to Origin, but it's a few years away yet. Until then, we can appreciate the skills of this NSW side and their under-rated coach. They're a proper team.
Verdict – NSW 34 to QLD 16
First try scorer – Tom Trbojevic
Player of the match – Cameron Murray
Wally Lewis medallist – Tom Trbojevic
Comments
Submitted by tigerholic on
Evening Folks
Can't wait for game 3, do we know where the match is being played?
NSW 40- QLD 14
First Try Scorer-Cameron Murray
Play of the Match- James Tedesco
Wally Lewis Medal- Tom Trbojevic
Tiger
Submitted by MGM on
LOOK at that NSW line-up ! ... Only the Kangaroos team could challenge that, and not by much!
You almost have to feel sorry for the maroons ... Nah, not even almost !
The pendulum has swung since the Smith, Thurston, Cronk, Slater, Ingliss days of imbalance.
BRACE yourselves canetoads, the golfclubs are already swinging !
Shoe-in for Wally Lewis Medal has to be Tom Trbojevic.
First try scorer - Addo-Carr
Player of the match - Latrell Mitchell
NSW 30 - QLD 16
Submitted by MGM on
Oh,
there's one other series end award that I forgot to predict -
The Low Mongrel Bad Sport award : Cameron Munster !!!!
Submitted by The Thinker on
@MGM
I'm keen on Turbo to win the Wally Lewis medal, but if Latrell wins player of the match in game three he probably deserves to be player of the series too.
It's one of Tedesco, Turbo or Mitchell this year.
Submitted by Anonymous on
Verdict – NSW 19 QLD 16
First try scorer – X Coates
Player of the match – Turbo
Wally Lewis medallist – Trell
The Maroons will make a good fist of the.deadrubber in Newcastle... PRIDE is at stake. So, hang on to your seats!
Submitted by Dragons-fanboy on
Hi everyone, my state of origin 3 pick is:
NSW 30 - Try scorers: Tom Trbojevic, Mitchell, Moses, J. Paulo, To'o
Goals: Moses 5/5
Penalty Goals: Moses 0/1
Qld 10 - Try scorers: Munster, Coates
Goals: Holmes 1/2
Scores in minutes:
3rd minute - Moses penalty goal unsuccessful
9th minute - Tom Trbojevic try NSW 4-0 Qld
10th minute - Moses conversion NSW 6-0 Qld
15th minute - Mitchell try NSW 10-0 Qld
16th minute - Moses conversion NSW 12-0 Qld
29th minute - Moses try NSW 16-0 Qld
30th minute - Moses conversion NSW 18-0 Qld
Half-time NSW 18-0 Qld
42nd minute - Munster try NSW 18-4 Qld
43rd minute - Holmes conversion unsuccessful NSW 18-4 Qld
51st minute - J. Paulo try NSW 22-4 Qld
52nd minute - Moses conversion NSW 24-4 Qld
63rd minute Coates try NSW 24-8 Qld
64th minute Holmes conversion NSW 24-10 Qld
79th minute To'o try NSW 28-10 Qld
80th minute Moses conversion NSW 30-10 Qld
Man of the match - James Tedesco
Player of the series - Tom Trbojevic
First try-scorer - Tom Trbojevic
Awesome. Good luck with the origin everybody and UP THE BLUES!!! Let's clean sweep those Maroons in their home state! Cheers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Submitted by The Thinker on
Extraordinary detail Dragons-fanboy
If you are right, we should buy a lottery ticket together
Submitted by a on
Just a quick question non origin related but what do you think of Sam walker last play I thought it was disrespectful what did you guys think
Submitted by Mary S on
Hi 'a'
I have to say, I was stunned when Sam Walker took off down the other end, then I laughed. Not knowing the rules about this action, I waited to see if he would be penalised for his action. It just seemed odd.
In an article afterwards, it was mentioned that another player had done the same thing - couldn't find the article again to include here.
Some discussion in the following link on the subject
https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/07/13/why-sam-walkers-final-play-was-smart...
Cheers,
Mary
Submitted by Mary S on
Found the article (googled it), that mentioned the other player to run backwards.
https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/07/13/annesley-nrl-rivals-take-no-issue-wi...
Quote
"Walker wasn't the first to execute the bold strategy.
In 1998, Kiwi international Tony Iro ran backwards and across-field to wind down the clock and ensure his Adelaide Rams held on to beat St George.
"I think he outdid me. He ran twice as fast and twice as far," Iro said of Walker's effort.
"When you start on that little journey [running backwards] the time seems to take forever. When I did it Dean Lance was my coach and he called me into the room. I thought he was going to give me a bollocking but he gave me a bit of a rap.
"He said, 'We needed that, it was a smart thing to do'. All of my teammates were taking the piss but as long as the coach thought it was okay I didn't care."
Cheers,
Mary
Submitted by Dragons-fanboy on
Hahahaha thanks Mr. Thinker well I hope I get it right then. 😉
Cheers!!!!!!
Submitted by mark ashford on
Not even going to bother posting a score prediction for SoO 3 NSW has won the series this year and deservedly so. A whitewash is on the cards only about 21 years since you achieved that.
Submitted by Baggy_Gee on
The worst part of last nights game was Munster, he played the C. Smith role to a tee and was everywhere a grub was needed. That said Hunt had a blinder and was close to the best on ground with his kicking as well as those two tries.
Submitted by The Thinker on
@Baggy_Gee
I'd agree with you there. Munster clearly decided he was going to be a menace at every opportunity.
Cherry-Evans was mostly poor with his fifth tackle options, but I'll give a shout out to his defence in the last 15 minutes. He made some crucial tackles at times, often on opponents much bigger than him.
There was a one-on-one with Tariq Sims about ten out from the line that was an absolute ripper.
Submitted by Baggy_Gee on
There can be no argument about who earned the win, QLD out tackled, out efforted, and out played NSW well last night. Ben Hunts tackle on Mitchell was awesome and personified how the game was played.
Submitted by mark ashford on
OH my goodness, did QLD win? Stopped the white wash you blues thought you deserved. Love the attacks on Munster, of course you blues never field an aggressive player, you are always so clean and proper.