State of Origin - game two

Game details

Date:: Saturday 26th June 2022

Time: 5.50pm kick-off

Venue: Optus Stadium, Perth

Tickets: still available from Ticketmaster

Predicted Team list - New South Wales Blues*

  1. James Tedesco (c) Sydney Roosters
  2. Brian To'o (Penrith Panthers)
  3. Stephen Crichton (Penrith Panthers)
  4. Matt Burton (Canterbury Bulldogs)
  5. Daniel Tupou (Sydney Roosters)
  6. Jerome Luai (Penrith Panthers)
  7. Nathan Cleary (Penrith Panthers)
  8. Payne Haas (Brisbane Broncos)
  9. Api Koroisau (Penrith Panthers)
  10. Jake Trbojevic (Manly Sea Eagles)
  11. Cameron Murray (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
  12. Liam Martin (Penrith Panthers)
  13. Isaah Yeo (Penrith Panthers)
  14. Damien Cook (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
  15. Junior Paulo (Parramatta Eels)
  16. Siosifa Talakai (Cronulla Sharks)
  17. Angus Crichton (Sydney Roosters)

Team list - Queensland Maroons*

  1. Kalyn Ponga (Newcastle Knights)
  2. Selwyn Cobbo (Brisbane Broncos)
  3. Valentine Holmes (North Queensland Cowboys)
  4. Dane Gagai (Newcastle Knights)
  5. Murray Taulagi (North Queensland Cowboys)
  6. Cameron Munster (Melbourne Storm)
  7. Daly Cherry-Evans (c) (Manly Sea Eagles)
  8. Josh Papalii (Canberra Raiders)
  9. Ben Hunt (St George Illawarra)
  10. Lindsay Collins (Sydney Roosters)
  11. Kurt Capewell (Brisbane Broncos)
  12. Felise Kaufusi (Melbourne Storm)
  13. Tino Fa'asuamaleau (Gold Coast Titans)
  14. Harry Grant (Melbourne Storm)
  15. Jai Arrow (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
  16. Patrick Carrigan (Brisbane Broncos)
  17. Jeremiah Nanai (North Queensland Cowboys)

     

Game preview

Queensland impressed in game one in Sydney, on the back of some next-level performances from a few of their experienced crew (Munster and Holmes in particular), some extraordinary debuts from the 3Cs (Cotter, Carrigan and Cobbo) and an impressive coaching debut at Origin or any other level from Billy Slater. Queensland won the ruck but they weren't doing it all night ref - instead the Queenslanders selectively slowed the ruck down during key moments in the game. It was smart football, and our more intelligent (and generally superior in every way) friends from New South Wales were caught by surprise. Never underestimate the intellect of a person with two heads. NSW coach Brad Fittler was quick to point it out after the game, and fair enough too. He'll want the referee (and it's the same referee) to take more notice of such things in game two, and he wants his team to believe that, if not for the advantage QLD gained in the ruck, NSW would have won the game. Is he right? Perhaps. He may want his team to believe in themselves, but it didn't stop him making mass changes for the clash in Perth. Only one of those changes (Jack Wighton) was forced upon him. Fittler has effectively named Penrith for this. About the only Panthers he didn't bring in were their Kiwi and Polynesian forwards and Edwards at fullback, but he was never going to replace his captain (who, to his credit, tried everything to drag NSW back into the contest in game one). It's not silly, given what Penrith are doing at NRL level, and he will now have Koroisau, Cleary, Luai and Yeo all working together in attack. That can work. It's been working for years at club level. As for Queensland, their only changes were forced upon them, but Queensland have always tried to pick and stick (while NSW drops players faster than a dodgy Tinder date). Arrow comes in for the injured Cotter and Taulagi debuts on a wing (replacing the injured Coates). That Taulagi and Holmes combine at the Cowboys (and have been in red hot form) is a massive tick in my books. Notably, Koroisau and Arrow are returning to Origin after both were guilty of off-field Covid discretions in earlier Origin camps. All is forgiven lads (although perhaps not by your wives). I'm tipping NSW in this - I do like the look of all those Panthers, and they need this more than Queensland do. Queensland will try their guts out because it's a part of their DNA, but NSW need this to keep the series alive. They'll pull their collective fingers out and get it done. That would give us a series decider at Lang Park - not a bad outcome I say.

Verdict: NSW 23 to defeated QLD 16

Player of the match: James Tedesco

*team line-ups are subject to change and will be updated as soon as possible.

Comments

Anonymous's picture

Deathly Silence !!
Even a cane toad makes noise at night?

Rocket Ryan's picture

Very rarely after they've been hit over the head with a shovel

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