A smashing Maroons win
Holmes is a hat-trick hero as Queensland seals series with spirited win in the Origin decider
The Far North’s Billy Slater (centre) celebrates the Maroons’ third straight State of Origin win over the Blues last night, 22-6, after a thrilling match before 52,540 fans at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. Queensland lead 12-0 at half time and, despite NSW hitting back early, the Maroons got on a roll and scored four tries to one.
COP that NSW. A new Queensland dynasty is born.
Kevin Walters’ Maroons last night produced one of the finest fightbacks as an old dog and two young pups inspired Queensland’s epic series-clinching 22-6 defeat of NSW in the Origin decider.
Before a ground-record 52,540 at Suncorp Stadium, the Maroons overcame the loss of Origin II casualties Johnathan Thurston and Darius Boyd as they found fresh heroes to break the Blues.
Magnificent Cameron Smith produced a skipper’s knock in his 42nd Origin game, providing the inspiration for debutant Cameron Munster and hat-trick hero Valentine Holmes to torment the Blues.
Queensland’s record-breaking dynasty was on the verge of collapse after they suffered a humiliating 28-4 defeat in Origin I.
But returning to the scene of that rout, the Maroons were never headed, bolting to a 12-0 half-time lead before Holmes and Munster floored NSW with a one-two punch to clinch an 11th series win in 12 years.
Amid the euphoria, Smith clinched man-of-the-match honours, Dane Gagai snared the Wally Lewis Medal as player of the series and coach Walters savoured his second consecutive series win.
Paul Vautin’s ‘Neville Nobodies’ which won the 1995 series 3-0 are widely regarded as Queensland’s bravest outfit. But Walters’ Wonders are now in the same league after his blooding of eight new faces this year was emphatically vindicated by a rampant Game Three performance. Munster was magnificent filling in for Thurston at five-eighth, while Holmes was electric, scoring a first-half double before his treble in the 60th minute speared the Blues.
The emotion was capped by the sight of the injured Thurston rushing onto the field at full-time to embrace his Maroons comrades after Smith ran across field to find him.
The Blues dictated terms in the series opener at Suncorp but on this occasion, it was Queensland who set the early pace.
The Maroons were sharp around the rucks, powerful in the middle-third and dynamic on the edges.
In Game One, NSW had a trump card in Andrew Fifita. Last night, Queensland countered with Origin’s greatest servant – Cameron Smith.
Queensland had one hand on the trophy at half-time. The Blues are entitled to question if their time will ever come.