Oh what a night ... to forget for Qld
Cheeky Trbojevic helps NSW steal Game I in Melbourne
QUEENSLAND’S new era began in disappointing fashion as Brad Fittler’s “Baby Blues” outclassed a Maroons side 22-12 in Origin I last night at the MCG. Without the big three of Cooper Cronk, Cameron Smith and Johnathan Thurston for the first time in 15 years, Queensland were overrun in the second half after going to the break 8-6 down. The Maroons have just 17 days to regroup, with selectors likely to welcome back Innisfail’s Melbourne Storm fullback Billy Slater for the second game in Sydney.
QUEENSLAND’S record-breaking dynasty is hanging by a thread after NSW’s posse of rookies showed nerves of steel to stun the Maroons with a 22-12 MCG masterclass last night in Origin I.
Before 87,122 fans, the Maroons got a gutwrenching glimpse of life without champion triumvirate Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk as new Blues coach Brad Fittler’s faith in 11 debutants paid dividends.
Also missing injured fullback Billy Slater, the Maroons showed their trademark fighting spirit and were on course for one of their great triumphs when Dane Gagai gave his side a 12-8 lead in the 43rd minute.
But the Blues held their nerve, storming home with a 14-point blitz as Josh Addo-Carr and Latrell Mitchell fired to leave Queensland one defeat away from the official collapse of a famous dynasty.
New Maroons skipper Greg Inglis was magnificent last night, but Queensland were left to lament a midfield mauling that saw props Dylan Napa and Jarrod Wallace blown off the park. While Blues props Reagan Campbell-Gillard and David Klemmer charged for 232 metres, rivals Napa and Wallace managed just 114 between them, giving NSW the latitude to dictate terms. The Maroons were gutsy at 12-8, but two NSW tries in the space of two minutes rocked Queensland before Addo-Carr delivered the final blow 10 minutes from full-time.
After a tumultuous build-up marred by Slater’s withdrawal and Gagai’s captain’s run injury mishap, the Maroons were entitled to start nervously in pursuit of their 12th crown in 13 years. Instead, the Maroons started with intent, peppering NSW’s line in the opening exchanges. The Blues, laced with 11 debutants, looked edgy early, but when they found their rhythm, their backline speed, forward grunt and dummy-half dynamism combined to trouble the Maroons.
The first 20 minutes was quintessential Origin: a midfield fight for metres tinged with nervy execution. But it was 10-minute window midway through the first half that saw the Maroons lose ruck control. Blues hooker Damien Cook, the third fastest player on the field with a top-end speed clocked at 35km/h, was always going to be a dummy-half dangerman and it was his first major incursion which unlocked the Maroons.
After a James Maloney penalty goal in the 18th minute gave the Blues a 2-0 lead, Cook struck. The Blues rake shot out of dummy half, ghosted past Felise Kaufusi and Ben Hunt and released Maloney, whose inside ball sent James Tedesco streaking away for an 8-0 break after 22 minutes.
Then a split-second Blues brain explosion gave the Maroons a shot of adrenaline. Maloney, attacking the Maroons line in the 25th minute, threw a cut-out ball and watched in horror as Maroons winger Valentine Holmes swooped, streaking 85 metres to whittle the deficit to 8-6.
But this time, there would be no sky blue implosion. In the space of 120 seconds, the Maroons were on the ropes. The Maroons missed twice as many tackles as NSW (42 to 18), while just two Maroons forwards, Josh McGuire (122) and Felise Kaufusi (103), amassed more than 100 metres.
On match eve, Queensland coach Kevin Walters warned Origin games are won in the middle. His big boppers failed him, leaving the Maroons’ golden reign on the brink of collapse.