Wallace hits back at his critics

UNDER-FIRE Queensland prop Jarrod Wallace has taken aim at his critics, saying they “look at stats and don’t watch games”.

But the maligned Gold Coast front-rower has vowed to bounce back to his best in Sunday’s must-win State of Origin Game Two in a bid to silence the knockers for good.

Wallace is under pressure to keep his spot after coach Kevin Walters gave the forward a “second chance” following his much-criticised game one display. The Titans workhorse copped flak when critics pointed to his match stats in the 22-12 Game One loss to NSW in Melbourne. He made 43m from just five carries according to NRL.com.

While disappointed with his “standard” in the series-opener, Wallace believes the heavy criticism he copped was unwarranted.

“The media obviously just look at stats and don’t watch games,” he told NRL.com. Teammate Gavin Cooper backed Wallace’s stance.

“A lot of journos just look at the stats and think they know how somebody went,” Cooper said. “There is a lot more to footy than just a couple of numbers next to your name ... but it makes for a good story.”

Wallace, however, admitted he would need to lift his game in Origin II at ANZ Stadium as Queensland tries to keep the series alive.

“I don’t look too much at that (match stats) because there was a lot of stuff off the ball,” he said.

“I will make sure my performance is better in Game Two, make sure I am demanding the ball more and getting those runs.”