Maroons refusing to be swept aside

THE last time NSW won a series 3-0, Queensland rugby league blew up its State of Origin program and started again.

It was 2000 and the QRL reacted by hiring Wayne Bennett as coach, starting a Queensland Academy of Sport youth program, and blooding 10 players for the first game in the following year’s series.

That’s how serious an Oriand gin clean sweep can be viewed. Cam Smith and Johnathan Thurston played only one year, 2010, in which Queensland won a series 3-0, despite having played in 11 winning series.

That’s how rare an Origin clean sweep is and how seriously the injury-hit Maroons will view the threat of a “Bluewash’’ in next week’s third game at Suncorp Stadium.

“It’s a big motivator for me I’m sure the players will be the same,’’ Queensland coach Kevin Walters said.

“There have been very few whitewashes in Origin history. I believe we can win Game Three. We were very close in Game Two.”

Walters, contracted for next year with the QRL, said yesterday he felt no more pressure than before Game One.

“People have been very critical of our side and our performance, but we got beaten by two goal kicks (in Origin II),’’ he said.

“We had a penalty try awarded against us, the first time in 36 years of Origin and that was a decision that we took on the chin. “We had the Dane Gagai no try which … was awarded a try on-field and then after seven or eight takes they found it to be ‘no try’.

“And then on the Latrell Mitchell try, Maloney doesn’t put his foot on the ball to play the ball and we’ve seen that penalised. So we’ve had some things go against us. If we can get a little luck in Game Three, we can get a win up.”

IT’S A BIG MOTIVATOR FOR ME AND I’M SURE THE PLAYERS WILL BE THE SAME