Fifita torments Maroons’ night
IT was meant to be a glimpse into Queensland’s future but ultimately it was the Blues who showed the new face of Origin.
Led by a monstrous performance from hulking frontrower Andrew Fifita, NSW surged to their first win at Suncorp Stadium since 2014 – the year they last won the series.
The 28-4 victory was a comprehensive statement from Laurie Daley’s team and Queensland will be forced to urgently address their deficiencies in a side that finally started to show its age.
Missing their little master, Johnathan Thurston, for the first time since he made his debut in Game One 2005 and with his Cowboys teammate Matt Scott out with a seasonending injury, Queensland went for new blood in Anthony Milford and Dylan Napa but neither would have an impact, with injury and concussion ruining their night.
It was almost a metaphor for Queensland’s night. While they scored a magnificent try late in the first half to get within two points, they were rarely in the game, playing catch-up in a performance that tore apart the team that has dominated for the past decade.
The Blues looked fresh throughout as they did a Queensland on Queensland.
After pushing to a 28-4 lead when Jarryd Hayne crossed in the 60th minute, the Blues had the match all but sealed.
Surely, the fightback would come now from the Maroons.
But NSW were relentless. Blues jerseys swarmed in defence every time Queensland looked dangerous and the Maroons could find no answers.
Queensland players were forced into touch, denied inches from the line and had the ball knocked out of their hands when seemingly over for a try.
Debutant rake Nathan Peats was outstanding in an
QUEENSLAND PLAYERS WERE FORCED INTO TOUCH, DENIED INCHES FROM THE LINE AND HAD THE BALL KNOCKED OUT OF THEIR HANDS
80-minute effort. Napa was strong in the opening stages before being forced from the field with a foot injury and only returned for the final 20.
Nate Myles finished the game with an elbow injury and fellow veteran Jacob Lillyman seemed off the pace as the Blues swarmed.
Blues coach Daley used his pre-match press conference to talk about how he believed Queensland would try to slow down the ruck but the game was played at a ferocious pace in the opening stages.
The Maroons looked to be withstanding the opening exchanges before Fifita, the human wracking ball played his part to perfection. Happy to play the part of the villain, Fifita set up the Blues’ opening try with a massive run and neat offload to a James Maloney, who raced across to score.
The Sharks prop made 75m in the opening 23 minutes before leaving the field for a concussion test but returned to inflict more damage on the Maroons. The field position he gifted the Blues set up their knockout punch before the break, with Mitchell Pearce eventually planting the ball under the posts as Queensland’s weary defenders finally failed to cover.
He ultimately finished with seven tackle breaks and 152m, while David Klemmer made an astounding 192m as four Blues forwards notched tons in run metres in what came to be a relentless march up field.
The unrelenting pressure brought rare errors from the usually unflappable Maroons.
Cameron Smith’s short drop-out in the 51st minute led to a Blues try just a minute later, and while Cooper Cronk set up Queensland’s only try with a magnificent cross kick, he was far from his potent self.
Milford did little wrong on debut, his appearance eventually cut short when he was forced off under the concussion rule after a collision with teammate Corey Oates.
Mitchell Pearce suffered the same fate, helped off the ground after 51 minutes following a tackle from Will Chambers. But he had enough time to turn his wretched Origin fortune around.