MAROONS MUST DIG DEEPEST
Captain GI knows his side’s toughest challenge is here
QUEENSLAND coach Kevin Walters and his skipper Greg Inglis have declared tomorrow night’s showdown with NSW as the biggest challenge they have had to face.
Walters’ side arrived in Sydney last night with their backs against the wall as they try to save this year’s Origin series in front of a hostile, enemy crowd.
They lost to NSW in Game One but are this year lacking the sort of experience that helped them keep the series alive when they were in the same situation last year.
There is no Johnathan Thurston to kick a winning goal, no Cameron Smith to boost the forward pack.
Inglis, who took over the captaincy from Smith ahead of Game One, said that guiding an under-siege Queensland team to a victory in Sydney tomorrow is going to be his toughest test in the Origin arena.
“This will probably be my biggest game that I’ll ever play in the Queensland jersey,” he said.
“I’m going in as captain and it’s 1-0 down.
“It’s challenging like every Origin game but I’m not going to approach it any differently than the way I have in the last 30 Origins I’ve played.
“I just need my team to understand how important this game is and really go out there and play well.”
Inglis also vowed to maintain the rage he showed in Game One when he was Queensland’s best player.
He played with plenty of aggression and tried to set an example for his teammates, but
WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE TO GET BETTER AND FOR THAT TO HAPPEN THE PLAYERS HAVE TO GET BETTER AND THE STAFF, TOO, FOR THAT MATTER COACH KEVIN WALTERS
his efforts weren’t enough to snatch a victory.
While he is well aware of the task ahead, Inglis said he will not change anything about his preparation and will try to play at the same standard that he did in Game One.
“I feel like I can (repeat Game One’s effort),” Inglis said.
“I said from the start I would lead from the front and lead with my actions and I’m not going to go away from that.
“I just need my team to perform well and perform better than what we did in Game One … We do have confidence about it but it’s about getting the job done.
“It’s about turning up in the right frame of mind and knowing what’s on the line. If we go down to Sydney and perform how we did in Game One, we won’t win Game Two.”
Inglis is not alone in knowing that Queensland has a fight on their hands that they have not experienced in a long time.
Walters has been through some of the team’s hardest days.
He’s had to drop the likes of Darius Boyd, Sam Thaiday and Nate Myles.
He’s coaching without Smith, Thurston and Cooper Cronk in the team.
He knows it’s never been harder than this.
“It is our biggest challenge so far,” he said.
“Each year it gets harder and harder to win Origin … The challenges do keep on coming but that’s what’s great about Origin.
“This year’s challenges are different to what we faced last year.
“We understand that we have to get better and for that to happen the players have to get better and the staff, too, for that matter. We’ve worked hard on that.
“To be the best coach you can, you need to continue to gain experience. You’re always learning more about yourself and you need to use your brain a little bit more about how to try and overcome a few things.
“For me, I’m very comfortable with where we’re at and where I’m at.”
The biggest lesson Walters has learnt ahead of tomorrow’s clash is the importance of trusting himself.
While he has copped criticism yet again for his team selections, the coach has every faith he has picked the right team to pull off the upset win in Sydney.
“I’ve learnt to just trust your instincts, trust your gut feel on players, on situations, on selections, all those things,” he said.
“I’ve been around the game a long time and I’ve had some great experiences so what I like to do is trust my own judgment.
“If you let (criticism) upset you, you shouldn’t be here.”