Baby Blues get off to great start for Fittler
Ready, Teddy, go in man of match display
New South Wales claimed a State of Origin series lead with a come-from-behind game one league win over Queensland in Melbourne last night. Left wing Josh Addo-Carr scored the match-winner for the Blues 11 minutes from fulltime after fellow debutant backs Lattrell Mitchell and wing Tom Trbojevic crossed to see the Blues fight back from 8-12 down early in the second-half in front of 87,122 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The Brad Fittler-coached Baby Blues, featuring 11 players on debut, enjoyed a 8-6 halftime lead after fullback and man of the match James Tedesco scored the opening try before Queensland replied through an intercept four-pointer to wing Valentine Holmes.
For the first time since 2003, Queensland were without any of their “Big Four” star players following the representative retirements of Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Johnathan Thurston and the injuryenforced absence of Billy Slater.
Queensland centre Greg Inglis did everything he could to lift his side in his first game as captain in his 31st Origin match, making a series of powerful runs and crunching tackles in an aggressive performance.
It wasn’t enough, however, and the four-tries-to-two result leaves the Blues within touching distance of their first series win since 2014, and they will head to Sydney looking to erase Queensland’s hopes in game two at ANZ Stadium on June 24.
The Blues battled to get off their own line early on but were first to score off the boot of five-eighth James Maloney.
Maloney was a key figure for New South Wales, with the veteran playmaker taking a leading hand in guiding their attack alongside rookie No 7 Nathan Cleary.
Queensland missed a chance with cenetre Will Chambers spilling a pass from second-rower Felise Kafusi and the Blues made them pay two tackles later with new dummyhalf Damien Cook and Maloney splitting the defence through the middle to put Tedesco over after 22 minutes.
Queensland were tiring as the Blues continued to attack when Maloney’s long pass found Holmes who went 80 metres to score before converting his own try.
NSW 22 (James Tedesco, Latrell Mitchell, Tom Trbojevic, Josh AddoCarr tries, James Maloney 2 con, 1 pen) Queensland 12 (Valentine Holmes, Dane Gagai tries, Holmes 2 cons). Ht: 8-6.