Between full-time in Origin I and kickoff in Origin II at the MCG last night it was almost as if NSW weren’t the reigning Origin champions, that they hadn’t, just the previous year, jimmy-barred the shield from Queensland’s grip after eight long years of trying.
The prevailing narrative, supported by the bookies, was that 2014 was the exception that proves the rule; that after Queensland’s win in Game I in Sydney, narrow and imperfect as it was, regular Maroon dominance was about to be restored in a proxy home game at the G, where the locals’ antipathy towards NSW would far outweigh their ambivalence towards Queensland.
Instead, NSW —a team of losers, as the Courier Mail called them midweek; a team that, unlike the picks-itself team of Maroons’ legends, is still unsure of their best combinations, particularly in the halves— proved themselves the better team when it counted, in the game’s final quarter, a 20-minute period that is so often Queensland’s domain.
And it was enough, perhaps, to suggest that the brilliant Queensland era of dominance, the Maroon Age in geological terms, is nearing an end no matter what happens at Suncorp in the decider. The Maroons still have some of the best players of the modern era. Johnathan Thurston was a constant threat at the G, as was a rejuvenated Greg Inglis who, in full flight, is worthy of commentary by David Attenborough; but time passes just as hair greys, muscles weaken and a night in on Saturday evening seems an enticing proposition - and the gap between the two sides continues to close. It could be that Origin titles will soon be shared more equitably, just like in the old days. Pre-2006, that is.
There were periods during Wednesday night’s game, of course, when Queensland looked as if they’d hold firm, such as when, following Matt Gillett’s try, they gained the lead for the first time early in the second half and then stretched it out to 18-14 after a Thurston penalty goal in the 56th minute. Steered about by Cameron Smith, who has the eye of a sextant, Queensland are a team that knows how to win from in front, how to see out a game.
But then, 11 minutes later, the game’s best forward, Aaron Woods, burst through the Queensland goal-line defence like Sasquatch through the shrubbery and NSW were back in front in what had become an exciting game of claim and counter-claim, a fitting spectacle for what was a record Origin crowd anywhere, let alone one held in a foreign capital and in a stadium that resonates with the history of an entirely different football game.
Despite Woods’ try Queensland could yet have won it, and so nearly did. But Inglis, Queensland, and future compilers of highlight reels, were denied a try that would have put the Maroons back in front with just over 10 minutes remaining. It took some guts for the officials to overrule it, for Inglis’ booming 90m run was a stained-glass window in Melbourne’s mightiest cathedral, but they had reason to be concerned with the tackle on Mitchell Pearce that preceded it.
If Michael Morgan hadn’t knocked the ball on as he reefed it out of Pearce’s arm (and that was the official ruling), the loose ball did appear to hit the boot of Gillett and go forward to Inglis who might have been ruled accidentally offside. Still, it was a tough call on Queensland that had a massive bearing on the result. But what is rugby league these days but a series of tight calls poured over and over again to the satisfaction of no-one, despite the fact that the alternative would lead to just as much controversy?
Of course it was only minutes earlier that NSW felt cheated themselves after Pearce was denied what looked a certain try. After some excellent broken field running by the rat-quick Michael Jennings —who had Queensland’s fragile right-side defence jumping on chairs all evening— Brett Morris’ final pass to Pearce was ruled to have been forward. It looked flat at worst. NSW should have been eight points ahead, and if Back to the Future taught us anything it’s that this would have altered the space time continuum, meaning Inglis’ ‘try’ would never have happened. NSW may have won in more comfort fashion than they did.
So both sides had cause for gripes but it spoke volumes that NSW showed they had the stomach, and the vigour, to win from behind with the series on the line. The try to Woods and then, in the 70th minute, to Josh Dugan running a good line off Trent Hodkinson, came off the back of NSW’s superior forward power. Four of the Blues’ starting forwards carried the ball over 100m (with Woods leading the way with 147m, followed by Hoffman, Gallen and Tamou) compared to just one Queensland forward, Corey Parker (126m). It’s still true that NSW’s halves lack the creativity of their counterparts —although Daly Cherry-Evans has yet to prove he’s anywhere near the level of Cooper Cronk, who was sorely missed by the Maroons— but it’s in the forwards NSW have the edge, and when their forwards can get on top, as they did on Wednesday night, it makes life easier for Hodkinson and Pearce, and gives room to the likes of Jennings, Brett Morris and Dugan.
If Wednesday night’s game showed us that the gap between the sides is narrowing it also reminded us that Origin does not need punch-ups to entertain — which isn’t to say we should pretend to be horrified that they ever took place, or shouldn’t lament their passing, however guiltily. Despite Gallen lighting the flame in the build-up, their were no pyrotechnics, apart from the one’s before the replaced the traditional rock-band-on-a-podium thing.
Apart from a Justin Hodges swinging arm on Ryan Hoffman’s chin, the closest we came to a stink was after Slater threw the ball at James Tamou in retaliation to Tamou resting both his hands on Slater’s face, as if he were moulding wet clay or trying to identify Slater by using his hands as eyes. As the two shaped up to each other players flew into the fray like metal filings into a magnet, but fists remained in their holsters, and they did so all night.
Perhaps some were disappointed that that was the case but the game offered plenty else to remind us that Origin still has a lot more to offer. And that the Blues are inexorably regaining a foothold in the contest.
