Like an ageing heavyweight fighting on nothing but spit and experience, Queensland willed themselves to an unlikely 18-16 win over New South Wales in Game II at a packed ANZ Stadium on Wednesday night to keep the 2017 State of Origin series well and truly alive.
In a match New South Wales dominated – and then murdered – a 78th minute try to winger Dane Gagai followed by a piercing sideline conversion to Johnathan Thurston proved the difference.
While the Maroons were as resilient and as tough as expected, it was New South Wales’ inability to put a beaten Queensland team to the sword that will dominated discussion over the coming days and weeks.
The Blues jumped to a 16-6 lead inside 25 minutes and would have extended that lead further but for Jarryd Hayne dummying with an unmarked Brett Morris outside him and the tryline beckoning. It would prove costly, an opportunity to put the game to bed blown.
It was a total lack of discipline that led to the Blues’ unravelling. Notably, there were silly penalties from Hayne and Wade Graham, some bad dropped ball, again from Hayne, and two very poor kicks that led to seven-tackle sets from Mitchell Pearce.
While heads will be unlikely to roll for the decider at Suncorp Stadium in three weeks’ time, Blues coach Laurie Daley will need to find why a sweet series win so quickly turned into such a sour defeat.
“It’s one of those real Queensland efforts,” Maroons fullback Billy Slater said. “I thought they were extraordinary. It’s a great feeling being back in this arena – I’m looking forward to Brisbane now.
“We were pretty composed at half-time. We knew if we started well, held the ball, we’d get our opportunity. We knew if we’d get down there, we’d get the ball across the chalk.”
It was that classic Queensland fight that once again shone through. They may never have had to dig deeper. But they found what was needed and wore down a tiring Blues side that stopped playing with speed and purpose and looked to protect a dwindling lead in the second stanza.
Queensland were the first to break through when Valentine Holmes atoned for a first-touch error with an acrobatic effort where just a blade of grass and an ounce of luck separated the Sharks flyer from the sideline. Holmes cartwheeled across as opposite Blake Ferguson could just look and watch after a costly misread.
The Blues bounced back immediately though through Hayne, running the numbers perfectly after Will Chambers charged out of the line. Chambers came close to squaring the ledger off the kick-off though, laying a massive shot on Hayne that left the centre stunned and sprawled.
Queensland’s right edge again proved the Maroons undoing 10 minutes later. Selected out of obscurity, Tim Glasby had just entered play when James Maloney walked past him in a lacklustre effort before linking with Brett Morris, who finished like a true professional.
The floodgates opened off the next set and out of nowhere, the aging Queensland side was down 16-6. James Tedesco hit a delightful inside ball from Jake Trbojevic, who found Pearce backing up. It was debutant Glasby who rushed out of the line, making his first two minutes of Origin football two he would prefer to forget.
Queensland looked certain to score twice in the last 20 seconds before half-time but some heroics from Trbojevic and Josh Dugan kept the Maroons wanting and the dynasty on tenterhooks.
The half-time score of 16-6 though probably didn’t do justice to the manner of the Blues’ domination. Queensland completed just 10 sets which made Maroons coach Kevin Walters’ half-time line that “we didn’t do a lot wrong” a little perplexing.
The Blues were left in shock when Josh McGuire broke through a limp Wade Graham tackle in his own half, setting Chambers free, who in turn swivelled and found Gagai for his sixth try in his sixth Origin.
It was then despair when Gagai crossed for the match-winner, cutting back on a vicious inside angle to leave Hayne clutching at air and Queensland with one hand still clutching at that Origin shield.
