Well, it wasn’t the highest quality Origin we’ve seen but, once again, Queensland showed they know how to win a close one. NSW just couldn’t get their act together in the second half and it’s a wonder they only lost by a point. That speaks of their solid defence but also of the Maroons’ attack, which didn’t sing as well as it can.
Robbie Farah is being interviewed on the pitch and says, “We let ourselves down with our discipline and execution.” They did indeed. I can’t help but feel NSW blew that; blew an opportunity to beat a Queensland team that wasn’t at its best. There will be plenty of what-if moments haunting the Blues until they get a chance to redeem themselves in Melbourne.
Thanks for your emails and your company. Night night.
Full-time: NSW 10-11 Queensland
Yes, it’s all over. Queensland win by a point after scoring five unanswered points in the second half. NSW will now have to win at the MCG next month to keep the series alive.
80 min: NSW run it right but they are tracked by Queensland and a hopeful kick is slip-fielded by Boyd who flings it over the touchline prompting Maroon celebrations.
80 min: Queensland use up their first five tackles with safety-first runs before, on the last, kicking it across the touchline. NSW pack the scrum and the clock is stopped with a second left on the clock.
78 min: NSW probe on the right through Morris and Hopoate. Hodkinson is standing deep for the drop attempt but the dummy half, Farah I think, rifles it to an unsuspecting Dugan instead. He gamely steps inside one man and drop kicks the ball while on the run but it sails right. That was a right cock-up.
And now, just when it seems NSW have regained possession from a strip, the ref calls it a two-man tackle and Queensland get a penalty, kicking to touch from the halfway line. Just 90 seconds left.
77 min: Cronk kicks deep to Hopoate on his 10m line. Have NSW got it in them?
DROP GOAL! NSW 10-11 Queensland (Cronk 74)
That Jennings grubber allows Queensland an extra tackle and they march downfield. Cronk gets in position and, like a metronome, strikes it instinctively through the posts from 30m. Queensland have their noses in front with just over five minutes to go. Why didn’t Hodkinson take that shot?
73 min: NSW had Hodkinson in position to take a field goal, twice, but they spin it instead. The moment passes and Jennings grubbers for himself but it rolls dead.
72 min: A penalty for NSW now, Woods driven into the deck by Myles and Co. Dangerous, said the ref.
71 min: It’s high, it’s swinging, it’s going to drop over the black dot! Oh, no it’s not, it drops just short! We’re still locked up. Should Queensland have run that ball instead, what with NSW’s backs against the wall, and that wall looking greasy?
69 min: We’re stuck in midfield now, and after a strong Hoffman charge NSW kick to Boyd’s wing, but he takes it without breaking a sweat.
And now, NSW, on tackle five, give away a penalty. Merrin and Woods flip Thurston and it’s a penalty for a dangerous tackle. Queensland will take a shot at goal from 45m out, right in front. A bit of a surprise, that.
67 min: Relief for NSW as Gillett drops the ball. They’ve done well to hold on these past five minutes but can they get back into this game?
66 min: Closer than it looked, but Farah’s arm prevented the ball finding the in-goal. NSW regroup.
66 min: Smith held up over the line, surely, but we’ve gone upstairs.
65 min: Morris is doing a good job on Inglis, spoiling him on the right side for the second time in five minutes. NSW clean up another kick, Jennings catching a rebound off his own teammate before being flung to the ground in his own in-goal.
Crowd? 80, 122.
64 min: Completions this half: 12 from 14 for Queensland, five from nine for NSW. Explains a lot as the Maroons come again.
Updated
63 min: Hodges is pulled down five metres out on the right. Next tackle Cronk grubbers back inside for Slater who cannons into the back of Aaron Woods and hits the deck. NSW clean it up but that will be another drop out.
61 min: Slater swerves into a gap inside his own half and just when you think there’s something special in the offing Dugan, with a fist full of his jersey, swings him to the ground.
A few tackles later Tupou bats a kick over the deadball line. Drop out NSW. This half is mirroring the first so far. A 55m drop out from Hodkinson.
59 min: Seems fair to say this game is delicately poised. But unless NSW regain the upper hand they could well find themselves chasing this game. The Maroons have their tails up.
57 min: No dice for Thurston. His conversion attempt swings wide of the left upright.
TRY! NSW 10-10 Queensland (Chambers 55)
It was coming! A nice set play sees the Maroons angle right: Thurston to Cronk, Cronk to Thaiday. Thaiday turns his back and finds Slater wrapping around. Slater fires one out to Chambers who steps inside Jennings to score inside the right touchline. Machine like, that.
Updated
54 min: Blimey, NSW drop the ball once more! Queensland will come again, thanks very much.
53 min: Tupou cleans up a dangerous grubber near his own line. For a moment it seemed he and Dugan were in two minds as to who should take it.
The grubber came a tackle after Thurston all but dummied his way through the line. Perhaps NSW have been reading their cheat sheet: Rule 1: Don’t fall for the Thurston dummy.
52 min: With the Blues charging forward 30m out from the Maroons’ line Dugan drops the ball with some encouragement from Thurston.
49 min: That was short lived. A chicken wing penalty against Fifita (penalties NSW 5-4) puts the Maroons back on the attack. But again Inglis makes an error, fumbling a Slater pass 35m from the NSW line. Inglis came into this game under a cloud. Perhaps it wasn’t all smoke and mirrors after all.
47 min: More pressure from Queensland. Cronk hoists a bomb but Slater knocks it on while contesting it. From the resulting possession NSW journey into Queensland’s half, which will be a welcome respite for Laurie Daley.
Updated
44 min: Hodkinson it was who scuffed that kick for touch.
And now a massive let-off for NSW. Queensland have a 3 on 2 on the left side and Inglis, two metres out, chooses to pass to an unmarked Boyd, but his pass whistles past Boyd and over the sideline. He should have made that pass. He could have crashed over himself come to that. What a missed opportunity!
43 min: The Maroons attack! Thurston steps in, and out, but is pulled down just short. Then a kick goes up for Inglis but Morris takes it as Inglis pulls him to the deck. While he’s lying there Slater flops on his back and gives away a penalty.
But NSW fail to find touch! Oh dear x 2.
41 min: Queensland swarm in defence like ... like ... like something that swarms, the name of which escapes me right at this moment. Ah yes, charity touts! Oh dear, a bad pass from Farah is spilled by Pearce right on the halfway line. Need I say that’s not the start NSW were looking for? No, I need not.
PEEEEEP!
We’re back!
Hodkinson kicks deep to Lillyman who takes the first hit up of the second half.
A few stats from that first half:
Possession: NSW 53% — Qld 47%
Completed sets: NSW 19/20 — Qld 15/18
Run metres: NSW 690 — Qld 695
Here’s that Morris try. Dugan’s work was superb:
WOW. That was some #Origin try to Josh Morris! https://t.co/j2JHGllibg
— NRL (@NRL) May 27, 2015
Half-time: NSW 10-6 Queensland
Time for a breather, folks. NSW finishing that half strongly. They should be delighted with that considering their start.
40 min: NSW charge at Queensland’s line; first Scott comes close on the right before he is picked up and slammed onto his back. Then Hodkinson chips to Tupou’s wing... it drops just inside the field of play but Chambers ensures the rangy Tupou is well wrapped up.
38 min: Dugan, who has been impressive so far, takes another high ball with three Maroons charging at him. An important take within sight of the halftime break. And now an added bonus; a penalty that will take them 40m out.
36 min: Jennings steps inside two in midfield, just as I was considering how composed NSW are now looking. Proving it, Hodkinson finds touch a metre out from the Maroons’ right corner flag
36 min: Fifita, Cordner and Klemmer are all on, as is Michael Morgan for Queensland.
34 min: Chambers tries a cheeky kick ahead on the right sideline but NSW clean up, Dugan performing a pirouette in his efforts to avoid the tackle of Slater.
33 min: NSW defend well in midfield as Queensland look to keep it alive, Hodges holding the ball in one hand like a rockmelon. Under pressure Smith makes a hurried clearing kick that NSW field further out from their own line than Smith would have liked.
31 min: Excellent defence from NSW. After a strong run from Inglis, Queensland go from right to left like Arabic script and Thurston finds Guerra who makes a bee line for the left corner, but Morris and Hopoate smother him and roll him into touch.
29 min: Dugan takes a high ball under all sorts, as Tim Griffiths, in sunny Swindon (UK), admits his effort to avoid logging in to this MBM so as not to spoil watching the game later lasted all of eight minutes.
28 min: Robbie Farah is flattened in a big tackle, his head thumping on the turf. He looks dazed and confused but not, seemingly, concussed. He’ll stay on.
CONVERSION! NSW 10-6 (Hodkinson)
And Hodkinson kicks the extras from close in. Oh, Pearce it was, not Hodkinson, who laid on that try for Scott. Can’t rob him of that.
TRY! NSW 8-6 Queensland (Scott 26)
Yep, try! NSW have come back well from that shaky start.
Updated
26 min: Possible try to Beau Scott! Will the refs ever just call it without going upstairs?
From midfield NSW ran a set play right with two decoy runners that had Queensland rushing up. A nice short ball from Hodkinson found Scott and he carried defenders with him, touching down on the chalk. Try, surely?
24 min: NSW slip down the left flank and a Dugan pass is knocked out of the air by Chambers. Six more to NSW.
21 min: Hodkinson fails to convert from the right sideline, but that will surely give the Blues a much needed chunk of pep.
And now Nate Myles fumbles in the play the ball and the Blues will start a full set 30m out from the Queensland line.
TRY! NSW 4-6 Queensland (Morris 20)
That really was lovely. Dugan sniffed around the ruck like a curious dog and was off with his bone and into open space. As he approached Slater, standing deep, he kicked mid-stride off the outside of his right boot. As Slater took him down the ball lobbed sweetly to Morris’ wing as Boyd came across in cover. Morris plucked it out of Boyd’s grasp and dived over in the corner.
Incredible try from the @NSWRL Blues! @Josh_Dugan and Josh Morris combine for something special. pic.twitter.com/Nu5m1jiFIz
— NRL (@NRL) May 27, 2015
Updated
19 min: Troy Sutherland emails to say the Queensland jerseys aren’t doing it for him. “The players look like they won them in specially marked cartons of XXXX.”
But forget that, NSW appear to have scored a brilliant try to Morris after a long break up the middle by Dugan!
17 min: NSW deep in attack for the first time but they are going from flank to flank without really threatening —until Pearce straightens and hits the line hard before getting pulled down a couple of metres short.
On the last Hodkinson kicks wide for Hopoate but Boyd claims it and is wrestled into his in-goal. But a penalty is awarded to Queensland for NSW taking out a defender, I think.
CONVERSION! NSW 0-6 Queensland (Thurston)
From 10m to the right of the posts Thurston makes no mistake.
TRY! NSW 0-4 Queensland (Cronk 13)
All that field position pays off with a too-easy try to Cronk. Catching the Blues napping, the Maroons go right (which they rarely do) and with NSW worried about being outnumbered Smith picks up from a Thaiday charge, finds Cronk on his outside and a simple right foot step gets Cronk inside Jennings and over the line.
Updated
11 min: A few too many mistakes from NSW... inviting trouble you’d think.
Queensland deep in attack and a Cameron Smith kick to the corner is batted dead by Hopoate with Guerra looming over his shoulder. The resulting drop out grubbers an extra 20m drawing a cheer from the crowd.
Updated
9 min: With NSW scrambling to get a decent kick away in the Queensland 40m, the Maroons get a penalty for a Blue being offside. Half the Blues didn’t hear the whistle, however, and they kept on playing for another 10 seconds before they realised. Always amusing that.
8 min: No try! Slater was deemed to have pushed Hodkinson in the back before reaching out to touch down. Whether he got downward pressure is another matter. I wasn’t convinced. Doesn’t matter now. Controversy averted.
8 min: Slater appeals for a try from a Thurston grubber in behind the line! My first thought was that it was a bounce ball.
6 min: Queensland knock-on on the NSW 20m line as they shift the ball right into a cul-de-sac of Blues.
And now Tupou loses the ball on the first tackle! Queensland 20m out with a full set up their maroon sleeves.
5 min: NSW spoil their promising start by laying on Slater too long as he brought the ball out from his own line. Penalty.
4 min: Hopoate takes a high ball with some class a metre out from his own line. Three tackles later Jennings makes a half break before Woods adds some more metres. NSW got out of their own 20m with relative ease then (relative to Origin that is).
3 min: The field is greasy, says Darren Lockyer, but so far the handling has been fine, and now it’s Hodkinson giving the ball some air... and moments later Will Chambers goes for a 30m run down the right flank before being rounded up like weeds on your driveway.
1 min: NSW get through their first set without dropping the pill and on tackle six Pearce kicks the leather off it, long and deep into the corner where Slater takes it safely.
Peeeeep!
And Cameron Smith gets us underway, lofting the ball down to Hodkinson who feeds Aaron Woods for the first hit up.
Bobby Burir writes in, from parts unknown, pleading, in caps, for an update and a Maroons lineup. The game hasn’t started, mate. The line-up? Scroll down. It’s there.
At long last, the teams are on the field, and now they are standing arm-over-shoulder for the national anthem. “Advarnce Australia Fair,” the singer sings, forgetting he’s in NSW, what with that errant R sound.
Kick-off is nigh...
The natives are getting restless:
Start the friggin game already!! #Origin
— DebbieSpillane (@DebSpillane) May 27, 2015
Philip Davis writes in to muse about Queensland’s choice of colour palette: “What’s the story with Queensland wearing gold as part of their kit these days?” he asks. “The colours have always been maroon and white. Obviously we’ve all been hoodwinked into believing they are actually the Broncos. Surely Cowboys and Titans fans are complaining in their droves?”
Meanwhile, Brad Fittler is standing on the periphery of the Blues dressing room, whispering his thoughts to the camera. I won’t repeat them, it’s not worth the typing time. Now it’s Gorden Tallis’ turn; and as he begins to get deep and meaningful a door gets closed in his face. “Great access,” says host Cameron Williams, as he goes back to Phil Gould and Darren Lockyer to fill the air time with platitudes because we’re still waiting for kickoff.
The good thing about the delay is that we get to watch more ads. Wait a second!
We have passed the designated kick-off time, as is tradition.
Not long now... Nervous? Excited? #Origin pic.twitter.com/b38DcL4bIE
— NRL (@NRL) May 27, 2015
Impatient.
In reference to the band that was on earlier (I saw them through the corner of my eye and decided to keep it that way):
YOU HAVE CHISEL THERE AND YOU LET THOSE GUYS SING?! #Origin
— #Queenslander (@MolksTVTalk) May 27, 2015
OMG!
Kenny Sutcliffe is on the field interviewing Chisel. Cold Chisel (need I clarify). Royalty. They are announcing, I think, that Chisel will play at the 2015 NRL grand final. Bummer. I was hoping they were about to sing the national anthem (even though there’s no need to play the national anthem at a domestic sporting event. What next? Should we play the national anthem ahead of your Wednesday night Div 3 futsal game?) Love to hear Jimmy get his chops Advance Australia Fair.
Lots of cross promotion going on tonight. I wish I had something to promote.
Updated
Can’t please everyone, someone once said.
Say it every year but an earlier kick off time for #Origin would be good. Some of us have work or school tomorrow...
— Crowdiegal (@crowdiegal) May 27, 2015
And some of us have to write live blogs which wind you up like back-to-back espressos so that when you’re done it takes a couple of hours to come back to earth. Don’t think I’ll be getting to sleep tonight until midnight. MIDNIGHT!
An email! Oh, it’s from my brother. Still, beggars can’t be choosers. He’s “ensconced on my stool in the beer garden at the Darwin Hotel in balmy dry season weather to watch the game. The licensee, an ex-Dragon, has thoughtfully decorated with only blue balloons.” So all of Darwin is behind the Blues I’ll take that to mean. They love a winner, those Territorians.
There were worries about the crowd coming into this game; it was as if NSW’s attention was held by the need to knock Queensland off their perch. They did that last year and now the Blues’ fans have become complacent again.
Certainly looks like plenty of empty seats out there:
The stage is set for #Origin! RETWEET if you'll be watching TONIGHT's showdown LIVE 7.30pm on @Channel9. #WWOS pic.twitter.com/ltkgE4HOrB
— Wide World of Sports (@WWOS9) May 27, 2015
Queensland have won the toss!
Will they kick off or receive? I missed that bit, sorry, as I was thinking about The Rock. Oh well, doesn’t really matter does it?
So. Tonight. So much of the talk going into this game has surrounded the selection of Mitchell Pearce in the NSW halves. Pearce, you’ll recall, had played 12 consecutive Origin matches in the No.7 jersey for NSW for no series wins before being dropped ahead of the 2014 series. And lo, it came to pass, that with Canterbury halves Trent Hodkinson and Josh Reynolds in place, NSW won back the Origin title for the first time since 2005. Correlation, causation, coincidence? You be the judge.
That Pearce has been recalled for this series has caused no end of wailing and gnashing of teeth from critics far and wide, never mind that his NRL form this year has been very good, certainly better than that of Reynolds, the man he replaces. Canberra’s Blake Austin —part musketeer, part long-distance trucker— had his backers, and he has the form, but NSW have played it safe going for a known entity, even if that entity hasn’t yet grabbed Origin by the lapels and dragged it out into an alley and given it a jolly good thrashing.
Pearce goes into this game under more pressure than a deep sea submarine negotiating the Marinara Trench, and if he helps NSW retain the title he’ll enjoy enough vindication to see him to the end of his days. For what it’s worth (about a shilling in the old money) ex-Blues star Jarryd Hayne (perhaps you’ve heard of him?) has sent a missive to “the boys” and backed Pearce to defy his critics.
The general outlook tonight is that Queensland have too much class —more or less the narrative for the past eight years (barring 2006 when few expected them to win). Yes, they are ageing but they are not yet ready for the 5.30pm dinner slot at the RSL. If their big guns fire it’s theirs to lose. NSW’s forwards and bench look good, maybe even superior if they bring their A-game. But do NSW have the points in them to win? NSW will need to restrict Queensland to crumbs. In that, Pearce’s defence could be as crucial as his attack.
Channel Nine’s coverage is just beginning.
Who’s that doing the voiceover for the traditional opening montage that is intended to constrict your colon in anticipation? It sounds like The Rock. It IS the Rock, a.k.a. Dwayne Johnson. Why? He must have a movie to promote. He’s now talking about “Alfie Langer” and “G.I.”. Had he ever heard of them before being given his script? Doubtful.
Still, seems like a nice bloke, The Rock. Saw him once in an LA toy store and my wife-like person approached him because she worked with some kids who idolised the guy, and she thought she might get his autograph for them. “Are you the Rock?” she asked, as he towered over her like the north face of Everest. “Yes,” he said, smiling, and he happily obliged her request for a couple of personalised autpgraphs.
So there you have it.
You want graphics? No? I don’t believe you:
Tale of the tape! Here's how @QLDmaroons and @NSWRL shape up historically heading into the #Origin opener tonight! pic.twitter.com/63M3G6TAve
— NRL (@NRL) May 27, 2015
What does all this tell us? That blue and maroon are rather complimentary colours. If you can think of anything else drop me a line: paul.connolly@theguardian.com. I’ll be here all night and it can get lonely.
Your teams for tonight’s game:
NSW:
1. Josh Dugan, 2. Daniel Tupou, 3. Josh Morris, 4. Michael Jennings, 5. Will Hopoate, 6. Mitchell Pearce, 7. Trent Hodkinson, 8. James Tamou, 9. Robbie Farah (c), 10. Aaron Woods, 11. Beau Scott, 12. Ryan Hoffman, 13. Josh Jackson
Interchange: 14. Trent Merrin, 15. Boyd Cordner 16. David Klemmer, 17. Andrew Fifita
Coach: Laurie Daley
Queensland
1. Billy Slater, 2. Darius Boyd, 3. Greg Inglis, 4. Justin Hodges, 5. Will Chambers, 6. Johnathan Thurston, 7. Cooper Cronk, 8. Matt Scott, 9. Cameron Smith (c) 10. Nate Myles, 11. Aidan Guerra, 12. Sam Thaiday, 13. Corey Parker
Interchange: 14. Michael Morgan, 15. Josh McGuire, 16. Matt Gillett, 17. Jacob Lillyman 18. Dylan Napa
Preamble
Origin doesn’t exactly sneak up on you, does it? Indeed, it’s about as stealthy as an elephant in flippers. From the moment round 1 of the NRL kicks off in April it becomes a regular reference point, a touchstone. By round 5 it’s a boulder, and by round 9 it has a head of steam and is flattening all before it; trees, cars, buildings, clubs, fans, and any semblance of equanimity.
Yet, for all that, it can’t be Origin time already, can it? It seems like just last Tuesday fortnight, or perhaps Thursday five weeks ago, that NSW ended Queensland’s eight-year reign of terror with grinding victories in games 1 and 2 of the 2014 series.
Can it really be about a year since Jarryd Hayne picked up that loose ball in the dying moments of game 2 in Sydney and then, with NSW ahead 6-4, memorably ran the wrong way from 30m out and kept going until he breached the dead-ball line, hurdled the hoardings and climbed into the crowd like Christ the Redeemer given an adrenaline injection into the sternum? A year? Really?
Apparently so.
After eight years in the wilderness it will seem an awfully short time for NSW to have enjoyed being on top before having to prove themselves all over again. For Queensland, who had come to see their possession of the Origin shield as a right, the past year may have crept by, so desperate were they to wrest the shield back. Well, tonight’s the night they get to make the first significant step to reclaim one of one of sport’s most hotly-contested titles. NSW will do well to keep them at bay.
Kick off: 8pm (or thereabouts, let’s be honest), Sydney’s ANZ Stadium
State versus state, mate versus mate and, some might say, an element of hate versus hate – it can only be the world’s greatest antipodean rugby league interstate extravaganza, State of Origin! This year’s series gets under way in Sydney tonight with the Blues in the rather unfamiliar position of holding the shield, claimed for the first time in eight years last year. Paul Connolly is the man charged with keeping you up to date with proceedings at ANZ, but before he gets here, have a quick read of Nick Tedeschi’s Game One preview.
Queensland’s iconic spine may not have a single player younger than 31 but New South Wales should not – and will not – think the fabulous foursome are vulnerable because of their advancing years. Last year’s series win by the Blues was not an indication that Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk had reached the end of their incredible run. There is certainly nothing to suggest any of the four have had a drop in their performances this year.
Read Nick’s full match preview here.
