And that is about that. Just time for another speech from Slater, this time on the Suncorp stage. He congratulates the NSW camp on their series win before being awarded the Wally Lewis medal for player of the series. A sentimental one that, for sure – he only played two of the three games! Boyd Cordner is then presented with the Origin trophy, which he holds aloft to a chorus of Queenslander boos.
Anyway, a thrilling night in Brisbane, with Queensland probably deserved victors. It’ll go down as an Origin classic, and a game which Billy Slater won’t forget in a hurry. It was a fitting ending to his glittering career..
That’s all from me. Until next time. But here’s your match report for now:
Try-scorer DCE: “It’s an amazing feeling. It’s a gentle reminder how much Origin football means to people in Queensland. The result is what it’s all about and we got a good result – that’s what it’s all about. Three years is a long time in rugby league. It’s so good to be part of it again.”
Blue captain Boyd Cordner: “I’m just really proud of what we achieved as a team this series. We’ve worked really hard. I thought we had something special.”
Here’s Billy: “Oh wow. That was a great Origin. They’re a tough side. We haven’t had anything to show for our efforts in the first two games. That was certainly one of the hardest Origins I’ve played. We just had to hang in there. Things got away from us at the back end of the half. They’re a good side. They deserve the series but I’m happy just to pick something up this year.”
What a finish! What a game! Breathless stuff, from both sides. Queensland win on the night to give Slater the departure his career deserves. But NSW have shown there are many more close series ahead in the immediate future. Brilliant stuff.
Full-time: QLD 18-12 NSW
80 mins: There it is! All over at Suncorp and Billy Slater departs the Origin arena a winner, even if the series was already lost.
79 mins: Last chance for NSW as Peachy kicks, but Hunt dives on the ball and Queensland just have to hold onto the ball now, with 40 seconds left on the clock.
78 mins: But wait, it’s not over yet! Addo-Carr bursts forward before dishing to Trbojevic. But he’s eventually dragged down. What an ending to the game!
77 mins: But that could be that as Holmes flies through the air to intercept a ball that would have resulted in a NSW try! What an incredible play, and possibly one that secures a Maroons victory.
76 mins: NSW on the attack on the last tackle! And they get another six! Boos ring out. Thrilling stuff!
75 mins: Cleary’s kick through causes a moment of panic in the Queensland defence, but Gagai is there to clear up, before being manhandled. NSW have found something from somewhere and it’s they who are threatening as the clock approaches 80.
73 mins: Klemmer’s still got some gas in the tank though. His marauds up the middle, as he does, and then Roberts, with a bloody bandage now hanging off his head, has a run. Perhaps there’s life in the NSW dog yet?
71 mins: Still, there’s just a converted try between the two sides with 10 left on the clock. It’s just that NSW have run out of attacking gas, and they’re barely holding on at the back. That first half effort is definitely hampering them now.
70 mins: There’s not too much zip about the Blues’ forward play at the moment. Maloney spills and the Maroons get the ball back.
67 mins: Wow, Maloney pulls off a big play as he desperately lunges out of the Blues’ in-goal. NSW are struggling here.
65 mins: And now it’s Queensland who look dangerous as the ball finds Oates on the far side. But he loses the ball on impact with the blue jersey. A couple of silly errors inside a minute.
64 mins: Ooh, NSW look threatening but their momentum is ruined as Klemmer trips Hunt and Queensland get the ball back.
63 mins: Hunt attempts a grubber that has the potential to wreak havoc in the Blues defence, but Tedesco is there, scooping up and weaving out of trouble as he does so well, so often.
62 mins: Slater sets up Gagai for a bullocking run as the wind in the Maroons’ sails increases. This could be about to get worse for the Blues.
60 mins: NSW are beginning to look a bit tired now. Their first-half efforts, plus the concession of two tries in the space of seven minutes appear to be taking their toll.
Try! QLD 18-12 NSW (Cherry-Evans 59)
59 mins: DCE scores on his return to the side! But its’s all about Munster, who breaks free of some close attention before passing to Cooper who in turn feeds the streaking Cherry-Evans! He loves that moment, and rightly so! Cleary adds the extras and the pendulum swings firmly Queensland’s way!
56 mins: Here go Queensland again, threatening the Blues defensive line once again. Nothing doing this time, but NSW hit back and they have a great chance to break but Crichton hangs onto the ball a touch too long, and throws it behind Roberts, who would have been away.
53 mins: What a cracking game of rugby league this is. You just couldn’t call it at this stage. Hugely in the balance, and the next 10 minutes could prove crucial.
Try! QLD 12-12 NSW (Holmes 52)
52 mins: Holmes takes to the air in the corner and touches down! It’s a slick passing move from Queensland, involving DCE, Slater and Chambers before Holmes finishes in trademark style. Val can’t add the extras though and it’s all tied up at 12 apiece!
51 mins: Ooh, Hess nearly makes it to the line, after being fed by DCE, but no dice this time.
50 mins: A bit of argy-bargy now as Sims plays the ball before tackling the marker, Ben Hunt! Pretty funny stuff, but also a bit silly from the NSW big man.
49 mins: Maloney looks like he’s picked up a problem with his feet here. That could be a worry for NSW.
48 mins: Hunt to Munster to Slater out on the left, but there’s nothing doing there, so they come back the other way. But it’s the same situation, and Chambers knocks on to gift NSW the ball.
47 mins: Cleary’s called for offside and the Maroons have a chance to ramp up the pressure they applied so continuously during that first half.
45 mins: NSW appear re-energised after the break. Those two late tries before half-time probably helped a bit too.
43 mins: Tariq Sims enjoys two early hits ups – big hits ups. He doesn’t look out of place in this arena.
42 mins: Maloney was back on almost immediately, having served the remaining 16 second of his sin binning. His firs touch is a grubber kick and the Blues regain possession.
Second half
41 mins: Here we go again then, back underway at Suncorp. What can Queensland do here?
Paul Gallen and Johnathan Thurston both agree: that was the best defensive effort they have ever seen. The half-time stats tell us that the Maroons enjoyed 64% of possession.
Half-time: QLD 8-12 NSW
40 mins: And that will be that for the first half. What a half of rugby league. NSW, by rights, should be dead and buried, but as it is they take a four-point lead into the sheds with them. That was fascinating stuff – the Blues’ defensive work was nothing short of immense and then they hit Queensland with two sucker punches. The sign of a great team?
Try! QLD 8-12 NSW (Tedesco 40)
40 mins: What?! NSW lead! How did this happen? Cook plays the ball quickly and dishes to Tedesco who gleefully crosses amid a non-existent Queensland defence. Amazing stuff at Suncorp.
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38 mins: Well, few would have seen that one coming, at all. And if the Blues can make it to the sheds just two points off the Maroons, they’ll have done mightily well. It was Munster with the pass that Turbo Tommy intercepted, in case I didn’t mention it earlier.
Try! QLD 8-6 NSW (Trbojevic 37)
37 mins: Unbelievable! In an almost carbon copy of the Maroons’ try, Trbojevic intercepts near his own goal line and streaks away all the way down to the other end of Suncorp to score against the run of play! Cleary adds the extras and NSW are right back in this one now. What a turnaround!
36 mins: Ben Hunt is on, by the way.
34 mins: NSW’s hopes of holding on until half-time have just got a whole lot more difficult. The decision to bin Maloney is sure to cause a stir and we certainly haven’t heard the end of it.
Penalty goal! QLD 8-0 NSW (Holmes 32)
32 mins: Holmes’s kick is good and the Maroons open up an eight-point lead, but more importantly, they are a man to the good for the remainder of the first half.
31 mins: Maloney’s in trouble here! He appears to impede Slater as the Queensland captain attempts to get on a kick through into the in-goal that strikes the post. No penalty try is called but Maloney’s sent to the bin for a professional foul. Cordner argues the toss, but there’s no way Gerard Sutton will change his mind. Holmes will kick for goal to get some points on the board.
30 mins: Ten minutes left this half, and if the Blues hold out until the break it’ll be quite incredible.
28 mins: Tariq Sims announces himself onto the Origin stage with a huge hit on Oates, before the Maroons win yet another line dropout and the pressure intensifies a touch.
27 mins: Slater now can smell the try line, he’s that close. But still the NSW defence holds firm. But another line dropout follows after Trbojevic cleans up in the Blues’ in-goal. What a sustained period of pressure, but credit NSW with some sterling work on the back foot.
26 mins: A bit longer, at least for now. They get some breathing space as an attempted kick by Slater strikes Maloney in the face before he grabs the ball. It’s called accidental offside and the Maroons have a scrum.
24 mins: The Maroons win a line dropout and the pressure continues. How much longer can the visitors last without conceding?
23 mins: Now it’s Slater’s turn to get on the receiving end of a big hit, this time from Mitchell. No bother though, and the Maroons come again, with Gagai held up just short of the line.
21 mins: Turbo Tommy comes to the Blues’ rescue after collecting a decent Maroons kick into the in-goal and NSW are able to relieve some of the pressure when Cook kicks downfield. But the Queensland pressure is immense at the moment. They seem to smell blood.
18 mins: Oof! Klemmer barges into Arrow and bumps him off as if he were a schoolboy! The hit draws groans from the Queensland crowd, and Arrow could well be feeling that one in the morning.
16 mins: Some lovely stuff from DCE here as he jinks this way and that before offloading. He’s having a decent game, the Manly Sea Eagles captain.
14 mins: That’s a hammer blow for NSW, and one delivered with bad timing, given Cook’s break just moments earlier.
12 mins: That try was extremely similar to the one he scored in Game 1 in Melbourne, and when Holmes gets away like that, there really is no stopping him.
Try! QLD 6-0 NSW (Holmes 11)
11 mins: Holmes intercepts Maloney’s pass inside his own 10m line and sprints uncontested the rest of the length of the pitch to open the scoring! Tyson Frizell does a valiant job of trying to run him down, but he just can’t get there, and Queensland lead! The kick if good.
10 mins: Cook suddenly breaks free and puts the afterburners on! He runs into traffic in the middle of the pitch though and the attack loses momentum.
9 mins: Still Queensland attack. Until Vaughan piles into Arrow and the Gold Coast man loses control of the ball. NSW will feed the ensuing scrum.
7 mins: Cooper and Munster link up nicely moments before DCE dinks a grubber through. But Addo-Carr is alert to it and takes the ball in the in-goal.
6 mins: Cherry-Evans in particular has shown some nice touches on his return to Origin football. The word from the commentators is that there are very few spare seats, despite pre-match fears there would be quite a few empties.
5 mins: A promising start from the Maroons, despite that disappointment though.
4 mins: Slater thinks he’s scored a try after leaping to grab a neat kick from Cherry-Evans! But it’s disallowed as replays prove the captain loses control of the ball while in midair. It’s a knock-on and the fairytale start will have to wait.
4 mins: Here come Queensland, down the left hand side with some quick ball play. Gagai’s involved before the attack runs into a blue brick wall.
3 mins: The early chants of “Queens-land-er” have died down but noise levels are ramped back up as Slater gets his first touch. And Latrell Mitchell is pulled up for a shoulder charge of the departing great.
2 mins: Cherry-Evans gets an early touch before NSW get a chance for their opening set of six, from close to their own try line.
Kick-off
1 min: Kick-off time! It is! The Blues gets things underway at Suncorp at 8:12pm exactly! Boom!
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Kick off time! No, not really. First we’ve got to have the national anthem, sung by Priscilla Queen of the Desert’s David Harris. Good job from him. And after the earlier Amy Shark debacle, at least the Channel Nine directors actually stick with it throughout.
Finally, here come the teams. Blues first, to a chorus of boos from the maroon-tinged crowd. And then Queensland, to an altogether different reception, as Billy Slater leads his team out as captain for the night on his final Origin appearance.
Kick-off time! But unsurprisingly the teams are still in the sheds.
Amy Shark is up on the stage, belting out a number, although the television directors don’t seem too bothered to be honest. Instead we cut to replays of Cam Smith on stage, and then the injured Greg Inglis, who says he’s nervous. “I’d rather be playing thats for sure,” the Queensland captain says. “The boys have been training really well this week,” he adds.
Meanwhile, no doubting who Sally Fitzgibbons is barracking for tonight.
In my blue zen zone to come up with tonights #StateOfOrigin prediction... Blueessss @NSWRL series clean sweep. Gooo Blues💪 pic.twitter.com/jRarSSk7zF
— Sally Fitzgibbons (@Sally_Fitz) July 11, 2018
And here comes Smith onto the Suncorp pitch. He stands on the stage, flanked by his wife, Barb, and kids and thanks... everyone. From the bottom of his heart. Then he’s asked about tonight’s game.
“We’ve got a lot young guys in the squad now and its their turn to shine in the jersey. It’s important for Queensland to send Billy Slater off a winner. He deserves that. He’s been one of Queensland’s finest rugby league players for while now.”
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Following on from the tribute for Billy Slater (including plenty of horse riding), Channel Nine are now turning their focus to retired great Cameron Smith. There won’t, one would assume, be a mention of Brad Fittler’s incendiary comments the other day about the reasons for Smith’s rep retirement – that he was running scared of NSW’s Baby Blues.
Kick-off is scheduled for 8pm local time, but as is Origin tradition, the game absolutely won’t start then. Making predictions is a mug’s game, but hey ho, in the spirit of Origin bingo, I’ll go for 8:12pm.
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And here’s how the Blues lineup, with a late change seeing Jake Trbojevic starting at lock in place of Jack de Belin:
1. James Tedesco 2. Tom Trbojevic 3. Latrell Mitchell 4. James Roberts 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6. James Maloney 7. Nathan Cleary 8. David Klemmer 9. Damien Cook 10. Paul Vaughan 11. Boyd Cordner (c) 12. Tyson Frizell 15. Jake Trbojevic 13. Jack de Belin 14. Tariq Sims 16. Angus Crichton 17. Tyrone Peachey
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A quick reminder of how we got to this point: a thrilling Game 2 performance from the “Baby Blues”.
Here’s Matt Cleary with his Game 3 preview:
For a variety of reasons the concept of friendlies to the majority of Australian sports folk is a foreign one. Be it the dearth of international football played, or some chippy competitive spirit borne out of convict anthropology, Australia doesn’t really play friendly matches. And in rugby league they don’t exist at all.
Because you can’t play rugby league thus. Tackles are called hits or shots. The game demands commitment, confrontation and cartoon hate. In 2001 they held an old boys’ game of legends from NSW and Queensland, and Mark McGaw went all red mist on Mal Meninga, and the pair traded blows. Their combined age was 78. And that was a friendly, but the mien of old league dogs dies hard.
With no Greg Inglis Inglis tonight, Queensland have been forced into making a few changes, but coach Kevin Walters insists his team is ready to make an impression. “We’ve been trying to cut loose for two game,” he has just told Channel Nine. “Our preparation has been good again. We just need to get a win under our belt. There’s a real expectation that we’re going to play well tonight.”
Preamble
Dead rubber – a sporting term; used in description of a match in a league or series where the series’ result has already been decided by previous matches’ results. The dead rubber match therefore has no effect on the winner and loser of the series, other than the number of matches won and lost and can be considered entirely superfluous.
Hmm. Well, yes, in some circles it could be deemed “entirely superfluous”. But not in State of Origin. In State of Origin the result absolutely will have an effect on the players involved – and the people of either state. There is no such thing as a dead rubber in Origin football and tonight’s match will be contested just as intensely as another other game.
For NSW, they are looking for a first clean sweep in 18 years; for Queensland, their imperative is to avoid the ignominy of a whitewash, god forbid.
Yet aside from the tantalising possibility of a sweep, other narratives abound: Billy Slater bids farewell, Daly Cherry-Evans returns, Tariq Sims debuts, Brad Fittler’s pop at Cameron Smith... It’s going to be a special night, whatever happens.
Do get in touch if you have anything you need to get off your chest – mike.hytner@theguardian.com, or tweet @mike_hytner. Otherwise, strap yourself in, kick-off at Suncorp is around 40 minutes away.
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