A year on from heartache, New South Wales seem to have learnt a thing or two about how to win a State of Origin series. The difference now, having secured the opening game 12 months ago too, is that this time they didn’t allow the opportunity to slip. But it was far from plain sailing for Brad Fittler’s side in a thrilling Game 2 in Sydney.
Tries from inexperienced Origin players Josh Addo-Carr and Latrell Mitchell, plus a penalty try, ensured – just – that Queensland’s three-year winning streak was ended, and there is now a second Blues series victory punctuating a 12-year period of Maroons’ dominance.
Queensland, buoyed by the return of talisman Billy Slater, raced to a 10-0 lead before the Blues staged a stirring comeback, only to have to defend their 18-14 advantage with a man down for 10 nervy minutes late in the piece following the sin binning of James Roberts.
Roberts was sent off the ANZ Stadium pitch for a professional foul on Gavin Cooper in the 69th minute, setting up a tense finale in which the Maroons desperately attempted to get back into the game, ultimately to no avail. There were scares, too many for NSW supporters, but the Blues won their first series since 2014, and just their third since 2005.
The Blues had momentum coming into the second encounter of 2018 – an opening victory will do that for a team – but doubts set in early as they fell behind to tries from a pair of increasingly familiar foes. Valentine Holmes notched his fifth try in four Origin appearances before Dane Gagai kept up his blistering scoring record with a ninth in as many games with just a quarter of an hour on the clock.
Playing a central part in both tries was none other than Slater. The fullback’s quick hands were in evidence in both, with Greg Inglis and Will Chambers, the latter with a lovely flip out of the back of his hands, also heavily involved. Gagai’s effort made up for an earlier chalked off effort, when the bunker ruled his knee had made contact with the touchline as he grounded the ball.
The Blues’ comeback began five minutes later. Addo-Carr, who scored on debut in Game 1 in Melbourne, doubled his representative tally with a huge step inside after James Maloney’s cutout pass found him on the wing. He barged over and when Maloney added the extras, the deficit was cut to four points.
There was a whiff of controversy to how NSW took the lead six minutes later, when the Blues were awarded a penalty try after Ben Hunt took out Boyd Cordner as the Blues skipper attempted to run onto Maloney’s kick into the in-goal.
There was no doubt Cordner was impeded; the only question was whether he would have been able to get onto the ball before it bounced out of play. The decision fell in NSW’s favour; the penalty try was just the second awarded in Origin history. Maloney converted and the Blues went into the break 12-10 ahead.
The majority of the 82,223-strong crowd were further sent into raptures early in the second half when Mitchell crossed. Mitchell, another who scored on debut three weeks ago and who overcame a neck injury scare in the buildup to this game, benefitted from a quick play the ball by James Tedesco and with Maloney’s extras, an eight-point lead was established.
Needing two tries to get back into the game, the Maroons began to assert themselves and when in the 63rd minute Will Chambers dove under the tackle of Mitchell, who had earlier turned the ball over, a wildly fluctuating game threatened to turn again.
Yet try as they might, Queensland could not blow down NSW’s house. Kalyn Ponga, who entered the fray for the first time in the 29th minute, showed what he is capable of on occasion, particularly in the second half when the Maroons were chasing the game.
But, despite the best efforts of Ponga and Slater – two players at opposite ends of their Origin careers – and Roberts’ brain fade, which handed a numerical advantage to Queensland for 10 of the last 11 minutes and set up a heart-stopping finale, the Blues held firm for a famous victory. 2018 is New South Wales’ year.
