2020 Origin III - QLD 20-14 NSW @ Suncorp

[Canard]

I heard somebody else here a while back talk about their suspicions re. that '95 series. I don't think there was anything suss. Freddy mentioned that the night before the game in Brisbane, he and Chief were at the hotel and realised most of the team had gone to the casino and Freddy said "We're in trouble". Qld didn't have the distractions of the SL war like the NSW team/ coach did either.

In a normal season (which 1995 wasn't and neither was this season) I agree that NSW would've surely won.

Why didn't QLD have the distractions of the SL war???

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

Looking at the conditions he had to work with tonight, you would have expected him to make something happen with a forward pack that was smashed and dud’s outside you?

I’d expect a great halfback to take control of his troops, get them on the same page, and lead them out of the hole they are in. “Forwards - get rolling, you next, you next. Backs, follow me, this play that play, get me to this spot and I’ll ... “.

But Cleary isn’t a great halfback. He may well become one in time (I hope he does) and he’s the best we’ve got. But while I was hoping he’d rally the team, I didn’t expect he could. And sadly for NSW he didn’t. And to rate that performance a 7.5 out of ten...

Pearce is the most maligned NSW halfback in history. He played against the best teams in Origin history. He lost all series, 2-1 mostly. Apart from last year when he took over from....

Cleary has just lost 2-1 to the worst Qld team in history. In 8 games he has had one standout performance, his 7th game last week which was the first time he set up a try.. amongst other concerning stats.

Great halfbacks can drag their team out of a hole. Sadly there are no true great halfbacks in the current game. Cherry Evans would be the closest.

There were many poor performances last night but Clearys is the most glaring because he’s the halfback, the captain, and the guy you look to when the chips are down with the series on the line.

That said, it’s been the toughest of seasons for all NRL players. The guys who played last night were in the bubbles for the longest. All of them deserve a thanks for playing a season we thought not possible back in April. They’ve all earned a break.

 

[mozza91]

Reading the player ratings on FoxSport and Cleary got the highest rating? 2 or 3 decent kicks coupled with 15 average ones and about as useful in the opposition 20 as Lieutenant Dan.

 

[billygilmore]

I heard somebody else here a while back talk about their suspicions re. that '95 series. I don't think there was anything suss. Freddy mentioned that the night before the game in Brisbane, he and Chief were at the hotel and realised most of the team had gone to the casino and Freddy said "We're in trouble". Qld didn't have the distractions of the SL war like the NSW team/ coach did either.

In a normal season (which 1995 wasn't and neither was this season) I agree that NSW would've surely won.

Maybe, perhaps they took us to lightly, I heard a similar rumour about Qld before game 3 2009.
Blues did trounce us in 96 when both teams were back to full strength

 

[hineyrulz]

I'm a dragons and NSW fan.

It doesn't get much worse than this.

Or so I thought...

Bald as well I presume???

 

[billygilmore]

I’d expect a great halfback to take control of his troops, get them on the same page, and lead them out of the hole they are in. “Forwards - get rolling, you next, you next. Backs, follow me, this play that play, get me to this spot and I’ll ... “.

But Cleary isn’t a great halfback. He may well become one in time (I hope he does) and so while I was hoping he’d rally the team, I didn’t expect he could. And sadly for NSW he didn’t. And to rate that performance a 7.5 out of ten...

Pearce is the most maligned NSW halfback in history. He played against the best teams in Origin history. He lost all series, 2-1 mostly. Apart from last year when he took over from....

Cleary has just lost 2-1 to the worst Qld team in history. In 8 games he has had one standout performance, his 7th game last week which was the first time he set up a try.. amongst other concerning stats.

Great halfbacks can drag their team out of a hole. Sadly there are no true great halfbacks in the current game. Cherry Evans would be the closest.

There were many poor performances last night but Clearys is the most glaring because he’s the halfback, the captain, and the guy you look to when the chips are down with the series on the line.

That said, it’s been the toughest of seasons for all NRL players. The guys who played last night were in the bubbles for the longest. All of them deserve a thanks for playing a season we thought not possible back in April. They’ve all earned a break.

Yeah we're lucky to get any of this really and and last night really did have that origin feel which was good after the first game

 

[Valheru]

Reading the player ratings on FoxSport and Cleary got the highest rating? 2 or 3 decent kicks coupled with 15 average ones and about as useful in the opposition 20 as Lieutenant Dan.

bahahaha who even does these? Must be Phil Gould.

I doubt the most one eyed Penrith fan would claim he was better than Saifitti and Crighton at a minimum. You would think they would actually check the stats too, the writer said Crighton had 88m but their own stats said 128 (NRL website says 149).

And giving Teddy 4 lol, the bloke got knocked in to next week and left the field after 20 minutes.

He was harsh on the the whole 1-5 in general, they were never really given a chance.

 

[soc123_au]

Why didn't QLD have the distractions of the SL war???

They were all going Super League, so none of the stress of not knowing.

 

[Silent Knight]

After waiting so long for Cam Smith to retire from rep footy I hope Jake Friend enjoyed his one and only Origin series. Because from next year onwards it's going to be Harry Grant who will have a lock on that number 9 jersey.

 

[Vee]

After waiting so long for Cam Smith to retire from rep footy I hope Jake Friend enjoyed his one and only Origin series. Because from next year onwards it's going to be Harry Grant who will have a lock on that number 9 jersey.

Kevin Walters had a good line, "Harry wants to treasure that 14 jersey, he won't get too many more of them."

 

[Vee]

1995 you had the SL war outbreaking and served as a distraction to Gus who himself admits now he could've managed that series better with everything else going on.

Rubbish, that was a reserve grade side v an Australian team.

 

[Vee]

And whoever loses, the comments are full of calls to move on half the team and how (insert coach) has lost the plot.

No, NSWankers certainly but Qlders mostly stick.

 

[mongoose]

I have criticized Cleary in the past but I didn't think he was that bad last night or in the grand final (he definitely wasn't the best player either). He still lacks a bit of composure when the pressure is on though.
He didn't get much support from his 6 and 9 last night. Walker was invisible and I feel Cook fades in and out of games too much.
I thought Gutho tried to do too much when he went back to fullback as well. He kept going down Wighton's side and cramping him. Get Jack standing deeper without some jack in the box popping up next to him all the time and he could have torn that qld left edge up. Wighton's positioning was terrible all series unfortunately .

 

[Reflector]

Why didn't QLD have the distractions of the SL war???

Fatty wasn't coaching anybody besides Qld so (unlike Gus) could devote full attention to the Origin squad (even if, as rumoured, it was Gillmeister running the show). The majority of the Qld team from '94 were from Brisbane or Canberra who were both firmly with SL, so the players in the '95 squad were generally locked in with the ARL. Of the NSW squad you had players on the fence who (IIRC) hadn't yet committed one way or another. As we've seen in Origin over the years, even if there's that 5% distraction from the game at hand, it can change a result or a series.

 

[GongPanther]

I’d expect a great halfback to take control of his troops, get them on the same page, and lead them out of the hole they are in. “Forwards - get rolling, you next, you next. Backs, follow me, this play that play, get me to this spot and I’ll ... “.

But Cleary isn’t a great halfback. He may well become one in time (I hope he does) and he’s the best we’ve got. But while I was hoping he’d rally the team, I didn’t expect he could. And sadly for NSW he didn’t. And to rate that performance a 7.5 out of ten...

Pearce is the most maligned NSW halfback in history. He played against the best teams in Origin history. He lost all series, 2-1 mostly. Apart from last year when he took over from....

Cleary has just lost 2-1 to the worst Qld team in history. In 8 games he has had one standout performance, his 7th game last week which was the first time he set up a try.. amongst other concerning stats.

Great halfbacks can drag their team out of a hole. Sadly there are no true great halfbacks in the current game. Cherry Evans would be the closest.

There were many poor performances last night but Clearys is the most glaring because he’s the halfback, the captain, and the guy you look to when the chips are down with the series on the line.

That said, it’s been the toughest of seasons for all NRL players. The guys who played last night were in the bubbles for the longest. All of them deserve a thanks for playing a season we thought not possible back in April. They’ve all earned a break.

Cook was captain when Teddy went off. And yes, we lost by 6 points. "If" is the biggest two letter word in the universe when one is wiser after the event. But Cleary's performance was stifled by the forward who got no go forward
One also has to note that Qld were the hungrier side out there last night, referee blunders or not.

But blaming the loss on one player and weighting the defeat on him will do NSW no good for the future.

Remember, Cleary saved two tries with him knocking on a Qld pass which would by reports led to a try, and Cleary's involvement in fighting for the ball when Qld kicked into our in goal which resulted in a NSW scrum feed.

 

[Pete Cash]

It's funny how the LU meme for years was stick was robbing Jack of origin by playing him in at fullback/5/8th and not centre and now he's not strong enough to be a centre.

That's absolute nonsense as an aside. One of the most common ways the raiders score is through either Jack breaking tackles on the edge or teams over commiting on Jack and opening up gaps for other players.

His positioning was poor in defence no raiders fan is going to argue that. He should be playing 5/8th anyway. I think he would compliment Cleary quite well.

But again the problem was upfront. Who plays centre and who plays in the halves doesn't matter if we are losing yardage so badly. Unless people expect Cleary to kick a 40/20 every set we need the forwards to actually stop Queensland strolling down the field and to gain field position for the nsw attacking players..

 

[kit66]

The only way I'd let Haas play Origin again is if he was wearing a Maroons jersey, like he could have been last night. Close to the worst Origin performance I've seen and that was in a game that included clueless Cleary.

Congrats to Qld, massive effort from all involved, Gagai, Munster, Freind and Collins all standouts and the new kid Grant who I've seen very little of but is destined to break NSW hearts for years to come I think.

 

[SLRBRONCOS]

6 point game. it's got a 21-20 NSW win written all over it. Mark my words.

 

[myrrh ken]

Reading the player ratings on FoxSport and Cleary got the highest rating? 2 or 3 decent kicks coupled with 15 average ones and about as useful in the opposition 20 as Lieutenant Dan.

Have a look at the nrl.com ratings. https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/11/18/origin-iii-player-ratings-nsw-blues/

Teddy 2?
Tupou 7? Should never be picked again
Wighton 6.5? Should never be picked at centre again.
Yeo 7? A bloke who can fill in at prop should not be filling in at centre. too slow. Quickly going from underrated to overrated.

We need specialist centres, turbo being the only exception.

Need to bench Haas - 35m is poor.

Nathan Brown played 12 mins. Why bother.

As much as it pains me, we actually missed Cordner.

 

[Tommy Smith]

When did Jake Trbojevic morph into Aidan Tolman? Geez he looks slow.

He needs to be at prop going forward with Radley/Murray rotating at lock.