First and foremost:
Thankful that first Kaufusi try didn't decide the game. It was off an NFL style disposal by Ponga and clearly forward. Unbelievable it didn't get pulled up.
Aside from that?
- Freddy yet again justified with his selections. Burton= no nonsense, smart football and ads that extra dimension to the NSW kicking game. Cleary= huge response to the people rinsing him after Game 1. That's how a truly great player responds. Lockyer did the same thing in 2006 after getting criticism. Talakai= a later addition as an impact player but so glad to watch him in Origin at last. Massive steal of the football and some bulky yardage up field. Critta= poor missed tackle earlier on but then redeemed himself with a try. I am critical of Freddy like most here over some things, but one thing he does well is get his teams to turn up prepared and play like it, regardless of who is in the squad.
- The last 3 years, Qld have lost badly pretty much anytime NSW have beaten them. Their attitude and defence tonight was notably good in the first half and you can see the commitment compared to last year where they crumbled easily. It wasn't until the 50th minute, after re-gaining Kaufusi, that the gaps began to show. It was like a combination of fatigue and laziness in small things like ball carriage, rather than giving up. Not sure if fitness is an issue for the squad, like how intensive are their training sessions?
- Saying the above, I expect a notably closer game for Game 3 and it's usually the case even if one side gets notably beaten in Game 2.