KICKOFF: Five things Origin I taught us
Dragons Den News
ONE DOWN: Blues react to their game one victory on Wednesday night. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith
IN the immediate aftermath to Origin I the overwhelming feeling for this columnist was one of deja vu.
NSW were brilliant, beyond that at times, and thoroughly deserved their win, but the joy at their victory needs to be tempered – if not by the fans and media, by the Blues themselves.
Here are the five things to take out of Origin I.
Veterans stood up
So much talk in the lead-up to the match focused on experience. The Blues were blooding 11 debutants, while Queensland lost 101 games of Origin experience in the rep retirements of Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Jonathan Thurston. Throw in the injury withdrawal of Billy Slater and the number swelled to 130.
The youth brought the most excitement from fans, but it was their old heads who proved the key men. We can only guess, but it certainly looked like Brad Fittler tapped a few of his experienced campaigners before the game.
When James Maloney joined Penrith in the preseason, he was quick to say the Panthers remained Nathan Cleary’s team. He marched to a different tune in the lead-up to game one however, putting the onus on himself.
He laid on three tries – four if you include Val Holmes intercept – and was only just edged by James Tedesco as best on ground. Tedesco threw off indifferent club form to score the Blues opening try and provided the line breaks for two more.
Nine-game Blue David Klemmer led the charge up front. He only played 28 minutes but ran for a 133 metres. Kickoff is not one to get caught up in stats, but every metre in Origin is hard-won.
Throw in Boyd Cordner’s 21 carries for a 156 metres and it was the Blues returning class who really produced the win.
For Queensland, skipper Greg Inglis could not have done much more to lift his side, particularly in defence, welcoming Cleary and Tom Trbojevic to Origin with bone rattlers.
NSW will only get better
With the veterans leading the way, as you would hope they would, the pressure of big moments did not rest on the new faces.
There’s no such thing as an easy Origin game but their initiation was not as tough as others we’ve seen. That confidence spilled over late with Trbojevic, Mitchell and Addo-Carr all getting over the line.
Their confidence will be sky high playing at home in game two. It can, of course, go one of two ways. Queensland will also be better in game two and have had a habit of building through a series.
If the confidence turns to complacency, they could get burned, but there’s no doubt they’ll be an even tougher prospect for the Maroons in game two.
Blues got rub of the green
It’s perhaps the single biggest factor the Blues should look to in tempering the joy at their victory. Some crucial calls went their way, the biggest in the 45th minute.
The Maroons had all the momentum at the start of the second 40 minutes, with Ben Hunt laying on a try for Dan Gagai and part-time kicker Holmes nailing the sideline conversion.
Another Queensland boil-over looked imminent before Gagai brought the ball back on a kick return and had the ball stripped by Angus Crichton.
The referees called it a knock on. Latrell Mitchell scored from the next set and Trbojevic scored three minutes later.
Maloney’s pass to Josh Addo-Carr for the try that sealed the deal was clearly forward. They’re big calls in an Origin contest.
The Blues were unquestionably the better side, but they shouldn’t bank on getting all the 50-50 calls throughout the series.
Does Kevvie pick up the phone?
In the end, Queensland picked the right side. Felise Kaufusi was impressive on the right edge and, along with Josh McGuire was Queensland’s best forward, while fellow debutant Jai Arrow had a good stint from the bench and could be looking at more minutes in game two.
Kevin Walters, though, is facing a dilemma. Slater will presumably return for game two while Matt Gillett’s also a chance. Both will hugely bolster the Maroons but you have to wonder if Walters is at least staring at the phone.
Ben Hunt and Cameron Munster were solid for the Maroons and it would likely take an injury to see either left out of game two but, should that occur, the Maroons coach could send out an SOS to Jonathan Thurston.
It would at least be worth a conversation. The Cowboys won’t play finals footy this year. Unlike Smith and Cronk, he’s already confirmed 2018 will be his last season.
Surely he would have two more Origin games in him. As we said, it would take an injury, but wouldn’t that be something to see.
Be wary of false dawns
No doubt the biggest things Kickoff took out of the match. When fulltime arrived on Wednesday, our thoughts turned quickly to two other results.
The first was game one last season. Remember that? NSW won 28-4, at Suncorp Stadium no less, Jarryd Hayne leaping into a sea of Blue wigs in triumph.
It was a more impressive win than the Blues’ on Wednesday night. They were also better for most of game two in Sydney only to concede a late try and let Thurston put an exclamation point on his greatness with a sideline conversion.
The other was game two 2015, ironically at the MCG. Kickoff covered the match from the media box as Aaron Woods barged over for a match-sealing try and seemingly ushered in a new era.
The same headlines, “new day dawns” “changing of guard” etc etc greeted that win. Then they traveled to Suncorp Stadium for game three and were blown off the park 52-6.
There’ll be no Thurston this time, no Smith or Cronk either, but the Blues mustn’t rejoice until the shield is firmly in their grasp.
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