Charlie Payne | 26th June 2009
MACKAY'S Pat O'Hanlon played through the pain in Queensland under 18's loss to the Blues on State of Origin night at ANZ Stadium on Wednesday.
O'Hanlon, who is playing Toyota Cup with the Parramatta Eels, will undergo a shoulder reconstruction next Wednesday which will force him to miss the rest of the season.
But he ignored the pain to link with another former Mackay player, Dane Gagai, as Queensland went down 24-6 to the young NSW outfit.
It was a tough game, O'Hanlon said, after NSW took a 10-6 lead to halftime and then ground out the win.
We just never got the ball in the second half.
O'Hanlon, pictured, said he was happy with his game, and said Gagai, who plays Toyota Cup with the Broncos, also had a strong match.
NSW centre Josh Portlock crossed for two tries and five-eighth Albert Kelly played a starring role for the Blues.
O'Hanlon said the Eels had decided to send him for the reconstruction now rather than wait out the season.
I've had it for a while, he said.
I'll miss the rest of the season but I'll be back in time before the season comes around next year.
Hopefully I'll have a good off-season and come back refreshed.
I'll be looking for more of a leadership role in the Toyota Cup.
O'Hanlon recently re-signed with Parramatta until 2011 and is undertaking a Bachelor of Arts degree at university.
