Kudos, Pete.
It's a strange feeling today- I keep thinking back to last nights' tough encounter and what an 80's style grind the whole match was. On those grounds alone, it was a tough but unspectacular contest. Except this time, instead of having constant flashbacks to moments of derpitude from a Blues player or a bad refs call that cost us, I then keep remembering that it's all over now. The wait is over and the series is ours!
The best thing of all this is not having to worry about the next game anymore. As much as I would LOVE to turn this series into a Bluewash, it's just such an unusual feeling to have this weight off the shoulders and know that even if we get pumped, Qld won't be taking the shield back with them or boasting about a clean-sweep. Such a contrast in feeling to the aftermath of Game 3 last year- it was meant to be our series. We'd won Game 1 deservedly, slipped up in Game 2 (for a number of reasons) but there was still that expectation that NSW would bring it home and seal the series in Game 3. Watching Pearce ruin it again and Qld somehow hold on to win had me (and plenty of other Blues fans I'm sure) wondering how long it would be until the shield was ours? I thought ahead to this year with Qld getting two games, and the following year with a game in Melbourne and had that sinking feeling of wondering how much closer we'd have to get before finally winning that Shield back? I certainly didn't think I'd be celebrating less than a year later!
To the Qld fans crying about being "robbed"- take some of the advice you've given out to Blues fans over the years and suck it up! You lost. Plenty of times the bounce of the ball or the 50/50 calls have gone Qld's way and NSW have had to cop it sweet. This time, for once, it went our way. Swings and roundabouts.
To all the people in NSW who stayed solid and never thought about switching- well done to all of you. Qld can never again claim their fans have a mortgage on passion after the way we stuck solid these past 8 years. Origin was never in danger as a concept. Blatchy's Blues got bigger every time Origin came back to Sydney. We stayed in there long enough and now here is our reward- and how sweet it is! Also a shout-out to the kids who'd never seen their State win Origin- enjoy the feeling today kids- may this be a feeling you get used to!
18/6/14: Ding dong, the witch is dead.
