The Game
What a decider.
This game had it all. Big hits, tight defence, an all-in brawl… Ok, an all-in push and shove that saw players sin-binned, evicted, suspended and fined.
Both teams traded penalties until the 65th minute when the inevitable occurred. Someone cracked.
In a three-minute period the Blues ran away with the win and the Shield.
Bradman Best was first to score after the ‘Peoples Champion’ and all-round good guy Jarome Luai split the defence for a long range try. Not do be outdone, halfback Mitchel Moses step through the Maroons line to ice the game.
Immortal, Andrew Johns stated.
This is as good as it gets. I can’t believe what I’m watching. This has been an absolute classic, the pinnacle of rugby league.
Andrew Johns
I wonder what his quote would have been have the tries been by the other side.
The Melee
All talk was about the brouhaha in the 1st half when perennial villain, former acrobat and wannabe referee, DCE, was dumbfounded about a push and shove he started.
The incident flowed over the sideline seeing the entire Maroons bench get involved and Blues bench player Cameron Murray run 15m. The aftermath saw a player from each side sin-binned, and Blues player Haumole OLakau’atu, who wasn’t even playing, being evicted. How he only got two weeks suspension for that amazes me.
Poor DCE was astonished the penalty went against him and shocked the referee didn’t follow his demand that Murray be sent off for the entire match.
I am all for an overreaction and have Murray sent off, as long as the entire Maroons bench followed suit as they too weren’t allowed to be involved.
Glass Houses
Ah, Queensland, the cracks have been showing all series. Beautiful one day, in denial the next.
The Blues defied history to be just the 3rd NSW team to win a decider in Brisbane. This was in front of a hostile crowd and being historically on the wrong side of the penalty count.
Queensland was gifted the series after just seven minutes in Game 1. It was in the bag. I could write paragraphs about the bristling ‘woah is me’ attitude from the Queensland media and coaching staff. From Gordon Tallis insinuating an unfair bias and then responding with ‘I’m not saying anything. I’m just saying’, to Queensland legends demanding the six again rule be scrapped immediately after losing a penalty count. Billy Slater’s ‘We are Queenslander’ responses in the press conference after the Melbourne massacre and then cancelling other media commitments.
Even a day after the push and shove incident, Gordon Tallis was still stamping the ground stating it’s not fair confusing Cameron Murray and the evicted suit Haumole.
Coach Maguire airing out Billy Slater’s dirty laundry and the over reaction was amazing.
After the decider, Coach Slater and Captain DCE were as gracious as ever blaming the referees.
Forget the fact the Blues held the field position, ran for more metres, forced errors and an extra 100+ tackles on the Maroons.
The Blues were the better team on the night and the Series.
Go the Blues! The Dynasty has started. One in a row!
