NSW dominated the Maroons to comprehensively setup their second series win in as many years.
The Blues 18-6 win over the Maroons is not a fair indicator of how far apart these two teams were. NSW came out as an Origin outfit while the Queenslanders looked anything but a club side. From the outset the Blues ran straight through the middle and dominated the entire contest. It was only poor goal kinking (1 from 5) that kept the Maroons in the game.
The Blues
Best on ground were the two players under an injury cloud. Payne Haas owned the middle and Stephen Crichton was a handful drawing extra cover in defence every time he was in the open.
Zac Lomax continues to excel as a winger with 2 tries, 1 try assist and running 177m, while not to be outdone, Brian To’o scored 1 try and was the only player to run 200m.
There really wasn’t a bad player in the team. If there is room for improvement, it’s the combination between Cleary and Moses which will be better in Game 2
The Maroons
I mentioned in the preview, the Maroons had to dominate the middle to have any chance to win. And dominate the middle they DID NOT. When NSW villain Spencer Lenui came on the field, he demanded the Maroons kick off to him which they refused to entertain. This did not go unnoticed by the Blues team.
Xavier Coates and Tom Dearden were probably their best players, but the Queensland spine were ordinary in this match.
Where to next?
The Blues will remain unchanged except through suspension or injuries.
The Maroons will make changes, but I don’t know who to bring in. Ben Hunt at Tom Dearden’s expense? Cobbo? Out of form Reece Walsh?
Then there is the DCE question commentators have been asking whether it’s time to drop the Queensland Captain and give Tom Deardon a chance. I have my own question.
Is DCE the most selfish player in the competition?
From the circus around his backflip with the Titans ten years ago to the current circus of where he will play next year. Since his announcement he will leave, Manly’s form has dropped and instead of repaying the club in his final year, he keeps them in limbo and plays representative football.
I know you’re a longtime retired, but my impression of DCE is it’s all about DCE and all it’s about the money.
This is for Coach Billy to sort out. The Maroons need to compete in Game 2 or this will end up a Blueswash.
