State of Origin opinion: Whoever blinks first will lose the series
COLMAN’S CALL: Much as it pains us to say it, the key to the Maroons’ success in the State of Origin decider comes from a Gus Gould quote.
Opinion
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ACCORDING to Gus Gould, the Blues’ most successful Origin coach, it’s all about blinking.
In his latter-day guise as a respected rugby league analyst and Channel 9 commentator, Gus has been adept at appropriating US sporting terminology.
It is Gus we can thank for “now it’s a footrace”, and the ubiquitous “it’s an arm-wrestle” (incidentally, I have always wondered if, during a professional arm-wrestle, the commentator ever says, “It’s a football game”).
Then, of course, there is the moment when a contest can go either way, and Gus intones solemnly, “Now let’s see who blinks first.”
During Origin II, Gus didn’t have to ask the question. It was obvious for all to see. The Blues blinked first, almost as soon as they came back on to the field for the second half.
Up until then everything had been going their way, just as it has so many times over the past 11 years, and just like it has on all but one occasion, they blinked, choked, fell in a hole, *&^% themselves, call it what you will.
The fact is, their inner resolve and self-belief was inferior to that of the Maroons. When they felt their fingers start to wrap around the Origin trophy, it was too much for them to hold.
And once that moment was gone — and they knew it was gone — it was gone for good.
You see it in a lot sports. We saw it at Suncorp Stadium in the ninth round of the Jeff Horn-Manny Pacquiao world title fight.
Manny knew that Horn was too big, too strong, too young for him. Anyone with any idea who was there could see it from the first couple of rounds, but mighty champion that he is, when he saw his chance in the ninth, Manny threw everything he had at Horn.
Had the Queenslander buckled then, it would have been all over. Had Horn come out for the 10th thinking that Pacquiao was too good for him and that his only hope was to hold on until the final bell, he would never have seen the 11th.
Of course that’s not what happened. Horn bounced out of his corner as if it was the start of the fight. It was Pacquiao, not him, who blinked.
The fact that Johnathan Thurston will not be playing tonight could give NSW supporters some confidence, but it’s doubtful it will be shared by their players.
A wounded JT might have kicked the winning goal, but he wasn’t the one who broke the Blues in the second half. That was Dylan Napa, Josh McGuire, Gavin Cooper, Coen Hess and, once he got his head in the game, Tim Glasby.
On the back of their growing confidence, Dane Gagai played a blinder.
Whoever anointed Josh Jackson Man of the Match must have been the same judge who scored the Horn-Pacquiao fight 117-111.
Sure, Jackson was good for the first half, but just like with that brutal ninth round in Horn-Pacquiao, it is the one on top at the end who is the winner.
It’s like the Joe Louis-Billy Conn world heavyweight title fight in 1941. Challenger Conn totally outfought champion Louis for 12 rounds, then went for a knockout in the 13th. Instead Louis knocked him out.
After the fight Conn said, “Joe, couldn’t you have just let me have the title for a year?” to which Louis replied, ”You had it for 12 rounds and couldn’t hold on to it.”
The Blues get another shot tonight, but they’ve given up the home ground advantage and the momentum. The young Maroons forwards now know what is needed to win in the toughest arena of all.
They’ve had a taste of victory and they want more, in front of their own people.
As for NSW, they arrive at Suncorp knowing that when their moment came, they let it go. To paraphrase the Brown Bomber: they had the title for 120 minutes and couldn’t hold onto it.
Or as Gus would say, they blinked.
Originally published as State of Origin opinion: Whoever blinks first will lose the series
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