Queensland cannot afford to treat State of Origin III like a dead rubber

THE series may be gone, but Queensland cannot afford to play like there’s nothing at stake in State of Origin III writes DARREN LOCKYER.

Greg Inglis of the Maroons reacts following his team's loss to the Blues in Game 2 of the 2018 State of Origin series between the NSW Blues and the Queensland Maroons at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Sunday, June 24, 2018. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

THE Origin series may be gone, but it’s important Queensland players uphold the cultural expectations of the Maroons and see a bigger picture beyond what happens in Game Three.

In the rugby league sphere, there is nothing more deflating than losing an Origin series 3-0.

I was a member of the 2000 Maroons which were embarrassed 56-16 in the final game of that series and I will never forget the emptiness of the Queensland dressing room that night.

Our great team manager, Chris ‘Choppy’ Close, called it the Queensland Origin’s team darkest day.

I’m confident the Maroons’ class of 2018 won’t suffer a similar result, but no Origin jersey is won easily. For all the talk about Origin III being a dead rubber this year, it’s imperative Maroons players realise there is still much at stake on individual and collective levels.

Queensland must fight to avoid total humiliation. Photo by Matt King/Getty Images.

They are playing for their futures in the Queensland team.

The next Origin series is still 12 months away but what this squad does in the famous Queensland jersey will resonate with coach Kevin Walters.

While the 17 players will be motivated to perform for their fans, family, and the pride of the Queensland jumper, they will also have something to prove to the man in the mirror.

Having lost just our second series in 13 years, some critics will argue Queensland needs to make some tough calls for Origin III to reinvigorate a squad that failed to get the job done this season.

But the one thing we must be mindful of is the perils of constant change.

During the Maroons’ record reign, the Blues fell into a habit of chopping and changing their squads, each series defeat sending NSW crashing back to square one.

Queensland have to stick with what has worked. Photo by Adam Head.

Hitting the panic button is not the answer to reclaiming Origin supremacy. There is more benefit to be derived from identifying a group of players you believe can get the job done, and driving a culture that delivers that squad to sustained success.

If the guys who played in Origin II come through fit over the weekend, I imagine there will be minimal changes for Game Three.

Queensland has already presided over a regeneration of the team in the past 12 months. Last year, the Maroons had eight debutants. This year, we’ve blooded Ben Hunt, Andrew McCullough, Felise Kaufusi, Jai Arrow and Kalyn Ponga, who was magnificent in his Origin debut last week.

Queensland don’t need mass changes. AAP Image/David Moir.

That is evidence Queensland doesn’t need to take the axe to the squad.

If anyone is dropped for Origin III, it will not be a sign their Queensland career is over, but it may be that only a minor tweak can improve the side to the point where it can rise again to challenge for Origin supremacy next year.

■ THE game can learn a lot from a magnificent inaugural women’s State of Origin game and the Denver Test between England and New Zealand.

The women’s NSW-Queensland clash last week was simply superb. The thing I loved most about the game was the lack of focus on wrestling, the girls just played the game as it should be and it was the entertainment factor the NRL needs to really go to another level as a code.

In an age where the battle for the consumer dollar is fierce, rugby league cannot become bogged down in the tactics we see too often in the NRL of trying to slow the game down.

The women’s Origin game was a brilliant advertisement and proof that if the sport is played in the right spirit, rugby league has a formidable product.

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The Denver Test copped its fair share of brickbats, but international football and women’s rugby league are two facets of the code with enormous room for growth.

The emergence of Tonga has been a revelation and I’d like to see them face New Zealand next year. I would also love to see the ashes fought out between Australia and Great Britain again.

I understand the NRL calendar is increasingly busy, but with good planning, there is scope for Test match football and the women’s game to make rugby league Australia’s No. 1 sport.

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Originally published as Queensland cannot afford to treat State of Origin III like a dead rubber