Maroons eye State of Origin series sweep: ‘We can make a statement’
Queensland has the opportunity to make a statement with an improved performance which can lead the Maroons to a clean sweep and the next step towards a dynasty under Billy Slater.
Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Queensland has the opportunity to make a statement with an improved performance which can lead the Maroons to a clean sweep and the next step towards a dynasty under Billy Slater.
Thousands of fans welcomed the Maroons to Cairns at the historic Fan Day at Barlow Park on Tuesday, with more than 4000 hardy Queensland supporters braving the rain to meet their heroes in the flesh.
The entire Game III playing squad and staff arrived to a raucous reception, with players spending almost 90 minutes signing autographs and taking photos with fans.
For Cowboys star Jeremiah Nanai, it was a surreal return to an old stomping ground.
He and Dolphins flyer Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow grew up in Cairns playing for Kangaroos, and on Tuesday they returned to the Far North as crucial members of the Queensland Origin squad.
Nanai will play his fifth Origin since his debut in 2022 when the Maroons head to Sydney chasing a series sweep, and at just 20 years of age forms a key component of what is a young Queensland squad set-up for a decade of success.
“It’s another game, we can make a statement to NSW,” Nanai said.
“We’ll just go through our phases, do our training, take it nice and slowly and prepare well for Game III.
“It means everything … It’s an honour, a blessing and I’m grateful for the opportunity to play for the Maroons.
“When I was a young kid, growing up, I always wanted to play for the Maroons and I get to do it.”
At the head of this potential dynasty is Slater, a living league legend who grew up an hour down the road at Innisfail.
Slater’s switch from a champion footballer to Queensland coach has been one of success, taking the lessons he learned over a 16-year career during which he played 323 NRL games for the Storm, winning four grand finals, played 31 Origins for Queensland (with eight series wins) and represented Australia 30 times, and applying them to a role regarded as royalty in the Sunshine State.
And Slater, who has won four of his first games as Origin coach, isn’t content with a second straight series win under his belt, saying this team had areas of improvement from their 32-6 win against the Blues in Game II
“That’s the goal in front of us,” said Slater of the clean sweep.
“At the end of the day, this team is growing, they’ve built a great foundation to their footy and I think there’s a whole heap of growth in our footy which is where we’re heading.
“We have 10 days to work on that, and we’ll be expecting to see a better performance than Game II.”
WORDS OF WISDOM
Dispel any talk of Game III being a dead rubber: more rides on this opportunity than fans might think.
It’s where Origin careers are born, others are ended, and teams have the chance to enter the record books as one of the few teams win a series 3-0.
No team has done so since the Maroons swept the 2010 series, smack bang in the middle of Queensland’s eight successive Origin series wins.
That’s how Queensland captain Daly Cherry-Evans is approaching this contest; an opportunity to make history.
Cherry-Evans has played for his state 22 times, but now has the opportunity to lead a team which could be the eighth team - and fifth Maroons side - to record a clean sweep.
And some words of wisdom from legendary playmaker Johnathan Thurston may provide the spark to do so.
“I’ve been involved a dead rubbers before … I know exactly how this NSW side will be,” he said.
“I’ve played in, call it what you want, a Game III where we’ve had the series sewn up.
“This opportunity has taken me and my teammates our whole Origin career to be involved in so we’re not going to waste it.
“Our staff have spoken to us about the opportunity we have in front of us, JT touched on it last night – he let a few opportunities go during his career to go 3-0 – he has some pretty sound advice for us.
“If we weren’t motivated before we came into camp, last night surely showed us where we’re going.”
matthew.mcinerney1@news.com.au
More Coverage
Originally published as Maroons eye State of Origin series sweep: ‘We can make a statement’
U12 girls, boys Queensland netball squads revealed
The talent pool of netball in Queensland is ever growing, and if the recent Under-12s School Sport Nationals are anything to go by, there’s no slowing down. Meet the squads and hear how they brought home gold and bronze:
‘Best celebration’: Brisbane Lions fan’s epic reaction to insane win
Is this the best reaction to the Brisbane Lions thrilling comeback against the Giants in the sudden-death semi-final?