NRL 2021: Player drain to cripple Queensland Maroons State of Origin chances for 5 years

The Maroons are facing a scary player drain that could cripple Queensland’s State of Origin chances for the next five years. It’s a disaster.

Maroons skipper Daly Cherry-Evans was distraught after the crushing series loss. Picture: Getty Images.

The Maroons are facing a scary player drain that could cripple Queensland’s State of Origin chances for the next five years.

The 2021 Origin series has been decided after NSW romped to a 26–0 victory at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday night to secure a 2-0 lead with a game to play.

This was the first time Queensland has ever been held scoreless on home soil in 41 years.

It wasn’t the record 50-6 thrashing the Blues dished out in Game One in Townsville a fortnight ago but it was still a dominant victory by NSW.

The Maroons have scored one try in 160 minutes of action this year under new coach Paul Green and have already lost their third series in four years.

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Maroons skipper Daly Cherry-Evans was distraught after the crushing series loss. Picture: Getty Images.

The memory of last year’s miracle series win under Wayne Bennett is now long gone.

Queensland has serious issues with the players they have at their disposal.

The brutal reality is that NSW would not trade one of their players for a current Queenslander. That hasn’t been the case for a long time.

The Blues outpoint their rivals in every position on the field.

You could make a case for Cameron Munster and Josh Papalii being better players than Jarome Luai and Junior Paulo but that is about it.

The greatest divide is in the back five.

Immortal Andrew Johns rates this the most dangerous back five NSW has ever had in Origin’s 41-year history and it is hard to argue with him.

Fullback James Tedesco has long been regarded as the NRL’s number one player. Now he is being challenged by Tom Trbojevic and Latrell Mitchell, who the Blues play in the centres – Queensland’s worst position.

Josh Addo-Carr is the fastest man in the NRL and proved it when he set up Trbojevic in the 33rd minute to put the Blues up 18-nil. Rookie winger Brian To’o beats the first tackle on nearly every carry he takes.

On the other hand, Queensland’s current back five are a complete rabble.

Cameron Munster was arguably better than Jarome Luai, but NSW had QLD covered at almost every position. Picture: Getty Images.

Sure, Valentine Holmes was the fourth-choice fullback for this game after Kalyn Ponga (groin), AJ Brimson (knee) and Reece Walsh (hamstring) were ruled out.

But Queensland centres Kurt Capewell and Dane Gagai are the best they’ve got and they couldn’t lace up Mitchell and Trbojevic’s boots.

Gagai has had a sensational Origin career but all of his 11 tries have come playing on the wing. He is an average centre and Capewell is a backrower.

A key pillar in Queensland’s decade of dominance under Mal Meninga from 2006-15 was the steady production line of talent coming into the team.

When a player was nearing retirement his successor was groomed over a period to take over.

Apart from a few injured fullbacks and hooker Harry Grant (hamstring), the Maroons have few genuine Origin prospects demanding selection.

Reece Walsh is a player of the future, but the immediate future is looking bleak for the Maroons. Picture: Getty Images.

Walsh and Roosters halfback Sam Walker are bright young talents but only boast 16 NRL games between them.

What also cannot be ignored is the current plight of Queensland’s three NRL clubs.

This would have been the first match in Origin history that the Brisbane Broncos did not have a representative in the Queensland side if Xavier Coates wasn’t rushed into the team on game day following the Ronaldo Mulitalo eligibility debacle.

The Broncos collected last year’s NRL wooden spoon and are in the mix to get it again in 2021.

The Gold Coast Titans have played finals once in 10 years. They had three players in the Queensland side but only Moeaki Fotuaika can hold his head high.

The North Queensland Cowboys have recorded three straight bottom four finishes.

The Maroons have always had less players to choose from but they have offset that by having some of the NRL’s top talent and playing with Queensland spirit.

That pendulum has well and truly swung NSW’s way and it could be some time before Queensland finds the depth to challenge what could be one of the great Blues teams in the coming years.