State of Origin: 20 moments that defined NSW dominance over the Maroons in game 2

The Maroons should need no extra motivation heading into the Origin decider on home turf, but if coach Billy Slater is looking for some then these are 20 instances in which his team were bullied by the Blues at the MCG.

Queensland coach Billy Slater doesn’t need our help as he looks to avoid the first series defeat of his State of Origin career but we’re going to offer him a modicum of advice anyway.

The Maroons were bludgeoned, belittled and worst of all, badly beaten at the MCG on Wednesday night. It was a night of sky blue dominance and as Slater attempts to rebuild his side’s confidence, he could do worse than show them the 20 moments that highlighted just how much Queensland were pushed around in Melbourne.

They were dominated from start to finish. They had sand kicked in their faces. They were scorned and savaged.

NSW owned the Maroons in every facet of the game but perhaps the biggest gulf was in the aggression levels between the two sides and the way the Blues were able to impose their will on the game.

This columnist sat down and poured over replays of the game and found the 20 moments that defined NSW’s dominance. It started from the kick-off with a Mitchell Moses shove in the back of Reuben Cotter and reached a climax late in the second half when Liam Martin dropped a shoulder into the back of Maroons captain Daly Cherry-Evans.

So here we go. A catalogue of carnage that should embarrass everyone in a Queensland jersey.

Art by Boo Bailey

TWENTY MOMENTS OF NSW DOMINANCE

1 - Mitchell Moses from the kick-off launches the ball down field and then levels Reuben Cotter with a shoulder as he sets off. A stunned Cotter hits the turf and the tone is set for the match.

16 - Qld run the ball on the last tackle. After Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow offloads, he is hit with a shoulder by Steve Crichton. Hammer slumps to the turf and when he gets up he is favouring his right shoulder.

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow will miss Round 17 for the Dolphins & go for scans on an AC joint injury suffered in Origin 2 last night (via @JoelGould6).

Hammer now won’t play til Origin 3 at the earliest with the Phins having a Round 18 bye. pic.twitter.com/qHWvvZACVG

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) June 27, 2024

17 - Jarome Luai puts a kick over the top that is swallowed up by the Tabuai-Fidow. As he takes the kick, Steve Crichton gets hold of his jersey and drags him back into the in-goal. Crichton gives him a shove for his trouble.

21 - Reece Robson grabs a handful of Jaydn Su’A’s hair as he makes a tackle on the Queensland back rower. Su’A rises to his feet and is clearly unhappy.

32 - Mitch Moses gets up in Tom Dearden’s grill and jolts the ball loose. Moses claps his hands with glee as the Blues’ ringleaders Steve Crichton and Liam Martin let Dearden know about it.

36 - Martin lifts Reuben Cotter and drops him on his back. Martin is apologetic but even Andrew Johns in commentary suggests Martin should be sin-binned. Klein puts him on report and Cherry-Evans can be heard asking, “is that all?”.

Liam Martin was lucky to escape sanction for this tackle on Reuben Cotter. Picture: Mark Stewart

37 - Jaydn Su’A is driven backwards and then throws a desperate offload which is intercepted by Steve Crichton. Moses and Martin are again involved in the tackle.

38 - Jarome Luai puts in a kick that is batted dead by Walsh as pressure continues to mount on the Maroons line. After Walsh sends the ball out of play, Latrell Mitchell drops a shoulder into his back and the Maroons No.1 tumbles to the turf.

39 - NSW winger Zac Lomax scores his second try of the night and as he throws the ball in the air, Steve Crichton appears to bark in the face of Dearden as he races in to celebrate with his teammate.

Latrell Mitchell appears to collect Xavier Coates high in Origin II.

43 - Mitchell hits Xavier Coates with a high shot off a Luai kick. Mitchell is fortunate it didn’t go terribly wrong - there are shades of Joseph Suaalii’s tackle on Walsh in Origin I about the incident. Mitchell’s as apologetic but fortunate not to go to sin-bin.

46 - Luai puts a late shot on Cherry-Evans after a pass flies over the head of the Maroons skipper. Luai doesn’t waste a chance and leaves Cherry-Evans on the ground

46 - Crichton and Martin get in the face of Dearden after Moses forces a mistake. Crichton shoves the Maroons playmaker to the ground. A melee follows as Qld players come in to help their five-eighth

50 - Steve Crichton puts Cherry-Evans in a choke hold - Cherry-Evans reacts by shoving Crichton to the ground, causing another melee. As Cherry-Evans and Crichton come together, Crichton points to his temple as if to say don’t lose your head.

Stephen Crichton using his head. Photo: Channel 9

51 - Martin jolts the ball loose from Su’A, rubs his head and gives him a serve. Steve Crichton chimes in. Players come in from everywhere. Spencer Leniu races in as well to have a shot at Su’A.

52 - Steve Crichton drives a shoulder into Reece Walsh after he has passed the ball. Moments later Haumole Olakau’atu drops on Hammer while he is on the ground.

54 - Spencer Leniu looks to perform a crusher tackle on Harry Grant. Grant gets to his feet holding his head and gesticulating towards Leniu

Crichton humbles Holmes and Cotter

61 - Valentine Holmes is smashed by Angus Crichton after losing the ball. Reuben Cotter races in and gets shoved in his face for his trouble. Blues players can be heard laughing in the coverage

64 - Queensland go for a short kick-off and ball goes out on the full after Xavier Coates had flown over Latrell Mitchell to try to keep it in play. The ball ends up back in Mitchell’s hands and he hurls it at Coates, along with some choice comments.

65 - Mitchell rounds up Walsh, lifts him up and drops him on the ground like a sack of potatoes.

66 - Cherry-Evans puts in a kick and Martin makes him pay for it, dropping his shoulder into the Queensland captain and playmaker. Klein awards a penalty but Martin was lucky not to be sent to the sin bin for a second time in the match.

There you go Billy. No need for thanks. We’re here to help.

* * * * *

TIGERS TAKE INITIATIVE WITH UTOIKAMANU

The Wests Tigers finally seem to be getting things right. Taking back control of the club and making some decisions that point towards a rosy future.

The Tigers desperately want to keep Stefano Utoikamanu, something they made clear to the powerful front rower in a meeting with him and his wife earlier this week.

They also don’t want to be left high and dry should he decide to depart at the end of the season. So they gave him permission to take a look around the NRL ahead of schedule in a move designed to provide some clarity around the future and the $4 million contract extension they have put in front of him.

The Tigers will study the market themselves - they have already made overtures with the Melbourne Storm about Nelson Asofa-Solomona should he crave a change of scene - and may use Utoikamanu’s money to sign someone else.

(L-R) Stefano Utoikamanu and Nelson Asofa-Solomona.

They may keep their powder dry and wait for Utoikamanu to come back to them. The point is they have taken charge of the situation rather than sit on their hands.

Asofa-Solomona may not be the answer. Early indications are that he wants to stay in Melbourne and fight for his future, although he looks like a player in desperate need of a fresh start.

The New Zealand wrecking ball that has at times destroyed teams over his career has been missing in action this year.

Asofa-Solomona has been coming off the bench and his impact has been minimal. The sense is that the Storm wouldn’t stand in his way if he wanted to go given the size of his pay packet compared to the influence he is having on games.

He shapes as the ideal contingency plan for the Tigers but their overriding priority is to keep Utoikamanu. They believe they are the right club for him and the past two wins have helped their cause, although their next three matches are against three of the competition heavyweights.

Heavy defeats in those games and they will be behind the eight-ball again. Yet they have blooded some young guns in recent weeks and the signs have been promising, giving Utoikamanu a reason to believe that things may be heading in the right direction.

The ball is now in his court as he surveys the NRL for interested parties. The Tigers, meanwhile, are on a journey of their own. They finally seem to be heading in the right direction.

Originally published as State of Origin: 20 moments that defined NSW dominance over the Maroons in game 2