Kevin Walters puts Maroons players on notice after Origin II thrashing
Furious Queensland coach Kevin Walters has threatened to wield the axe following the Maroons’ 38-6 State of Origin II drubbing in Perth.
Maroons
Don't miss out on the headlines from Maroons. Followed categories will be added to My News.
“Even the kick-off f***ing pissed me off.”
With that scathing comment, furious Queensland coach Kevin Walters put his troops on notice as he threatened to wield the axe following the Maroons’ 38-6 drubbing in Origin II last night.
The joy of Queensland’s 18-14 Game One win was wiped away by the Maroons’ worst performance since Walters took over from Mal Meninga for the start of the 2016 campaign.
Queensland were beaten in every facet, most notably in midfield, with the Maroons making just 989 metres compared to NSW’s 1736.
Queensland back-rower Felise Kaufusi (102 metres) was the only Maroons forward to amass more than 100 metres, with starting props Dylan Napa and Josh Papalii hammered around the rucks by the Blues.
Walters said Queensland’s Game One display was a five out of 10. Asked if this was a two out of 10, Walters unloaded.
“I think that’s being kind,” he fired.
MORE STATE OF ORIGIN COVERAGE
Horror show: Walters faces biggest test after Maroons mauled
Crash: No fight in an un-Queensland like performance
“We were outplayed from the kick off, they wanted it more than us.
“I’m disappointed for the Queensland fans. We got a towel up out there.
“Right from the kick off, they beat us up, even that (kick-off) f***ing pissed me off.
“It didn’t go long enough, it didn’t go far enough, that just summed up the whole game.”
Queensland traditionally lacks the depth of its NSW counterpart but Walters says he will consider changes for the decider in Origin III at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium on July 10.
“We have to look at that (changes),” he said.
“We will look at that in the next few ays and see who is available going into Game Three.
“I’m surprised from my point of view, I’m disappointed, the guys aren’t feeling too good in the sheds.
“The opening 10 minutes wasn’t good enough. They are a young side and we don’t have a great deal of experience.
“We were poor in a lot of areas. We will get them going again and we now have to go to Sydney which is a great Origin venue.”
NSW coach Brad Fittler was vindicated for making seven changes to his side. He now faces making another change for Origin III after halfback Nathan Cleary injured his ankle and could be sidelined for a month.
Blues debutant prop Daniel Saifiti was outstanding in the early exchanges, setting the platform for Tom Trbojevic’s hat-trick.
“They did themselves really proud,” Fittler said. “I went over the first game and this was a lesson in working hard for each other.
“You never envisage a scoreline like that but we got some confidence early and went on with it.
“The crucial part was the start. Daniel Saifiti and Jake Trbojevic were fantastic.
“Tommy (Trbojevic) was great, he is just a superstar and James (Maloney) just got us the win.
“He is just a winner, he finds a way to win. That was his best game in a while.”
Originally published as Kevin Walters puts Maroons players on notice after Origin II thrashing
‘Fatty’ reveals Maroons mantra behind famous Origin boilover
The 1995 series is regarded as the biggest upset in State of Origin history. 30 years on, former Qld coach Paul Vautin has revealed the secret to their success in the hopes it can inspire Billy Slater’s Maroons in 2025.
Maroons legend Inglis launches Origin coaching career
Greg Inglis haunted New South Wales throughout a 32-game State of Origin career. Now, the NRL and Queensland legend is officially back in Maroon after launching his coaching career.