State of Origin: Maroons coach Paul Green refuses to answer Jai Arrow questions
Maroons coach Paul Green has sensationally refused to answer questions about the Jai Arrow scandal, leaving senior players to respond.
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Paul Green’s leadership has come under fire after the Queensland coach refused to answer questions about Jai Arrow’s Origin ban, instead leaving his players to front up over the NRL’s latest Covid scandal.
Arrow was kicked out of Camp Maroon on Thursday and hit with a $35,000 fine after breaching the NRL’s biosecurity protocols by sneaking a woman into Queensland’s team hotel on the Gold Coast.
The Arrow incident was the latest black eye in a series of dramas that has engulfed the Maroons, with Queensland in danger of suffering its first 3-nil series whitewash in 21 years.
The Maroons have suffered injury setbacks, selection bungles and been accused of having a drinking culture in what has so far been the worst Queensland performance in State of Origin’s 41-year history.
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In his first year as coach, the pressure is mounting on Green to salvage some pride for Queensland in Wednesday night’s dead-rubber in Newcastle after the Maroons were outscored 76-6 in the first two games.
But he did himself few favours during a bizarre media appearance on Friday when he issued a brief statement and refused to answer questions about the Arrow incident.
“In regards to the Jai Arrow incident, the matter is in the relevant authorities’ hands and hasn’t been resolved as yet,” Green said.
“We won’t be making any further comment at this stage. Any inquiries, please contact the NRL.”
Green then walked off, leaving Maroons forwards Christian Welch and Kurt Capewell to answer questions about Arrow’s brazen breach and Queensland’s disastrous campaign.
Paul Green has just asked media to contact the NRL for any questions regarding Jai Arrow before walking out and taking no questions.@FOXSportsNews
— Josh Bristow (@JoshTBristow) July 9, 2021
Arrow came clean to the NRL about inviting a woman he described as a “dancer” into Camp Maroon on Tuesday night, thereby breaching the bubble protocols.
He was slapped with a two-game ban and sent into a 14-day home isolation, with a chauffeur immediately driving him back to Sydney on Thursday night.
Welch, who was fined $10,000 following a similar incident last year in the Melbourne Storm bubble, said the Maroons felt let down by Arrow.
“It’s been tough on the group to be honest, particularly being 2-nil down and going into a game where we’re really trying to turn things around and deliver for the people of Queensland,” he said.
“He’s made a bad error, a bad mistake. I did the same thing last year in the Melbourne Storm bubble.
“He understands he’s made a really poor decision and it’s affected not only himself but the team and group.
“It’s obviously disappointing but I’m not going to bag the bloke. I did the same thing last year and made a really stupid decision.
“I know he’s really hurting at the moment. He’s a bloke who’s so passionate about Queensland and representing his state. He knows he’s let everyone down.”
The Arrow incident came just days after the NRL handed out $305,000 in fines to 13 Dragons players who breached the game’s bubble and NSW government restrictions by holding a house party.
State governments have issued exemptions to the NRL for players to bypass strict border policies and the regular breaching of biosecurity protocols threatens to bring the game to a halt.
Welch said the players had to get their behaviour in order or risk losing their livelihood.
“We were all aware of the rules, there’s no defending what’s happened and what’s been put at risk from those actions. It’s not good,” he said.
“We really need to lift our game in terms of abiding by the Covid rules and not thinking we’re above the average man and woman.
“I’ve been through that process last year where I made that really poor decision and there’s been a few others this year.
“It’s something we really need to get a hold of as a playing group across the NRL because it’s doing a lot of damage. It could jeopardise the game.
“The players are aware of the situation and what we need to protect for ourselves and the game going forward.”
ARROW DOBS HIMSELF IN AFTER ‘DANCER’ VISIT
A guilty Jai Arrow claims to have dobbed himself into Queensland management after breaching the NRL’s strict Covid protocols by inviting a “dancer” into Camp Maroon.
Arrow was handed a two-game ban and fined $35,000 after inviting a woman into the Queensland team hotel on the Gold Coast on Tuesday night - a blatant breach of the game’s biosecurity bubble.
The South Sydney star has been rubbed out of Wednesday night’s dead-rubber in Newcastle which Queensland must win to avoid its first 3-nil series whitewash in 21 years.
Arrow is claiming to have confessed to Maroons staff about his decision to invite a woman, described as a “dancer”, from outside the Queensland bubble to the team hotel.
He has also claimed they had minimal contact.
The Queensland team’s preparations were left in limbo on Friday as they awaited direction from the government about what they were cleared to do.
The NRL came down hard on Arrow less than a week after 13 Dragons players were fined a total of $305,000 following a brazen breach of NSW government and NRL protocols.
It is essentially a $50,000 penalty given Arrow will forfeit his $15,000 Origin match payment.
He left the Sheraton Mirage Hotel on Thursday night to commence the long drive home to Sydney to enter a 14-day isolation.
Broncos prop Tom Flegler is expected to take Arrow’s place in the Queensland team to make his Origin debut.
The NRL has beefed up security around the clock at the Queensland team hotel to ensure the squad complies with rules for the remainder of the camp.
A contrite Arrow admitted he was aware of the biosecurity rules and apologised for his actions.
“I know I have let a lot of people down, including my teammates, coaching staff and fans right across the rugby league community,” he said.
“For this I am truly sorry. I have fully co-operated with the NRL Integrity Unit, and I understand the scrutiny and criticism coming my way.”
It has been a disastrous series littered with dramas for the Maroons under new coach Paul Green.
Queensland suffered its worst ever Origin loss in Game One, falling 50-6 to the Blues, before being held scoreless at Suncorp Stadium for the first time in a 26-0 defeat to surrender the shield.
Losing a starting forward in Arrow was the last thing Queensland needed but the NRL was left with no choice as it fights to keep the season alive under strict government exemptions.
“In our view this is a clear breach of our biosecurity protocols, Jai has been placed into isolation from the squad and will return home to Sydney,’’ NRL chief Andrew Abdo said.
“There are no excuses for breaching the protocols, they are our licence to continue playing – players have to comply, or we will all face the consequences.
“I want to be very clear, any material deliberate repeat offence by a player will result in us removing that player from the approved bubble roster.
“I’d like to thank Queensland Health for their ongoing assistance in managing the situation and ensuring community health and safety.”
The identity of the woman involved in the breach has not been made public.
PONGA BACK FROM INJURY AND READY TO RIP
— Peter Badel
Kalyn Ponga has put the red-hot Blues on notice with the Queensland fullback superstar outlining his desire to dominate State of Origin and prove he can deliver in the code’s toughest arena.
Ponga missed the opening two games of the series with a groin injury and the Maroons are banking on his backfield brilliance to save Queensland from a 3-0 rout in Origin III next Wednesday night in Newcastle.
The stage is set for the returning Ponga.
Origin III will be played in Newcastle. After 65 games for the Knights in the past three years, Ponga knows every blade of grass at McDonald Jones Stadium.
But he also knows there is mounting pressure on him to fire in the Origin cauldron as he digests the reality of featuring in two losing series in 2018-19 and the pain of incessant injuries that have plagued his Queensland career.
Since his magical debut in Game Two of 2018 at age 20, Ponga has managed just three Origin games due to an assortment of injuries.
He has tasted Origin victory just once, an 18-14 win in the series opener at Suncorp Stadium two years ago, and was left to rue missing last year’s miraculous Maroons series win due to shoulder surgery.
Now, with Queensland on their knees, it’s time for Ponga to step up on the big stage, the 23-year-old acutely aware that the code’s greatest champions eat up the pressure of Origin football.
“I want to win. I want to be a winner,” Ponga said.
“That is my challenge (to perform at Origin level).
“I’ve won one Origin game and lost a couple and that winning feeling is unbeatable.
“The last two years, I’ve always been injured when it comes to Origin. I’ve had three injuries the last four years or whatever it is.
“The way the game is going, I have to be more professional, I’m not just a kid anymore and thinking my body will be all right. I’ve learned a lot about that over the last seven weeks.
“I wouldn’t say I think ... I want to be known as a winner.
“I’m at a great club at the Knights to do that (in the NRL) ... but in the Origin arena, I want to win.”
Ponga, however, moved to temper suggestions he is the man to singularly cure all Queensland’s ills in the dead rubber.
His club coach, Adam O’Brien, has likened Ponga to Queensland’s version of NSW phenom Tom Trbojevic. As Queensland confront the prospect of becoming the worst team in Origin’s 41-year history, Ponga insists he is not a Maroons Messiah.
“I’ve been asked, do I think I will be the difference? I don’t think so,” he said.
“I think we all collectively have to play our best and take opportunities to win and that’s Origin footy at the end of the day.
“It is important (to avoid a NSW clean sweep).
“It’s hard when you are sitting on the couch watching the first two games, but the boys have the pride.
“It’s there in the camp and the coaching staff, it’s just about playing our best footy together, I don’t think the boys lack pride, it’s just a matter of execution and taking their opportunities.”
Ponga was outstanding for Newcastle in his return from injury last week and is confident he can avoid surgery on his groin.
“I slightly tore the tendon,” he said. “It’s a bit different to muscle, so it was one of those injuries where you can’t put a real finger on it, it was a bit tedious and annoying.
“I’m happy to be back for Origin. That game (for the Knights) gave me confidence in terms of my speed, my metres and my involvement.
“I’d like to think I won’t need surgery. I’ve done a pretty good job with my rehab and I didn’t feel my groin at all on the weekend which is a good sign.”
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