State of Origin Game 3: Kalyn Ponga, Cameron Munster cleared to play in decider
Queensland legends Wally Lewis and Billy Moore have urged the Maroons to target NSW playmaker Nathan Cleary, to stop him from ‘fooling’ the referees yet again.
Maroons
Don't miss out on the headlines from Maroons. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The Maroons have been urged to bash Nathan Cleary out of the Origin decider following accusations the Blues superstar is a protected species and master manipulator like Queensland great Cameron Smith.
Dubbed the “smiling assassin” by Queensland legends, Cleary shapes as NSW’s great hope of snapping a 17-year decider drought at Suncorp Stadium in next Wednesday’s blockbuster showdown.
The Blues’ No.7 produced the finest performance of his 12-Origin career in Perth, tearing the Maroons apart in a two-try masterclass to level the series with a 44-12 thrashing of Queensland.
Stream every game of every round of the 2022 NRL Telstra Premiership Season Live & Ad-Break Free During Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-days free now.
Cleary’s 24-point haul in the west came on the back of the Maroons giving him far too much time to shine after Queensland’s forwards were battered by the Blues.
That can’t happen again if the Maroons are to wrest back the shield in Brisbane following last year’s Origin humiliation – when they were held scoreless at Suncorp for the first time in a 26-0 defeat.
Queensland legend Wally Lewis urged the Maroons to make Cleary uncomfortable in front of 52,000 at The Cauldron as the Blues chase their first decider win in Brisbane since 2005.
“If I was the Queenslanders I’d target him,” Lewis said.
“Back in my day, we were able to make life uncomfortable for the other team’s playmakers. I used to tell Trevor Gillmeister to make life uncomfortable for guys and away he’d go. That’s been scrubbed from the game a little bit now.
“Sometimes the pain of a penalty can be swept under the carpet by the effect it gets in return. If you put a bit of a late tackle on, the next time he gets the ball he might keep his eyes open. They’ve got to be able to do it.
“The big forwards have got to run at him. If they do that, he will look for somewhere else to stand and get out of the way.
“It’s Queensland’s choice.”
Cleary has had a mostly unhappy time at Suncorp Stadium in a Blues jersey.
He has only tasted victory once in four games in Brisbane, when the Blues smashed Queensland last year to regain the shield following the Maroons’ 2020 miracle at Milton.
The Maroons must take matters into their own hands with Cleary because they are unlikely to get any help from officials when it comes to the NRL’s golden boy.
Cleary controversially escaped sanction for a tackle which left Maroons fullback Kalyn Ponga with concussion symptoms, enhancing claims he receives special treatment because of his superstar status in the NRL.
Maroons great Billy Moore said Cleary fooled officials with his image.
“He has that clean-cut image, but being such a great halfback, he has a way of getting his way with referees,” he said.
“Without doubt, the NRL rules are there to protect the playmakers because they are so pivotal to the code and right now, Cleary is the prince of halves.
“Everyone talks about getting to him and it’s hard to get to him.
“Nathan was rarely rushed in Game Two. If we don’t belt them off the park in tackle one and tackle two, we will be so far on the back foot that Cleary will have a field day.”
While the Maroons have been urged to target Cleary, they must also toe the line given officials’ desire to protect NSW’s most prized asset.
Smith, Origin’s most capped player of all-time with 42 games, was the master of dealing with referees, something Cleary has become great at.
“The greatest players in the game show really good composure with the referees,” said former Maroons forward Scott Sattler.
“They don’t lose their head in the moment. Cameron Smith was the master of dealing with referees and Nathan is like Cam, he is the silent assassin. He doesn’t lose his cool dealing with the officials and the referees respect that.
“I have no doubt Nathan gets the rub of the green a lot of the time. Like Cam, Nathan is calm and composed and the referees are only human.
“Cleary is calculating in everything he does and that’s what makes him so great.
“Queensland have to rattle him early and knock down the front door, which is his NSW forwards protecting him.
“Queensland have to be a lot more physical dealing with Nathan and break down the NSW wall defending him.
“Queensland allowed NSW to give him time to play and I have no doubt ‘Freddy’ (Blues coach Brad Fittler) said to his enforcers ‘you got beaten up in game one, in game two you need to protect our seven’.
“NSW responded in Game Two, their forwards gave Nathan the opportunity to sit down and think a little bit more. It’s up to the Queensland forwards to bully NSW out of the game and they need to do it again.”
PONGA, MAROONS DOCTOR DISMISS CONCUSSION CONCERNS
Kalyn Ponga has dismissed concussion concerns surrounding his long-term future as Queensland’s team doctor revealed how close star Maroons pivot Cameron Munster came to missing Origin III.
The Maroons’ hopes of winning the Suncorp decider have received a huge boost with club and Origin medicos giving key playmakers Ponga (head knock) and Munster (shoulder) the green light to face NSW next Wednesday night.
Ponga has suffered two concussions in the past three weeks, prompting the Knights ace to be ruled out of last week’s clash against the Titans, but the Maroons maestro says he will be fully fit for the biggest game of his Origin career.
And Ponga also allayed fears about his long-term future in the code.
“I’ve had two incidents this year but it’s not really worrying me,” said Ponga, who plays his seventh Origin game in the 2022 decider.
“The specialist was pretty happy with how I’m going.
“I don’t know if it was the impact on the ground or what it was (that caused his concussion in Origin II). It’s all good. It was a head knock but I went through all the protocols and procedures and I’m feeling good.”
There was debate about whether Ponga should have been allowed to return to the field in Origin II after he was cleared by Maroons medicos, only to be overruled by the NRL’s independent doctor.
Queensland doctor Matt Hislop backed the NRL’s protocols and said Ponga had made a swift recovery.
“Kalyn is fine,” Hislop said. “Because it’s his second concussion this year, the rules are he had to have an independent concussion assessment. That has been done in Newcastle and he has met all the requirements in terms of graded return to play.
“He will be training with us as per normal this week.”
Asked about being overruled by the NRL bunker doctor, Hislop said: “That’s where there is some confusion between the category symptoms and doing a HIA (Head Injury Assessment).
“Category symptoms look at whether you fall over or not.
“Kalyn stumbled and I saw that, so he was initially assessed as a Category 2, but when he came off, he did all right on the HIA and passed our tests.
“But while I was doing the assessment, the bunker doctor was able to see more extended footage and he said Kalyn stumbled a couple of times so that moved him up from a category 2 to a category 1.
“I am happy to abide by that, I think that’s good to have an independent guy to make those calls. Either way, Kalyn has made a good recovery.”
Munster is set to have a painkilling injection to play in Origin III and Hislop admits he feared the Storm sensation would miss the Suncorp decider with AC joint damage.
“Cameron gave us a real scare in Game Two,” he said. “I will be honest, I was worried he wouldn’t be all right, but he had X-rays with the Storm and they were pretty reassuring.
“He possibly will need a painkiller. When guys injure their shoulder, they will get some painkillers or injections for weeks to help with the injury in the early stages.
“We’re taking precautions with Cam, we will go easy with contact, but he will be fine, he will definitely be playing for us.”
BATTERED MAROON BRACING FOR BLUES ONSLAUGHT
Pat Carrigan is bracing for an onslaught from NSW’s forwards with the Queensland ironman revealing he will play with a broken nose in the Origin decider.
Blues hardmen Junior Paulo, Jake Trbojevic and Liam Martin will almost certainly look to inflict more pain on a wounded Carrigan, who was a victim of friendly fire in Brisbane’s 40-26 loss to the Cowboys last Saturday night.
Carrigan, Queensland’s bench hero in his sublime debut in Origin I in Sydney, will take a busted nose into Game Three at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday week after colliding with Broncos teammate Tom Flegler.
The Maroons are banking on Carrigan to provide the interchange thrust that underpinned Queensland’s 16-10 boilover in the series opener and the battered Bronco said he will not take a backward step in the decider.
“I’m trying to avoid Tommy Flegler, he plays in the same team as me and he has given me a broken nose,” said Carrigan, who is also nursing bruising under his left eye.
“It’s pretty sore. I have been mucking around in camp with ‘Jonno’ (assistant coach Johnathan Thurston). He is calling me Avatar, although the swelling has gone down a bit.
“There’s a break straight through the middle (of his nose). I did it when I came back on, early in the second half (against the Cowboys last Saturday night).
“I collided with Flegler. He tried to tackle Murray Taulagi (Cowboys winger), but ‘Muz’ was too smart for him and he wiped me out.
“I never thought about pulling out. Willie Tonga (former Queensland centre) once played State of Origin with a dislocated shoulder, so I would be a bit soft if I pulled out with a broken nose.
“It might ruin my modelling career ... but I will soldier on.”
The lion-hearted Carrigan came crashing back to Earth in Origin II.
After a magnificent debut in which he charged for 165 metres and amassed 27 tackles in Game One, lifting the tempo for Queensland with his energy off the bench, Carrigan struggled for impact in the return bout at Perth’s Optus Stadium.
NSW’s thumping 44-12 victory represented a chilling reality check and Carrigan, digesting his maiden Origin loss, lamented the inability of Queensland’s forwards to win the ruck.
“We have had some chats as a forward group about where we want to improve,” Carrigan said.
“Nathan Cleary and Matt Burton (NSW duo) gave our back three some nightmares with their kicking games, but in the middle of the park we (Queensland forwards) didn’t help out much by letting the Blues’ kick-chase team get through pretty easily.
“Billy (Slater, Queensland coach) had a chat to us about the things we could work on and he was big on the group not turning on each other and sticking together.”
On Monday night, Queensland had a jumper presentation ceremony for the decider. Carrigan was humbled to receive his third Origin jersey from Queensland front-row legend Matt Scott, who played 22 matches for the Maroons.
“Matty Scott gave me my jersey and that was pretty special,” he said.
“To see what Scott did in the Queensland jersey ... Billy Slater said to us in camp you don’t have a mortgage on the Maroons jersey and Matt Scott never let anyone down in the Queensland jumper.”
WHAT BROUGHT DEBUTANT ORIGIN ‘MADMAN’ TO TEARS
Queensland legends have declared debutant Tom Gilbert will play 20 Origin matches as they hailed the emergence of another Gorden Tallis-style Maroons “madman” for the Suncorp decider.
Gilbert revealed he shed tears when he fielded a phone call from Queensland coach Billy Slater informing the Cowboys firebrand he will make his Origin debut in the death-or-glory decider against NSW on Wednesday week.
The Origin call-up represents an unfathomable rise for the 21-year-old, who dreamt of emulating his hero Johnathan Thurston and now gets the chance to work with the Cowboys champion, an assistant to Slater, in Camp Maroon.
Gilbert has caught the eye at the Cowboys with his ferocious playing style, prompting one of Queensland’s most passionate servants, legendary lock Billy Moore, to predict the Maroons rookie will terrorise NSW off the bench in his Origin baptism.
“Tom is a madman - I love it,” said Moore, the 17-game Origin stalwart famous for his ‘Queenslander’ chant.
“Tom can produce one of the great Origin debuts. I believe he is going to rip and tear.
“I see a little bit of lunatic in him and that’s just what Queensland needs in the decider.
“He plays with the passion of a Gorden Tallis or Mick Crocker who were two of Queensland’s great forward firebrands.
“I look in Tom’s eyes and see a tinge of madness, to me he is a player who will do anything that is required to win for Queensland.
“He has been magnificent for the Cowboys this season and I believe he will relish the intensity of Origin.”
Former Queensland Origin lock Scott Sattler believes Gilbert, who has played 38 NRL games since his debut in 2020, will become a cornerstone of the Maroons pack for the next decade.
“Tom is an exceptional selection,” Sattler said.
“I remember watching him as an 18-year-old, he was playing for Townsville Blackhawks in the Queensland Cup and he ran for 250 metres and scored two tries and I was blown away.
“If you had an NRL production line for a modern-day forward and you could add all the key attributes required for a second-rower, you would spit out Tom Gilbert.
“He is a machine. He is tough, he can use the ball and he can play in the middle or the second row.
“His game is absolutely tailor-made for State of Origin, he will play 20 games for Queensland.”
Gilbert, who will join new NRL franchise the Dolphins next season, hosed down suggestions he is Queensland’s new-age Raging Bull, attributing his success to playing with more focus and controlled aggression.
“I’m no madman,” he said.
“What’s helped me get this jersey is probably stepping back from that style and playing with more balance on and off the field.
“I did shed a couple of tears when Billy told me I was in the side. I just never thought as a kid I would get this opportunity. Not that I didn’t believe in myself, but growing up the Queensland guys were my heroes and role models and for me, it was a dream, but as a goal it felt unattainable.
“But I guess that’s what working hard and staying the course does.
“Johnathan Thurston was one of my heroes growing up. My family have always been Cowboys supporters, so when Thurston put that Maroons jersey on, he went to another level.
“The stuff he did in the Queensland jersey is the standard set for us boys next week and the years to go on.
“It will be nerve-racking playing for Queensland, but it’s a full-circle moment to play an Origin decider in my hometown in front of my family and friends at Suncorp.
“I hope I get some responsibility from Billy and I will do the job ... I am definitely ready.”
WE’RE NOT WHINGEING BLUES: SLATER FIRES PRE-GAME REF SHOT
Queensland coach Billy Slater says he has no interest in playing mind games and won’t be emulating NSW counterpart Brad Fittler by seeking a meeting with match officials before Origin III.
Slater ruled out requesting an official meeting with NRL referees boss Jared Maxwell to seek assurances on how the blockbuster Origin decider will be officiated on Wednesday week at Suncorp Stadium.
Fittler was unhappy with the performance of referee Ashley Klein in Queensland’s 16-10 boilover in Origin I, prompting the NSW coach to express his grievances to Maxwell, chiefly around the Maroons’ apparent spoiling tactics around the ruck.
There is a view Fittler’s meeting paid handsome dividends in Origin II when Klein controversially sin-binned Maroons forward Felise Kaufusi two minutes before halftime for holding down.
Stream the FOX LEAGUE State of Origin Game 3 REPLAY on Kayo with no ads during-play. Both full and condensed replays available to stream from 11PM AEST. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
It was regarded as the moment that saved the series for NSW, who embarked on a 30-0 second-half blitz as Queensland ran out of petrol in defence covering for the loss of Kaufusi.
The NRL affords the Queensland and NSW coaches the opportunity to meet with the referees boss before an Origin encounter, but Slater says he won’t be exerting pressure on match officials ahead of the decider.
“I won’t be talking to any referees this week,” Slater said.
“I’ve got my job - my job is hard enough. I’ve got my job to do and that’s what I will be focusing on.
“We need to be better, there were some areas in our game that were ill-disciplined, we need to be better at that, we need to be better with the football and better defensively.”
Pressed on whether the Blues tried to get a psychological edge with the match officials, Slater said: “They (the referees) will do their job. I have my job. There’s enough on our plate.”
The Maroons’ defensive systems were ripped apart during a second-half avalanche that has given the Blues a formidable springboard as they look to defy history by clinching the decider on Queensland soil.
But Slater is confident Queensland can recover quickly from a 32-point hammering which represented one of the biggest losses in Origin history.
“The back end of the game wasn’t good,” he said.
“We put so much effort into the first 60 minutes that we were just out of petrol (in the final quarter).
“It’s really hard to play any game, let alone State of Origin, when you are down a man for 10 minutes.
“I was proud of the effort we put in for the first 60 minutes, but there were some areas there where we just didn’t get our jobs done and that’s what we need to sharpen up on.
“I wouldn’t say I was overly disappointed, but we just need to get our jobs done.
“It’s a State of Origin decider, I would be disappointed if we’re not ready.”
RETURN OF ‘ORIGIN GAGAI’: SLATER’S WARNING TO BLUES
Queensland coach Billy Slater has launched a passionate defence of Dane Gagai and has backed the besieged Maroons centre to handle a NSW onslaught in the series decider at Suncorp Stadium.
Gagai goes into Origin III on Wednesday night under enormous pressure with the Maroons veteran identified as Queensland’s weakest link by NSW after missing a whopping 18 tackles in the first two matches.
Gagai, so often regarded as Queensland’s Mr Dependable, has endured the toughest series of his Origin career, terrorised by NSW rival Jack Wighton in Game One before missing eight tackles in the Maroons’ 44-12 loss in the return bout in Perth.
Gagai’s fragility in defence sparked speculation the 31-year-old was in danger of being axed by Maroons selectors amid fears NSW had devised a tactical blueprint to expose Queensland’s right edge.
The Blues will almost certainly target Gagai once again, but Slater insists the Knights ace was never in the firing line and will not let Queensland down in the death-or-glory Origin decider at Suncorp.
“I have a lot of belief in Dane,” Slater said.
“Dane wouldn’t be there if I didn’t believe in him, so I know he can do the job.
“Everyone in our team has something in their game they would like to do better in Game Two and Dane is no different.
“I know what he brings to our team. He is our No. 4 and I know what he is capable of, so that is the end of the story for me.”
Gagai has been under the pump from the opening moments of this year’s series. The Blues posted the opening try of Origin I when they attacked Queensland’s right side and Wighton kicked out of a Gagai tackle to score at Sydney’s Accor Stadium.
NSW scored three tries on Gagai’s edge in Origin II, with the Maroons No.4 failing to shut the gate when he and Jeremiah Nanai slipped off NSW pivot Jarome Luai for the four-pointer that sealed a Blues victory.
Gagai, who plays his 22nd Origin match next week, has produced some of his best moments at Suncorp. He scored a hat-trick in just his third Origin game in 2016 and former Queensland lock Scott Sattler believes Gagai will deliver in the decider.
“I know Dane has come under fierce criticism but he deserves to make amends in Game Three,” Sattler said.
“Dane has had some great success at Suncorp, he is a proud NRL player and he won’t be overawed by the occasion. He will bounce back.”
In a boost for the Maroons, key playmaking duo Kalyn Ponga (concussion) and Cameron Munster (shoulder) will play in Origin III after getting the green light from medicos.
Slater resisted any temptation to wield the axe for the Suncorp decider. With veteran back-rower Felise Kaufusi ruled out for family reasons, Cowboys rookie Nanai has been pitchforked into the starting side and Slater is confident the 19-year-old will relish the promotion.
“To be honest I think Jeremiah will settle into the game a bit better (as a starter),” Slater said.
“Coming on with (29) minutes to go in Game Two he probably felt he had to make up for lost time, so I am looking forward to Jeremiah getting the opportunity to start and playing his natural game.”
Nanai’s elevation cleared the path for his Cowboys teammate Tom Gilbert to make his Origin debut off interchange. The 21-year-old has inspired the Cowboys’ resurgence this season with his aggression and Slater believes Gilbert will not be daunted by a Suncorp decider.
“There is a lot to like about Tom,” Slater said.
“He has been on the radar for a while and he is that sort of player you want in your team.
“He works really hard in defence, he has good leg speed as well and a good carry. I am looking forward to having him in our team.”
Storm star turns back on Kiwis to keep Origin dream alive
The injury plagued Kiwis have suffered a massive blow ahead of the Pacific Championships, with a young star rejecting New Zealand to keep his Maroons Origin dream alive.
‘Not happy’: NSW dirty over coach exit
The truth behind Michael Maguire’s sudden decision to quit NSW has come to light as a attentions turn to a Blues legend.