Queensland v New South Wales: Maroons dynasty ends as Blues claim 18-14 victory
QUEENSLAND’S remarkable, record-breaking reign came to an end as a penalty-try drama catapulted NSW to a series-clinching 18-14 victory in an Origin heartstopper.
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THE greatest Origin dynasty we have seen in 38 years is over.
Queensland’s remarkable, record-breaking reign came crashing down as a penalty-try drama catapulted NSW to a series-clinching 18-14 victory in an Origin heartstopper on Sunday night at ANZ Stadium.
Not even the class of champion Billy Slater and the magic of debutant Kalyn Ponga could save Queensland from the heartbreak of a defeat that officially delivered the bullet to the Maroons’ ruthless era of dominance.
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Queensland had won 11 of the past 12 Origin series, but rookie NSW coach Brad Fittler has orchestrated a southern riposte that leaves the Maroons in danger of a 3-0 Bluewash for the first time in 18 years.
It was an incredibly brave effort from the Maroons, who bolted to an early 10-0 lead and came storming home when Will Chambers crossed to whittle the deficit to 18-14 in the 63rd minute.
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But the Baby Blues hung on before 82,223 fans to clinch just their second series win in 13 years and set-up the prospect of a clean sweep in Origin III at Suncorp Stadium on July 11.
In the end, this Origin epic was decided as it always seemingly is - by another moment of melodrama.
It came in the 32nd minute when NSW skipper Boyd Cordner was awarded just the second penalty try in Origin history after being taken out by Maroons halfback Ben Hunt as he chased a James Maloney grubber.
The call could have gone either way, but the Blues got a slice of luck to lead 12-10 at half-time, triggering a momentum shift that ultimately broke Queensland’s spirit.
“My first thought was, ‘That’s it, the series is done’,” Queensland coach Kevin Walters said.
“Sometimes you need luck in Origin and we didn’t have it.
“We were good for long periods but we just weren’t quite right on the night. We didn’t grab our opportunity and they did when it mattered most.
“We have to learn from it. NSW deserve their win and we have to take the loss on the chin.”
Once again, the Maroons were beaten in midfield - not one Queensland forward made 100 metres - but halfback Hunt should also accept responsibility after a dismal performance.
Aside from taking out Cordner, Hunt lacked composure under pressure and his kicking game was insipid, amplifying the heat on a Queensland defence that ultimately cracked.
Amid the high-octane theatre, Maroons debutant Ponga was superb, playing 55 minutes and almost snatching victory when he sliced through at 18-14 in the 69th minute, only to be grounded one metre short by James Tedesco.
Unbelievable.
“We were cheering him on that run,” Walters said. “Kalyn’s performance was outstanding for his first-up game. He made 30 tackles and played 60 minutes ... he’s a special player.”
Fighting to save their famous dynasty, there was something different about Queensland last night. They had found a spark. An X-factor.
His name was Billy Slater.
Back in the No.1 jumper after missing the series opener with a hamstring injury, Slater’s 30th game saw him officially qualify as a Queensland Statesman, but he played more like a talisman.
Like a grandmaster clinically plotting his next move a step ahead of the opposition, Slater was sublime. His opening 20 minutes was as dominant as any period of his Origin career as Slater teased and tormented the Blues, setting the tone for a Maroons side buoyed by his energy and enthusiasm.
His omnipresence started on the left edge in the 13th minute when he ghosted into the play, Slater’s speed so lethal it sucked in NSW centre James Roberts, allowing Greg Inglis to put Valentine Holmes over.
Then Slater suddenly popped up on the right, with his 20th-minute incursion creating space for Will Chambers and Dane Gagai, who showed superb balance to kick out of a Josh Addo-Carr tackle and cross for a shock 10-0 lead.
This was precisely the start Queensland needed. Past NSW teams, scarred by a decade of failure, would have capitulated completely, but if new coach Brad Fittler has taught his squad anything, it is staying calm under pressure.
At the MCG, the Blues rocked Queensland with two tries in a three-minute window. This time, a seven-minute blitz stunned the Maroons and shifted momentum.
When James Maloney put Addo-Carr over in the 25th minute with a risky long ball, the Maroons still looked comfortable at 10-6, but one of the biggest calls in Origin history, awarding Cordner a penalty try, turned the contest on its head.
It was a brave call, and certainly contentious, but ultimately the right one. Cordner was charging through. No Maroon would have won the race to the ball.
While Slater was magnificent, his one-man onslaught was eventually overpowered by a NSW team that gradually, and ominously, began to find its groove.
A critical, match-shaping difference was the decision-making and surety of the rival halves.
NSW duo Maloney and Nathan Cleary were busy, bold, enterprising and tactically aware.
By contrast, the Maroons lacked authority, halfback Hunt failing in Kevin Walters’ pre-series edict to take control of the team.
“I can’t be prouder of the boys, but it’s still hard to take,” Maroons captain Greg Inglis said.
“As a Queensland team, we had a chance to win it, but we didn’t nail it. They played for 80, we played for 77.”
Maroons skipper Greg Inglis was again brutal, running for 188 metres, setting the platform for the moment when Ponga sensationally streaked away.
But Ponga’s near-miss summed up Queensland’s night. So brave, so committed, so close ... yet still an inch too far away.
A wonderful dynasty is over.
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