State of Origin player ratings: Who starred, who struggled?
STATE of Origin III has been run and won, but who starred and who struggled in the series decider? Check out our Game Three player ratings.
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STATE of Origin III has been run and won, but who starred and who struggled in the series decider?
Check out our State of Origin 3 player ratings.
QUEENSLAND
BILLY SLATER
Offloaded in Queensland’s first try after beating Andrew Fifita for acceleration in a searching run. He was a constant headache with the ball and the safest pair of hands when NSW went to the air.
Rating: 8.5
Key stat: Ran for 131m and made five tackle busts.
VALENTINE HOLMES
Acrobatic finish to get the ball down for his first try and made 79m in the first half. Brilliant handling for his third try.
Rating: 9.
Key stat: Four tackle busts.
WILL CHAMBERS
Gave Jarryd Hayne headaches in defence in the first half and made an important one-on-one tryline tackle on him after halftime.
Rating: 7.
Key stat: Made 137m from 15 carries.
MICHAEL MORGAN
Positioned himself on the outside of his opposite number to offload to Holmes for icebreaker. In an unfamiliar spot, he made some bold choices in defence which came off.
Rating: 7.5.
Key stat: Thirteen tackles.
DANE GAGAI
Named man of the series after a 157m running game, including three tackle busts. Pulled down a brave bomb catch when NSW were within 10 points. Rating: 8.5.
Key stat: Made a staggering 561m in three games.
CAMERON MUNSTER
Strong presence from his first carry and tackle as a Maroon and gave the last pass for the two tries which turned a nervous second half his team’s way. Kicked a lot more than I expected and kicked generally well.
Rating: 9.
Key stat: Made 122m from 11 runs at five-eighth.
COOPER CRONK
His low, flat crosskick for Holmes’s second try enabled Queensland to capitalise on their superiority. Appropriately was the first to embrace his captain at full-time.
Rating: 7.5.
Key stat: Fifteen tackles.
DYLAN NAPA
Made some good ground when NSW rallied in the second half and will be even better next year for the hard-won experience.
Rating: 6.5.
Key stat: 80m from 14 runs.
CAMERON SMITH
Couldn’t have done much more to tip the Blues off on his intention to run more — it was on the back page of our paper. Man of the match, playing cleverly at second and sometimes first receiver.
Rating: 9.
Key stat: Team-high 40 tackles.
JARROD WALLACE
Did well in a longer first stint than in Origin II, making 18 tackles on top of his hit-ups for 32m. His athleticism put him in position to score the fourth try.
Rating: 7.5.
Key stat: Made 94m from 10 carries.
GAVIN COOPER
Did not let up on the left-edge again to play in a winning series after a loss in his debut in Game Three, 2016. Another 35 tackles.
Rating: 7.5.
Key stat: Ran for 105m from 13 runs.
MATT GILLETT
In the first half, he led the Maroons tackle count and made the most metres of any starting forward (48m). Rebounded from a poor Origin I.
Rating: 8.
Key stat: Made 41 tackles.
JOSH MCGUIRE
Performed fearlessly after being targeted by Fifita and the NSW media after Origin II. Made 56m in his first stint and 62m in his second.
Rating: 7.5.
Key stat: Rattled up 35 tackles.
Interchange
BEN HUNT
The most contested Queensland selection of the series was given only eight minutes when the match was won. His experience will round off his league education.
Rating: N/A.
Key stat: Two runs for 15m and three tackles.
JOSH PAPALII
Named by his coach as one Maroons forward who was too quiet in the first two games, he made 51m in his six first-half carries. May be circuit-breaker for his NRL season.
Rating: 6.5.
Key stat: Muscled up for 18 tackles.
COEN HESS
Held the line well when brought into his second Origin game. Like many teammates, the beauty is he learnt in a winning series.
Rating: 7.
Key stat: Ran for 69m from seven carries.
TIM GLASBY
His first-half runaway inflated his stats to 105m from seven carries. Poured scorn on Sydney media critics who mocked him. Rating: 6.5.
Key stat: Made 14 tackles.
NSW
JAMES TEDESCO
Safe as ever at the defensive end of the ground, but was unable to make more than three tackle busts to finish a fine series.
Rating: 7.
Key stat: Made 154m.
BRETT MORRIS
Belted the ball out of try-bound Cronk’s arms to deny Queensland a 10-0 lead. Hard to remember many mistakes all series even if he couldn’t compare to the Maroons wingers.
Rating: 6.
Key stat: Made 82m in nine runs.
JOSH DUGAN
Put down two passes in Queensland territory in the first half, but plucked a bomb out of Holmes’s hands to bring the game back to 12-6. Defended well.
Rating: 6.
Key stat: Made one of NSW’s two line breaks.
JARRYD HAYNE
Like Dugan, was one of NSW’s better players in their second-half surge. All at sea in defence too often in the first half but showed pride thereafter.
Rating: 6.5.
Key stat: Made 20 tackles, twice that of Dugan as Queensland ran his way.
BLAKE FERGUSON
Didn’t get much opportunity but was busy. Had a very good Test in May and will have to hope Mal Meninga remembers that at World Cup time.
Rating: 6.
Key stat: Ran for 96m from 12 carries.
JAMES MALONEY
Kept NSW in the game at half-time by running down Glasby. One of his team’s best players in the series with some penetrative short kicking.
Rating: 7.
Key stat: One try assist but, like his half, no line break assists.
MITCHELL PEARCE
Bad read in Queensland’s third try. Didn’t play direct football when he had the ball and he kept kicking the ball down the throats of Queensland’s back three.
Rating: 5.
Key stat: Only 12 run metres. Only three runs.
AARON WOODS
Not as productive as in the first two games to heap more bad memories on top of the 52-6 demolition.
Rating: 5.5.
Key stat: Only 75m from nine runs.
NATHAN PEATS
Titans hooker again topped the NSW count with 39 tackles. Not helped by his playmakers. Rating: 6.
Key stat: Did not run once from dummy-half.
ANDREW FIFITA
Played down to his Origin II standard with only 66m from 10 runs, 73m fewer than in Origin I. Gave away a silly penalty in a performance which raises fresh questions about his temperament. Rating: 5.
Key stat: Made 47m from his first seven runs.
BOYD CORDNER
Beaten by Munster in Queensland’s third try. Took a calf injury to be one of his team’s better players in the first half and his effort can’t be questioned.
Rating: 6.5.
Key stat: Made 139m from 17 runs.
JOSH JACKSON
Origin II man of the match was not a factor in this. Busy with 27 tackles.
Rating: 5.5.
Key stat: Only 39m from seven hit-ups.
TYSON FRIZELL
One of the more consistent NSW forwards in the series and did not see much action in the second half. Will be a World Cup certainty.
Rating: 6.5.
Key stat: Made 27 tackles to halftime.
Interchange
DAVID KLEMMER
Better than Fifita and Woods in the first half, making 78m from seven runs. May have been NSW’s best player in the series.
Rating: 7.5.
Key stat: From 17 carries, made 164m.
WADE GRAHAM
Strong defensively with 28 tackles but has not made himself a certainty for 2018. Did not give NSW the variety his selection was intended to achieve.
Rating: 5.5.
Key stat: Made 58m from seven runs.
JAKE TRBOJEVIC
Came out of his first Origin series with his reputation much enhanced. NSW were at their best when he and Klemmer were on the field.
Rating: 7.
Key stat: From 15 runs made 126m.
JACK BIRD
Made an impact when he came on in the 45th minute, but Queensland contained him in attack, in which he made 25m from four touches.
Rating: 6.
Key stat: Made 12 tackles.
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